Introduction of a new brand on the market
The Old Mill brand arrives to the Slovakia from Croatia, where the parent company has been operating successfully since 1903. There they operate more than 160 stores and almost another 40 throughout Europe.
Our task was to help establish the company on the Slovak Market. The investor chose a busy location in the center of Bratislava and Trnava, with a lot of potential customers.
To raise brand awareness, we created a likable identity that simultaneously inspires a feeling of trust. We focused on distinctive design. The interior of the stores were made in the spirit of traditional Slovak architecture, with modern elements that people are familiar with.
Realization of projects in busy places is always complicated and full of restrictions. We managed to solve all these problems and assisted the Old Mill brand in welcoming its first customers in record time.
280 m2
commercial space3
stores4
months to design280 m2
commercial space3
stores4
months to designDesign
Our design goals were to create an authentic atmosphere reminiscent of old mills, revived with a combination of modern elements. From the start, we tried to design the entire identity to be universal. Essential elements and materials were to be repeated throughout the chain of stores, so the design had to be flexible to adapt to any given condition. One basic rule is the division of the store floor plan into three parts – the customer, sales and production. Inspiration for visually dividing the space was found in original Slovak mills. Typical for them were massive structures standing on wooden beams. These depictions we’ve advantageously used to create imaginary frames, which gradually shrink and draw attention to the oven with fresh baked bread.
Materials
We stuck to the concept by employing four basic materials – wood, white plaster, anthracite gray and brown brick. Always maintaining the traditional color scheme of materials found in local mills with neutral shades for supplying the space with a modern twist.
Brushed wood
Furniture
Gres tiles
Floor
Brown brick
Interior cladding
A significant base of motives are unique handmade cartoon murals. These depict historical monuments or symbols typical of this location and connect them with the traditional baker’s art. Paintings enlivened the entire area, giving it a relaxed character, which had a positive impact on customers.
Disposition
The store layout would always adhere to the universal principle of divided space into a customer zone, sales area and production facility. Thanks to their long experience, the investor had a precise understanding of how the store should function. Each store is as open as maximally possible while connected to the outdoors. Passing customers have the opportunity to smell fresh bread on the street or passage. The open-plan for attracting customers to enter and enjoy fresh bread is the basic building block in the sales concept.
Lighting
The concept of open spaces to attract passing customers also includes interior lighting. Though customers receive fresh bread almost immediately out of the oven, the feeling of freshness can be amplified even further with specially tuned lighting above the counter. The baked goods come in beautiful, honey-gold tones, so to look absolutely irresistible. Other lights in the store are attuned cooler, creating contrast that draws attention directly to the bread on display.
Furniture
All furniture elements in the interior, except for the bar stools, were custom designed and manufactured. That fact that we tailored-made our furniture according to our needs helped us take complete control over the look of the entire space. Furnishings adopted colors and materials found in the interiors. The combination of wood from brushed spruce together with anthracite gray creates harmony within the store interior, giving a sense of heat and material homogeneity.
Bar stool by Tolix
The bar stool used in the Old Mill bakery is inspired by the classic design icon Tolix H stool from the first half of the 20th century. At that time, it was designed by an unknown French designer Xavier Pauchard, who pioneered galvanized metal. He managed to create a robust but lightweight chair made of thin galvanized sheet metal that found its place in interiors and exteriors around the world.
Project and implementation
The investor approached us with the request to develop a conceptual design for the first store on Hodžovo square in Bratislava. Subsequently, we were invited to Zagreb, where our project team were explained the basics of the concept and philosophy behind the company.
Based on this information, we put together a conceptual design that consisted of a universal design identity proposal, realistic visualization and essential documentation.
During implementation, we handled all necessary permits, supervised construction work and ensured that the interior would be ready for immediate use. Hence, the foreign investor received our service package, which included the complete design, realization and service guarantee.
The design of one store took us about 5 weeks, and implementation in the range of 6 to 8 weeks.
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