SHOP DESIGN | Playful ice cream shop in London

Let’s fly to London today, discovering a brand new shop design by talented FormRoom creative agency.

You will probably remember them from this ice cream shop design that was everywhere on Instagram a few time ago (including @italianbark). Here again the brief called for an ‘Instagramable’ interior and for sure the scope was reached.

Concept Design

More than just being designed for Instagram, the concept of the new Dyce ice cream shop is developed around three words – Approachable, Unexpected and Immersive. The result is an original aesthetic with a playful twist, merging youthfulness and Salvador Dali inspired surrealism.

Dyce ice cream shop design is a great example of what we have called the “Playful Living” design trend in our research for the main macro trends for 2020/21.

Our lives are becoming more informal, hybrid, nomadic and entertaining. People, especially millennials, either at home or at work, want to be entertained and express their personalities. Brands and designers are working to meet all these needs with a more experimental, interactive and playful design.
Social media, especially Instagram, is changing our perception of spaces and interior design. There is as a result an explosion of Instagramable pop-up spaces, especially in the retail sector. Brands have realised that the future of retail is playful, colourful and carefully crafted to be shared on social media.
|| Subscribe to IB newsletter here to download the 4 moodboards of the key macro trends 2020/21 and many other free resources

All the elements have been designed around the idea of creating a complete store experience, referring to Millennials, Gen-Z but also to family with kids. For example, the amphitheatre-style seating allows the space to feel welcoming to families while limiting excessive dwell time in favour of a faster customer journey and experience. The distorted visuals reflect from the ‘fish-eye’ mirrors cater to the young demographic, always drawn to spaces with shareable moments.

Colours and shapes

The colour palette expands upon the on-trend ‘pink’ with unexpected but complimentary colour contrasts. Love how the pink is matched with a cantaloupe orange and bright turquoise, giving a bright and soft mood. A warm neon glow together with black details give additional interest to the whole interior palette.

All shapes are curves and inspired by the smooth dripping nature of soft serve ice cream. The counter, made of corrugated metal panels treated with an iridescence vinyl, adds a playful element with a rustic and unexpected edge inside the interior.

The designers did not forget finally to treat the ceiling with the same interest than the other surfaces, by covering it with a series of suspended concave and convex iridescent mirrors. The design research on the fifth wall – the ceiling – is another trend we are seeing a lot as a rising one, part of the key concept of recreating a whole and immersive experience through interior design.