Killer curves, sharp cuts and superior interiors—Vritima Wadhwa pioneers a modernist vision inside this FCML Coimbatore experience store

Even in today’s digitally skewed age, touch is still key to the shopping experience and leading lifestyle retainer brands like FCML need a physical space that puts their wares on a pedestal. This is where Vritima Wadhwa, Design Principal and Founder of Project 810 comes into picture. “In a world of luxury where spaces are defined and driven by what the market has to offer, the FCML stores boast of their rudimentary finishes. Defined largely by chiselled walls and natural tones, FCML is an oasis amongst ostentatious,” reveals Vritima. 

The Curious Brief

It’s no longer enough for a store to simply supply goods—consumers need to be taken on a journey. Located in Coimbatore, the 3,000 sq ft experience centre aims at creating a visually stimulating environment where clients can experience the offered bathroom products, be educated about them at leisure and make inspired, informed choices for their bathroom experience. The only brief of the client FCML & Kiba Trading was to engineer an extension of the existing stores and to pursue a natural, comfortable and home-like aesthetic. 

Store Shenanigans 

Humans are social creatures—and more than ever we need a forum for collective interaction. A store where we can’t get what we want just by clicking on it, but where we can engage with others in visually and physically stimulating urban environments.

Spread over two floors in a four storeyed building, the FCML store is spread over two floors with over 25 unique vanity concepts. It embraces a warm and natural aesthetic that allows for the vanity concepts and luxurious bathroom fittings to stand out. Other than the vanity concepts, the lower floor accommodates a meeting room and the top floor accommodates the office, pantry and private access areas.

Ideas to bookmark

Vritima had a fine canvas to work on and it has created a series of showstopping architectural interventions that help pull the customer in from the street, starting from the earthy chiselled or grey walls, solid mango wood panelling and accent cobalt walls that come together to create a natural and rugged shell. 

“A simple polished Grey Khareda clad staircase leads up to the first floor of the FCML experience store. The space also sees the use of white handmade tiles, wicker accents and ice-grey millwork in various vanity concepts. The various free floating vanity concepts are largely in birch veneer, mango wood and mild steel. Various shapes of mirrors have been used in space to create expanse in this small space. Curated with various objects & art and layered with plants and rugs, FCML Coimbatore emulates the feeling of a home to create a unique retail experience,” further elaborates Vritima.

Humans are social creatures—and more than ever we need a forum for collective interaction. The FCML Coimbatore store, crafted by Vritima Wadhwa, is a place where we can’t get what we want just by clicking on it, but where we can engage with others in visually and physically stimulating urban environments. 

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