CREJ - Building Dialogue - June 2017
In 2016, industry legend John Atencio celebrated his 40th year in the retail jewelry business. To mark this remarkable milestone, he decided to bring a fresh, new design aesthetic to his showrooms to better reflect his own personal evolution and position his firm for the future. Critical to this vision was the long anticipated reopening of a Boulder location last fall. Tucked into a street-level space in the beautiful new Pearl West Building, this newest addition to Atencio’s string of popular retail boutiques brings his 1990s flirtation with Boulder full circle. “Boulder is such a hot spot right now,” Atencio shares. “There is so much going on, and the higher-end clientele is a perfect match for our business. Pearl West also recruited us early on, and we’ve been thrilled with the outcome.” As a native of Colorado, Atencio began his retail journey in jewelry design in 1976 when he opened his first store in a small alley near Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He eventually expanded to Boulder, then opened a storefront on Denver’s Larimer Square in 1994. Today, in addition to seven retail boutiques and 10 distribution points, he also has an extensive wholesale business, an e-commerce outlet and an insurance enterprise. Over the course of the last four decades, Atencio has brought in outside people, financing and jewelry at various stages, and did all the manufacturing for his own designs. At one point, he had more than 100 people working for him in design, production and sales with retail locations across the western U.S. After surviving the recession, however, he decided to simplify. “Today, I design everything we sell and it’s made all over the world,” he explains. “I am more of a designer now. I contract everything and we have a smaller core staff of under 40. As a result, we have better quality, stronger branding, more freedom, and I’m more proud of my work than ever.” An Evolution in Design To help fulfill his anniversary vision, Atencio turned to Denver-based Semple Brown. For more than two decades, we have worked together on the design of his Larimer Square, Park Meadows, Cherry Creek Mall, Clayton Lane, San Francisco and San Jose stores (the latter two now closed) with a successful partnership dating back to the mid-1990s. Dalton Davis, architect in charge of Atencio’s projects today, personally began working with the well-known jeweler on his Clayton Lane location in 2004. Davis shares that in addition to completion of the new Boulder store, they are currently refreshing Atencio’s Park Meadows boutique, with others to follow. “We’ve worked with Semple Brown for many, many years,” reflects Atencio. “The first store we did together was Larimer Square. It’s a really strong, important relationship and it goes back a long ways.” “It’s fun for me to have a creative person like Dalton to work with. He’s a good listener. It’s a very collaborative process, and he was really, really good for me,” he adds. Davis notes, “John has been doing this for 40 years, and he wants to do this for another 40. He put a lot of thought into the next evolution of his store design as a result. “He wanted the spaces to be completely flexible so he could rearrange the display cases to make room for events,” Davis continues. “Unlike traditional cases which are permanently installed, John envisioned a ‘gallery-like’ environment where furniture could be moved at will. He also wanted his jewelry, and his own original artwork, to be the focal point with everything else as backdrop.” “This feels more like an artistic edge than a jewelry store,” adds Atencio. “I wanted to showcase my art, keeping that piece of my passion alive as well.” A New Retail Experience To highlight Atencio’s artistry and attention to detail, custom display cases designed and manufactured by Peter Woden of Denver-based Woden Woods, feature elegant blackened steel frames to allow for increased glass surface and heightened transparency. LED lighting positioned at the top of each case also highlights the cabinets, introducing a more theatrical feel and a touch of sparkle. Other design elements support this theme as well. The ceiling consists of a stained wood grid element to introduce warmth, yet hide the lighting and mechanical systems above. Also, numerous outlets are strategically located within the concrete floor slab to accommodate for furniture flexibility. Wall surfaces are painted sheetrock, and the glowing back wall consists of curved sheetrock covered in a special metallic paint highlighted by accent lighting – a nod to jewelry’s inherent metallurgy. The curved wall also conceals a bathroom, kitchen storage and workspaces for caterers – everything needed to offer clients hospitality or cater a “gallery” opening. “All of these effects, when combined, allow John’s new Boulder showroom to feel more like an art gallery – one that just happens to be a jewelry store with free-flowing circulation,” notes Davis. “By toning down the background elements and leveraging the use of lighting, this new retail experience has become an extension of the Atencio brand and a refreshing change in how he displays his jewelry.” “Customers say that it really fits that west end of Pearl Street,” states Atencio. “It has a flare. It’s jewelry as art.” Park Meadows Refresh Final planning for construction of the Park Meadows store is currently underway. The closing of Atencio’s smallest, but busiest, showroom must be done during the lowest trafficked time of the year. The planning process is complex, taking up to 10 months to determine how to coordinate and prepare everything for installation during the highly condensed two-week construction period permitted. Atencio says, “We’ll have a similar look and feel at Park Meadows. Although the mall footprint is different from the freestanding footprint, we will do something edgy that hasn’t been done in jewelry before. “There aren’t many businesses out there that can say they’ve been around for 40 years,” he reflects. “I feel like I’m just starting to hit my stride. 10 years ago, I decided I wanted to become a painter, and the hand-eye coordination and experience has really improved my jewelry. “Today I’m living a truly artful life – writing, painting and designing. It’s a story, and a legacy,” he concludes. “And our new stores are an important part of it.” Davis adds, “It’s been a fascinating journey working with John through economic cycles, seasons and retail ups and downs over many years. We’ve created these spaces together as his vision has evolved and simplified, and his hand’s-on approach to the design of the spaces has been a big part of his success.” PHOTOS: David Lauer Photography OPENING ART: Glowing back wall covered in special metallic paint enhances warmth of the space while offering nod to jewelry’s inherent metallurgy. ABOVE: Custom display cases feature elegant blackened steel frames to allow for increased glass surface, heightened transparency. Original artwork becomes extension of Atencio’s brand.