Firestone and Parson

Firestone and Parson

Firestone and Parson, a store specializing in antique silver and jewelry, was founded in 1947 in Boston, and maintained its location on lower Newbury Street for decades until it was forced to relocate from number 8 to number 30. Over the decades, the owners had retained many of the original display cases, and had added additional cases during a renovation in the 1990s. When the store was forced to relocate, the owners challenged CTA to redeploy all their existing cabinets into the new space – in part spurred by practicality, but also by the desire to keep the continuity of feeling of the decades old establishment. CTA planned the new retail “front of house” to accommodate all the existing display cases, and planned out new office and meeting spaces, jewelry repair, shipping and back of house services in the multi level space. Because of the nature of the business, security was also critically important, and the space was laid out to allow visual monitoring through careful arrangement of the existing case pieces, carefully calibrated sight lines, and “peep through” displays. A visual trick of mirrors on the upper portions of the walls (inspired by Adolf Loos’ American Café in Vienna) makes the thin front portion of the space feel larger, while chandeliers positioned along the space draw the eye into the heart of the store. Walls upholstered in a deep blue suede set off the warmth of the oak cabinets, and help establish a warm, quiet, and intimate feel to the store.
Photos by Sam Gray