STORE DÉCOR

Rock On


2 Cleveland businessmen use their city’s iconic music heritage for optical inspiration

when Steve Nelson and Anton Syzdykov opened Eye Candy Optical in Cleveland, they had a vision of combining high-fashion optical with a rock ’n’ roll, sexy vibe. In other words, the business partners say, “what it would look like if Victoria’s Secret and House of Blues opened an eyewear boutique.”


Such a unique concept required store décor features that may be out-of-the-ordinary for a typical optical retailer. But Eye Candy Optical aimed to be anything but typical.


“The optical world is far too clinical and functional,” says Nelson. “But being in Cleveland—the rock ’n’ roll capital of the world—we felt our store should reflect that vibe.”


When Nelson and Syzdykov went to work bringing their rock ‘n’ roll optical shop vision to life, one of the first challenges they faced was finding displays that didn’t look like typical doctor’s office furniture.

Ultimately, the business partners found Presenta Nova, a furniture design company headquartered in Croatia but with a U.S. office and showroom, and got exactly what they were looking for with the company’s modular, mix-and-match designs.


By working mostly with aluminum, acrylic, glass, and lacquered finishes, Presenta Nova was able to achieve a sleek, clean design that really put the focus on displaying frames like artwork.

Let There Be Light


Lighting is a critical factor in store décor and design. When planning Eye Candy’s design, Nelson says that he and Syzdykov were “sticklers” about the lighting, because they understood the retail power behind it. Their backgrounds in global marketing and retail development gave them some key insight that they could apply to the development of the shop.

The striking interior of Eye Candy Optical stays true to its theme

Warm, clean lighting showcases the eyewear

Bold lighting is just one of the elements that attracts attention from passersby


“You need warm, clean lights to showcase high-end frames,” Nelson says. “You also need to feature lighting that is visually exciting. The big globes in the center of the store are dotted with hundreds of bulbs that look, from the street, like fireworks exploding.”


The displays themselves also need to be properly lit. According to Presenta Nova, LED backlighting was used to highlight frames but avoid shadows.


In addition to lighting, color can really dictate the feel of a space, adds Nelson. “Red is the most impactful color. It is [enticing], loud, and actually raises the blood pressure. Purple, on the other hand, is a color associated with artists and royalty. The two play off each other for just the right amount of creativity and excitement,” he says.



The Total Experience



Although Nelson and Syzdykov had originally envisioned a much larger space for their dream design, they wound up in a 1,200-square-foot space. Instead of completely reimagining their concept, they got creative.



“Basically we had to think like the Japanese and shrink the concept to fit the space,” Nelson says. “That’s where modular displays with hidden storage have made such a huge difference.”



“Customers are amazed when we open up the displays to find yet more frames,” he says. “We call it ‘going into the vault.’”



That’s just one of many expressions and nicknames used at Eye Candy to create an overall experience. Patients are called “fashion clients” or “rock stars.” And the waiting room is referred to as “backstage.” (To read more about how their concept spills into their lab setup, see p. 134).



Perhaps the most interesting part of the optical shop is one that is hidden away. The bathroom is fashioned after a Vegas nightclub—complete with lighting and pumping techno music. It definitely completes the rock star experience.



In the end, the owners say their vision has come to life with a space that offers the total rock ‘n’ roll package. “We took a fresh approach to buying eyewear—making it cool, sexy, and fun,” Nelson says. “But we also have professional opticians, an O.D., and a state-of-the-art exam room,” he says. “If you can’t get the medical part right, you won’t last long in this business.”



—Lindsey Getz



Lindsey Getz is a freelance writer and former Eyecare Business editor.