This past winter, Day’s Jewelers partnered with CWS Architects, Store Design & Fixturing, and Ouellet Construction to design and construct a state-of-the-art retail store in the Topsham Fair Mall.
The 5,500-square-foot space includes goldsmith and buffing rooms, as well as general offices. The retail floor features precision millwork and is accented with pleasing colors for a casual, yet elegant, coastal feel. The new store replaces Day’s former Brunswick location.
“From the start, Mike Ouellet impressed us as being incredibly detail-oriented,” said Day’s co-owner Jeff Corey. “He took it upon himself to interview employees in our other stores, asking ‘If you could rebuild your workspace, how would you change it?’ Consequently we have a store that not only flows efficiently from a functional perspective, it looks spectacular. And the staff love their new space.”
“We wanted to recycle as many components from the old store as possible without compromising the look,” said co-owner Kathy Corey. “Mike helped us do it in such a way that it’s nearly impossible to tell what’s old and what’s new—I can’t even tell the difference. That’s how nicely everything blends together.”
The project required well-orchestrated coordination to ensure a seamless transition—from precision placement of the overhead lighting to moving the showcases.
“Installing the showcases was like putting together a massive jigsaw puzzle,” said Kathy Corey. “The team disassembled all of the cases from the old store and fit them into the new layout, incorporating new cases, too. I admit thinking, ‘If this comes off without any problems, it will be a miracle.’ But it came together beautifully.”
New show windows are suspended from the ceiling for an elegant look. “Mike took great pains to figure out how to hang them,” said Kathy. “It took many hours, because he wanted to make them appear as if they are almost floating.”
“We had a bit of trepidation going into this project, because it was the first time we’d worked with an outside construction manager,” said Jeff Corey. “But we quickly grew to trust the team, and discovered a shared work ethic. Mike grew up working in his father’s construction company and I grew up in my dad’s jewelry store, ironically both in Madawaska. The County is a place where details are important, but relationships are more important. OC didn’t let us down.”