Cafe and Shop Transformation

Situated on the ground floor, the stylish Art Lover’s Shop and Café are two of the first areas guests encounter when they enter the House for an Art Lover. Seeing their crisp, contemporary lines fused with Mackintosh style, it may be surprising to learn that both of these sections recently underwent a considerable transformation in March.

Coinciding with its ten year anniversary, House for an Art Lover was aiming to improve on excellence when the café and gift shop area were refurbished by the innovative shopfitting and property support business, Morris & Spottiswood. Both the café and gift shop have existed within the House for an Art Lover since its opening in 1996, and have quickly become one of the central attractions of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh inspired structure.

Offering a diverse selection of Mackintosh-inspired gifts as well as designs by other contemporary artists, it’s no surprise that the gift shop remains a popular stop for guests wishing to stock-up before beginning their tour of the impressive suite of Mackintosh rooms. Equally, with its exceptional snack and lunch menu the neighbouring Art Lover’s Café offers the perfect combination of culture and cuisine, housing exhibits from some of today’s highly regarded artistic talents.

Considering the needs of its developing clientele, while striving to ensure the shop and the café maintain their contemporary flair, the refurbishment provides a highly functional space that can be readily enjoyed by all visitors.

‘We recognized the popularity of the two areas and wanted to accommodate our growing clientele,’ related Dorothy Johnston, Marketing and Business Development Manager at House for an Art Lover. ‘We’re confident that the refurbishment has not only refreshed the area, but also makes better use of space - with such features as a well placed reception desk and ample walking room, the redesign alleviates overcrowding and permits visitors to move around with ease.’

The spacious shop redesign now showcases a significant display area, allowing a wider selection of products to be featured. Additionally, the softly lit shelving attracts attention to new ranges of jewellery, glassware, tableware, handbags and highland truffles.

The café, highlighted in subtle hues of off white and green, accommodates up to 100 guests. In addition to a soothing new colour, the remodel also boasts a spacious new bar area with increased staff, becoming the perfect setting for visitors to enjoy a drink or sample one of the many culinary delights from the recently updated menu.

The mid March grand re-opening event proved to be a huge success and guest were delighted with the changes that were not only stylish, but also practical.

‘The modifications we’ve made take the artistic vision of Charles Rennie Mackintosh into consideration and we’re very pleased with our newly developed space. We’re elated that the redesign has been a great success and more importantly, well received by our visitors.’

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