Guys and dolls

"Children see the world as a much bigger place than adults and are always looking for fun and play, which means there has to be a hierarchy of scale progression that they can interpret instantly," says Simon Mitchell, director of London-based design agency Sybarite. "At the same time, a child's attention is more easily grabbed by bright colors and bold, simple design."

It was this philosophy, Mitchell says, that led Sybarite's approach to Guys and Dolls, a colorful, funky kidswear concept in London's Chelsea district.

Sybarite determined that the most effective way to approach the design was to think like a child, particularly considering their height and perspective on the world, including color and shapes. However, situated in an upscale corner of southwest London, the 970-sq.-ft. store also had to speak visually to a sophisticated and affluent shopper.

To achieve an appealing interior for both adults and children, Sybarite opted for curved flooring with colored furniture pieces imitating building blocks. All internal elements are themed on circular formations: spiral stairs, spiraling clothes rails, circular drawer units, cylindrical fitting-room pods, play pods with rubber balls, rotating circular shelves and circular light fittings.

The concept even extends to the shop logo, Mitchell explains. "The logo is actually an exercise in circular geometry that one would probably easily overlook the first time." The logo is prominently featured on the exterior and is reinforced in-store, printed in big individual letters on the surface of the drawer units at a child's viewing height.

A cut-out, glazed facade frames the store's entrance into the multicolored den. The low-level drawer units are soft edged with merchandise on display at child height, as well as a playpen inviting interactive play. The units are all finished in a high-polyester lacquer designed for tough wear.

The fitting room pods, which Mitchell describes as his favorite element, are scaled for children, complete with a private capsule and mirror, but have no ceiling so parents can look in from the top. Sybarite specified rubber flooring in the store, and all the pods have rounded edges as a safety feature.

Since its launch, Guys and Dolls has been approached by department stores but its preferred route is to build the brand with its own shops. Other options are to expand beyond the 8-and-under age group it currently serves to a slightly older audience, or to enter the children's furniture market.