Mary Lily's at The Breakers
United States
Palm Beach, FL
500SF (46m2)
Mary Lily’s is a confectionery shop named after the wife of Standard Oil magnate - and The Breakers at Palm Beach founder - Henry Flagler. The shop occupies a previously unused breezeway in the Palm Court at the aforementioned resort. In response to the Mediterranean-style arcaded and stuccoed Court, N&R designed a spare white-plaster vaulted shell, embellished only with the richness of blue/white marble surfaces (Azul Macauba Granite and Bianco Bello Marble), and the playful product and packaging.
One major challenge was the narrowness and size of the space (less than 500 square feet and 12’ wide), in contrast to the available height (16’+). The solution was to create a vaulted room that could expand through its height and the strategically placed mirrors and Apparatus Cloud chandeliers in the arches. The design pushed the side walls to their maximum width and employed minimal shallow cantilevered shelves on dyed Koto veneer, internally lit to highlight the fun product. Because of the compactness of the selling space, it was essential to understand the type and quantity of product to have maximum visual impact and sales. Custom risers and wall-mounted impulse purchase fixtures allowed for a vertical, impactful, approachable sales presentation and an uncluttered floor area for circulation. Mindful of the broad age range of its clientele, N&R designed these displays to be enticing, accessible, and safe to all.
The gelato and custard bar, with a neon cone on a solid slab of Mediterranean Blue Quartzite as backdrop, occupies the focal rear of the store. A display wall of colored letter tiles provides a flexible and fun area for product info and a backlit image of Mary Lily surrounded by sweets brings homage to the shop’s inspiration.
