In with the new

Sometimes all you need is an idea, a few hands on people and the will to change your environment and it can be done.

Over the month of Feb, we at Bell’s Bicycles HQ, have been up to our ears in wall filler, grappling with a lone hand held sander, and painting. A lot of painting. With help from our friends  - an electrician and a carpenter - we turned our bricks and mortar shop into a modern, clutter free store!

The shop refit had been talked about in December of last year (2017 for those with short memories). The shop had been decorated when Bell’s opened on George Street, Hastings four years ago. Part of the shop was painted Farrow and Ball Black Blue, it was cosy but cavernous and the more popular Bell’s Bicycles became, the more space was being taken up with stock and we needed the space to deal with the increasing demand. So it was definitely time for a rethink.

Bell's before...

Here in our story enters Chris the carpenter. He and his team created shelves were there had been pegboard, storage for us to put our stock in (out of the way of customers) and wall mounted bike boxes, to display the fabulous range of bikes we have in our shop.

Mid refurb...

 

Next was the painting (so much painting). We decided to go for a bright and calm colour scheme of white, blue and terracotta. The white eggshell/gloss finish on the ceilings and walls bounce the light around the room, making our once dark cavern of bicycles and accessories into a welcoming and open space. The blue of our new shelving and storage areas, reminds us of a summer sky, the colour is a calming touch, in what can be a busy shop. The floor was painted in Parma Gray by Farrow and Ball and blends in with the blue of the units.

And after!

The feeling of openness in the shop is enhanced by the use of light. We have upped our light fittings by 24. Spotlights now highlight and draw your eye across to points in the room and terracotta lamps illuminate desk space and keep the flow between the rooms. We also moved the workshop back about a metre and a half, which immediately gave us more space to use and makes our shop a pleasure to spend time in.

We are so pleased with the results and love working in our new space. We've missed being open (really we've missed the chats) so do pop in and see us if you're down this way and say hi. We really hope you like the new look too!