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Client Background

Shiro is a Japanese health & beauty brand that specialises in skin, body, hair and fragrance products. Their mission is to enhance the natural beauty of their customers with simple, non-toxic methods.

London Fit Out Summary            

We were contacted by design consultant Office Sekkei to fit out two of Shiro’s new London shops. Located in Bond Street and Covent Garden, Shiro wanted the shops to reflect their company identity through the use of natural materials and a minimalist aesthetic.

After ironing out the design specifications following their arrival from Japan, we were able commence the fit out works.

Bond Street – St Christopher’s Place

Shiro’s remit for Bond Street was to create a sophisticated environment to tie in with the upmarket local identity. To realise this vision we installed a range of luxury features, including bespoke floor and wall tiles, fluorescent feature lighting and a brass tap basin. For a natural look, the cabinet tops and counter were finished with marble.

In addition to the interior fit out, the shop’s exterior design was key in presenting Shiro as a luxury brand. We were responsible for installing two company signs: one hanging from a custom made bracket and another at the top of the shop with illumination.

At the back of the store, our expertise was required to implement a working toilet and storage/breakout area for staff use.

Covent Garden – Monmouth Street

While the Monmouth Street shop had a considerably different design to St Christopher’s Place, the premise of a minimalist aesthetic with natural materials was the same.

For a natural look on the shop floor we implemented a stainless steel tap basin and two solid wood shelves. To draw attention to the products on the shelves, LED downlights were installed for an illuminated effect.

We also installed a parquet floor to compliment the solid-wood shelving. Given that the floor was timber and liable to move, we were unable to use concrete for fear of it cracking. Our solution was to use compound resin alternative, which moves with the timber to prevent cracks appearing.

Thank You for Choosing Rap for Your Fit Out

Through working closely with Office Sekkei we were able to deliver the fit out works within the tight schedule available. Their client, Shiro, now boasts three stunning London stores in prime locations: Bond Street, Covent Garden and Kings Road.

Our interior fit out expertise was key in delivering the minimalist design brief, which is consistent across all of their stores. The seamless implementation of natural materials was also intrinsic in reflecting their brand identity.

We were delighted to be involved in this incredible project, which will allow Shiro to grow their brand in the UK.

A Word With Shengwei Wang, Office Sekkei Designer and Coorinator

What did you hope the design would achieve for your client?

The first target was to get it delivered on time, because our client gave us a very tight schedule. Therefore we needed a UK interior design company who was very familiar to the industry. This is why we found Rap, who we used for a shop fit out in 2007.

The old project we worked together on was very well done, so we’ve come back to Rap for the same results.

What stylistics elements did your client want to reflect their identity?

The concept of this brand is to use natural ingredients and a less toxic procedure to make cosmetics, so they wanted to reflect this in the shop style. For example, they didn’t want too many decorations and used a lot of natural materials, such as concrete, marble, solid wood and stainless steel. 

You will find that these two shops have very different designs to match the areas. They tried to make St Christopher’s Place a little bit more upper class, so the wall tiles are handmade and very expensive. 

Has Rap fulfilled your expectations?

In the beginning we were very worried about whether we could deliver the project on time. We didn’t have all the details on how we were going to build the project, but the attitude from Rap was very positive. They were so optimistic – it was too good to be true!  We had a few headaches of course, but in the end we still delivered the project on time.

Would you recommend Rap to other companies?

Yeah! We had another enquiry last week, which we also got Rap involved in at the proposal stage. Unfortunately we couldn’t get the project, but that’s evidence that we would like to work with Rap again.