A Neo-General Store Opens in Oakland - Remodelista
Photography by Melissa Kaseman, unless otherwise noted. When our Oakland-based architect friend Ian Read of Medium Plenty told us about his firm’s latest project, Neighbor, we went shopping. A. Owner Dana Olson (shown here) of Photograph by Josh Bettenhausen. Neighbor is on Piedmont Avenue, a shopping and eating district of North Oakland with a big local following. Olson and Anderson are keen on turning Neighbor into a hub of creative activity: “In addition to the storefront, Neighbor will have an outdoor section with garden furniture and accessories,” Olson says. The space was redesigned with a light hand to maintain the character of the place while giving it a new life. For example, in the front, the designers removed a layer of linoleum to reveal a concrete floor. The original lathe and plaster ceiling underwent a rejuvenation process akin to the floor: the plaster was removed to expose the wood lathe... ...and in the back of the store, both the lathe and plaster were removed to expose wooden beams, as seen in the previous image Photograph by Josh Bettenhausen. An African bushbok antelope and blonde fallow deer from Gold Coast Artifacts are mounted on a wall stripped down to its... ...original plaster almost to the ceiling–the architects left a hint of the 1970’s green paint as a reminder of what used to be. Midcentury wood and brass birds hover near a sailboat painting from the same period. Photograph by Josh Bettenhausen. “The steep stair and mezzanine were existing, and we built on their texture by composing grids of wood tones with new shelving... ...guardrails, service counters, and a suspended bench,” Lanigan says. The stair rail provides a handy display for a lineup of Turkish bath towels. Under the mezzanine, the designers exposed the brick in the wall to add texture behind the open shelves. Photograph by Josh Bettenhausen. Photograph by Josh Bettenhausen. Medium Plenty created a general store aesthetic by designing new shelving using reclaimed shelving from the previous store. Shop owner Dana Olson keeps the shelves stocked with Bellocq tea, Other Brother olive oil, and Inna shrubs. Photograph by Josh Bettenhausen. The store has an inviting ad hoc look. A constellation of existing holes in the plaster wall anchor multicolored rods inserted for displaying planters made by local artist Peter St Lawrence and chimes from Seattle studio Ladies and Gentlemen. And over on Gardenista, stay healthy with herbs from Oakland’s Homestead Apothecary.