Northeastern Fine Jewelry
Western Avenue Renovation

Guilderland, NY

In 2017, the Northeastern Fine Jewelry store located on Washington Avenue in Albany, New York was renovated to enhance the consumer experience.

The owners of Northeastern Fine Jewelry wanted to update the store’s look and make it as functionally modern and approachable as possible. The owners spent hours researching store designs, traffic flow, and consumer behavior before approaching an architect.

The 5,000 square foot store was gutted, all while remaining open to the public. Ensuring the safety and comfort of their staff, was paramount to the owners. Carefully planned phasing was a big part of this project’s success.

The design included a 1,000 SF addition and reconfiguration of the existing floor plan, a new exterior glass façade, a patio, and a new parking lot.

Industry: Retail
Year Completed: 2017
Size: 6,000 SF
Services Provided:
Architectural Design
Interior Design
Construction Administration

For the first remodel we used a New York City firm. It was very expensive and the measurements were wrong. When it came time to remodel the store again, we hired C2. C2 did an award-winning job with the correct measurements!

— Ray Bleser, Owner

NORTHEASTERN FINE JEWELRY

The overall challenge of this project was working within an existing building while taking the client’s concepts and bringing them to life. The open floor plan and optimal traffic flow showcases new glass cases that feature shop-in-shop brands. The glass façade offers transparency that puts shoppers at ease as they approach. At night, the windows reveal the character of the store within, while the casual patio setting offers a decompression zone between parking lot and shopping experience, easing threshold resistance.

The interior design focus was centered around timelessness. The upscale, sleek finishes enhance the space, not detract from it. The décor includes shades of gray and new, LED lighting that is green and efficient. The attention to the lighting around the open space created an ambiance that enhanced the reflectance of the displayed jewelry as clients move through the space. The owner wanted to focus on emphasizing the cuts of their stones to showcase their craftsmanship and care they take pride in.

The project was featured in the February 2019 issue of Instore magazine as one of America’s Coolest Stores. Read more.