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CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE // SPACE EXPERIENCE // SUSTAINABILITY // DIGITAL WORLD


Bringing Your Brand to the Eternal City: Navigating Retail Expansion in Rome
There is no city in the world quite like Rome. It’s a city where millennia of history sit comfortably right next to modern life, where every cobblestone and corner feels like a cinematic backdrop. For me, Rome is more than just a beautiful capital—it is my first home, and I am proud to say it is the second official business hub for SMN Design. For international brands, Rome represents a massive opportunity. It’s a global stage, a top-tier luxury destination, and a market with

Simone Barnabei
2 days ago2 min read


Designing the Perfect Coffeeshop in The Hague (With a Global Perspective)
There is something undeniably special about the cafe culture here in the Netherlands. Whether it’s a quick espresso on the way to the morning commute or a slow weekend flat white in the Zeeheldenkwartier, the environment you drink it in matters almost as much as the roast itself. Lately, as I’ve been immersing myself in the local neighborhoods of South Holland, I’ve been thinking deeply about what makes a coffeeshop truly magnetic. At SMN Design, our approach to studio life i

Simone Barnabei
Mar 122 min read


How to Open a Fashion Store: Experts of Retail Design
Opening a fashion store is more than signing a lease and stocking racks with clothes. It’s about crafting a retail experience that aligns with your brand, captures attention, and drives clients. Whether you're launching your first boutique or expanding to a second or third location, assembling the right team of experts is critical to success. Here’s who you need in your corner: 1. Real Estate Broker Finding the right storefront starts with expert guidance. A real estate broke

Simone Barnabei
Jul 30, 20254 min read


In the race to grow, many wellness and beauty brands overlook this
The wellness and beauty market is booming — but also more complex than ever. From gyms to hair treatment clinics, hair removal studios, tanning salons, dental aesthetics, nail salons, massage centers, and luxury spas, consumers now have more choices — and higher expectations — than ever before. They want to engage with your brand seamlessly, whether in a premium flagship, a boutique studio, or even through an online marketplace. But here’s the challenge: as brands expand quic

Simone Barnabei
Jul 9, 20251 min read


Creative Connection: Introducing DesignMeets.
DesignMeets is more than just a networking event — it's a new movement for the global design community. Created by SMN Design and...

Simone Barnabei
Jun 2, 20251 min read


Creating Emotional Architecture: How to Design for Loyalty, Not Just Looks
In an era where digital interfaces dominate, the physical retail space remains a powerful medium for forging deep, lasting connections with customers. But to truly resonate, these spaces must transcend mere aesthetics—they must evoke emotion. Why Emotion Matters in Design Emotional design isn't just about creating beautiful spaces; it's about crafting environments that elicit specific feelings, leading to stronger brand loyalty. Research indicates that when consumers form pos

Simone Barnabei
May 29, 20252 min read


A Coffee Shop Design Guide by SMN Design
Dreaming of opening your own coffee shop? Or just obsessed with beautiful café interiors? Our FREE eBook, "A Coffee Shop Design Guide by SMN Design," is your ultimate resource for creating a space that's as inviting as it is memorable. Ever walked into a coffee shop and just felt… right ? The lighting, the furniture, the overall atmosphere – it all clicks. That's the power of intentional design, and it's something we at SMN Design are passionate about. We believe that a well-

Simone Barnabei
Feb 18, 20252 min read


Shared Responsibilities and Hurdles on the Path to Sustainable Design.
As an architect working in high-end commercial design, I've often found myself grappling with the tension between creating unique, visually stunning branded spaces and designing the sustainable way. Being passionate about green practices, and perhaps just trying to alleviate the environmental footprint that my profession bears, for each project I have been trying to push eco-friendly solutions on the client’s table. While this is initially enthusiastically welcomed, with a wi

Simone Barnabei
Oct 11, 20244 min read


Lucas Muñoz, a model for Sustainable Interior Design
Explore the sustainable interior design genius of Luca Muñoz through a case study of the Modemovimiento restaurant in Madrid.

Simone Barnabei
Jun 21, 20233 min read


Furniture We Like - Boa Pouff by Sabine Marcelis
In the realm of contemporary furniture design, there are pieces that capture our attention and ignite our imagination with their innovative

Simone Barnabei
Jun 15, 20232 min read


Mycelium Architecture: The growth of mushroom-based design
Mycelium is part of the fungi kingdom and consists of thread-like white filaments known as hyphae.

Nandini Avadhanam
May 17, 20234 min read


Design with waste
As zero-waste low-impact products are gaining popularity these days, we must evaluate our consumption habits and broaden our...

Nandini Avadhanam
Sep 29, 20224 min read


Bamboo, an unexplored material for high-end interiors
This fast-growing grass has been used in iconic buildings, which all of us have been fantasizing of, dreaming a vacation in Bali, but...

Nandini Avadhanam
Aug 24, 20222 min read


7 Most Influential Retail Designers of the Last Decade
Who are the architects and designers who made of retail design their main career focus? Here is our selection of the most outstanding...

Simone Barnabei
Aug 19, 20205 min read


10 Eyewear Brands with the Best Retail Concepts (Gallery)
Eyewear market has not been characterised by astonishing store designs, but mostly by multi-brand opticians, targeting the whole market...

Simone Barnabei
Apr 4, 20201 min read


5 Innovative Recycled Materials for the Future of Furniture Design
Following the previous article about Innovative Recycled Materials for Luxury Commercial Spaces, here our highlight of the most...

Simone Barnabei
Oct 29, 20193 min read


4 Young Cosmetics Brands with the Best Retail Concepts
Selling beauty products has changed nowadays, and few companies have been pioneering this movement. In the last two decades, a series of...

Simone Barnabei
Jul 9, 20192 min read


How to Design and Manage a Successful Concept Store in 8 Steps
In the digital era, when Amazon menaces to swallow the whole market and multinationals already occupies whatever's left, here's how you can

Simone Barnabei
Jul 4, 20194 min read


Innovative Recycled Materials for Luxury Commercial Spaces
Sustainability is not anymore an option, but a requirement for good design. Luxury industry should not make an exception.

Simone Barnabei
Jul 1, 20193 min read
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