Episode 5: From 3D to reality
Or how my dream store finally came to life - not without twists and turns!
before/after 💛
In the last newsletter dedicated to the store, I told you about the creative process that allowed me to arrive at the final interior architecture (see here )… By the way, here (above) is a little comparison of 3D and reality. Not bad at all, right? I'm not a little proud of the result, which is even better than in my dreams! My architect deployed an incredible amount of energy to orchestrate everything and meet the deadlines until the inauguration. I'll tell you all about it.
May 12, 2025: The countdown begins
Here we are. The shop lease is signed, the loan approved, the craftsmen selected, the budget finalized, and the work is ready to begin. Under the direction of Nicolas (my architect, co-founder of the F8 Architecture agency), each trade enters the scene like a precisely measured ballet.
We start with the cleaning, then we move on to the construction of the partitions and niches. The electrician joins the dance and runs his cables everywhere to illuminate the walls and the false ceiling. Next comes the removal of the old facade and the installation of the new one while the construction team sculpts the central island in cellular concrete in situ. The house painter applies a first coat and the "concrete effect" coating experts appear. After a few days of drying, it's time to assemble the custom-made furniture, install the glass in the window and the logo on the facade and the blinds upstairs...
The Mystery of the Missing Transformers
A moment of panic. The transformers needed to complete the false ceiling were supposed to have been delivered, but they couldn't be found. An express delivery was sent, and a few precious days were lost...
On D-Day, we're on the lookout for all the delivery men in possession of the precious cargo. In the afternoon, it finally shows up. We open the package and, to our amazement, they can't fit through the holes in the ceiling.
Without wasting a minute, Nicolas came up with several ideas and a solution was found. Another week to wait to finalize everything... On the 23rd, the cables hanging from the ceiling were all centralized and the spotlights installed. On the 24th, I arrived at the store early in the morning and I was a little worried...
The cables still aren't tidy, the floor and the island are still covered with tarpaulins, there's dust and empty boxes strewn across the floor... It's hard to imagine what's next. A quick message from Nico reassures me, "In an hour, everything will be tidy."
Hidden upstairs to finalize the evening's festivities, I wait... An hour later, I go downstairs and the shop is transformed, illuminated, clean and tidy, ready to welcome and illuminate my precious creations.
Not without emotion, I begin to arrange the structures that I prototyped with my 3D printer in the niches, I install the XXL trays on the central island, books on the shelves, the raffle in the window and the bar in front of the shop...
I'm taking a moment to savor this fabulous moment: for 6 years I've been dreaming of having a home for ŌKAN and now it's finally here... And what a home! I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming!
Memories, memories: 1/ when we had to remove the entire exterior facade 2/ when the craftsmen began to build the central island in situ in cellular concrete.
Time for celebrations?
Our first guests arrive in the boutique, which still smells new. The joy of seeing approving smiles on their faces. Amélie captures stolen moments, Philippe (my partner) manages the bar, and Maëlle takes care of fittings alongside me.
With this whirlwind of encounters, I am seized by a moment of vertigo.
Now all you have to do is come visit me and discover it for yourself!
Cold drinks and a fan will be on hand all week to offer you a shield against the heatwave :)
