Every once in a while an entrepreneur creates an experience that leaves you stunned, in the best way possible. Every detail has been thought of, every corner of the space curated and defined, a true labor of love. That’s what Kenny and Casey created with Ozzy’s Market. The sweetest little bodega in the heart of St Louis, Missouri.
They had a very clear vision of what they wanted, and it all started from a love of the color green.
The Difference Between a Cool Space and a Memorable One
What takes a space from pretty cool, to an experience you remember? It starts with a strong concept, a point of view, and ends with ensuring that every touchpoint in your space creates a delightful experience. Even something as simple as turning on the lights.
Why We Think About the Things People Ignore
If you know us, you probably already know that we’re all about functional art. “It’s a belief that instead of ignoring the elements of our homes we interact with every day, like turning on the lights or plugging something in, we can flip those moments into small daily joys, or Mindflowers.
Color as Feeling, Not Decoration
That’s what color does. It transports us not to a place, but to a feeling. And Kenny had a very clear feeling he wanted to evoke with Ozzy’s Market. When you step in, there’s a sense of nostalgia and playfulness around every corner. You’re transported to a classic new york style deli, with a 1950’s fever dream aesthetic at play.
Everywhere you look there’s either a soft mint green, very classic mint but with a lean towards warmth rather than the coolness of a teal. And then a darker green, almost a forrest green, which against the white creates a stunning contrast on the tiled bar.
And of course, you can’t forget the large format checkered floors.
Choosing the Right Switches for the Space
When we saw the floor, we instantly knew what we we’re going to make for Kenny. Our classic checkered light switch and outlet cover were the perfect addition to the space. They compliment the existing space perfectly without drawing too much attention.
We allow full customization to make the pieces fit perfectly in your home, and that was no different here. We were able to match the green perfectly to the color that Kenny had chosen for the space, and all that was left to do was to get them built!
The Work Behind the Quiet Details
As simple as these pieces may look, once we laser cut all the individual tiles, we assemble them each by hand. And we realized we needed to customize these for Ozzy's. Because these were going to be displayed at a business, we realized that we should add our logo to the piece in a subtle way so that if anyone looked at them, they’d be able to see our name and look us up.
But that took a bit of testing. We didn’t want to draw any attention towards the name and away from the perfect space Kenny had created. Finding that balance took some time.
As did making all the pieces we needed to for Ozzys Market. In total we made 3 light switch covers and 5 outlet covers. Plus the hero piece which was a triple light switch that was very visible to anyone while they ordered. It was crucial that one was built perfectly!
Installation Day and the Final Touches
It felt so amazing to get these installed and see the joy that they brought to Kenny. They clearly cared about this space, about their customers, and about making sure that every detail represented the experience he hoped to bring to St. Louis. We were honored to even be involved, and so you know we had to give him a little something extra!
An Unexpected Extra
We knew that Kenny had an opening coming up, and we wanted to offer them something special. We had just released phone and bag charms for the first time so we decided to take an element of their logo, a classic bodega sandwich, and create custom pieces with them!
He was so genuinely surprised and elated by these silly little accessories. So much so that he told us he wanted to wholesale them from us! Last time we saw him, he was still rocking his sandwich bag charm and that made us truly happy.
We’re still working on the wholesale items so they may be there if you find a chance to visit!
Why Projects Like This Matter to Us
This whole project was such a refreshing change of pace for us, and we’re excited to work with more businesses and creatives who care deeply about the details that shape an experience. We’ll be sharing more of these stories, the decisions behind them, and what we learn along the way in our newsletter.
