LOS ANGELES, CA – “Bring good design to as many people as possible.” That’s the goal of modern home furnishings designer and retailer Blu Dot. So when they decided to open a store on Beverly Boulevard, in a building whose exterior was stuck in the 50s, they knew they had to do something special. They also knew just who to call: Shawmut Design and Construction.

The 6,600 SF space showroom needed a complete fit-out—nothing too unusual there. But it also needed to make a statement—this is West Hollywood, after all. And how better to make a statement than by removing the nearly 70-year-old brick façade and replacing it with two stunning backlit Bendheim channel glass entryways. Two things about Bedheim channel glass: they need to be supported by a complicated cantilevered steel system and they require 16-week lead time from Germany. The four-month lead time was almost as long as the project itself and left zero room for error. Normally, the steel system would be built first and then the glass would be measured to fit. In this case, the glass order had to be released at the very beginning of the project and prior to completion of the storefront steel system. In the end, it all worked out perfectly—the glass entryways are as bold as the furniture behind it.

Of course, there’s more to any store than the storefront. Inside Blu Dot, guests are greeted by a free-flowing space accentuated by an open ceiling of new sandblasted wood beams and a reclaimed bowstring truss, polished concrete on the ground floor, a walnut staircase leading to the mezzanine, and track lighting throughout.

“Working with an up-and-coming brand like Blu Dot—with their keen sense of design and purpose—was a perfect fit for us,” said Shawmut’s Project Manager, Scott Hutchison. “You could tell that we were both comfortable working with each other right from the start.” And we all know how important comfort is—especially in the furniture business.