Goldsmiths Newcastle
The popular jewellers store Goldsmiths, located on Blackett Street in Newcastle, underwent quite a refurbishment over summer, enhancing the listed building’s interior into something that reflects the impressive historical external façade.
The prestigious site in Newcastle now features décor similar to that of the 1900s, as well as retained listed cabinetry and a brand new service and repairs area to the mezzanine level on the first floor. Having commenced on site at the end of April this year, the developments were finalised by July and the transformed store was revealed to the public on July 6th.
Premier Retail caught up with Sonia Brown, Design Manager at Quadrant Design, to enquire about the project. Sonia said:
“The reset went into an existing Goldsmiths store, which is a highly listed building – so in terms of fit out we were restricted externally and internally of what we could do. We completed a full decoration throughout with new feature lighting and new carpets.
“Existing units to the perimeter of the ground floor were gently cleaned and internally lined with suede to bring the units back to life. A new mid floor timber island unit was formed to replicate the existing display unit which was removed due to it being broken and worn in many areas (this wasn’t a listed item). We matched the beading and timber moulding details to make the new fixtures sympathetic to the existing.”
All lighting and signage to the exterior of the property was replaced by Quadrant Design to bring back its sense of presence to the high street and encourage it to become a beacon within the Newcastle city centre. The interior developments mainly involved applying a heritage colour palette, custom bespoke carpet throughout the ground floor and first floor and the installation of a new Rolex area to replace the existing one.
Sonia commented:
“A new full height timber partition was also formed with glass cube tanks recessed within, creating feature watch displays as well as adding another form of security to the window area. All new timber items were made from solid walnut, stained to match the existing listed unitary. All paint decorations were from Little Greene.
“The listed process was smooth due to having a great relationship with the listed building officers from the very beginning of the project. We worked with the officers on site to create a store that would satisfy the planners and also impress our customers.”
A designated service and repairs area has been introduced to the first floor, with stylish custom furniture designed in a way to complement the existing listed furniture throughout the store. This area provides a private space for customers to have their watches serviced and valued. A stunning new chandelier has been positioned above the staircase in this area to make the staircase more of a prominent feature within the store.
To summarise, Sonia added:
“The feedback has been very positive, the store seems to have been very well received – there have been several events as part of the opening of the store and many loyal customers who have shopped there for years have attended these events!
“The building is very prestigious in Newcastle and is a landlord site for Goldsmiths. It was an honour to work on such a beautiful building which holds so many years of history for both Newcastle and the company.”
