By Spencer Isberg
Within the last ten years, there has been an uprising trend within the design of local storefronts. More and more shops popping up seem to be running further and further away from character and more towards a modern minimalistic fusion of harsh white walls and stark unpainted wooden tables that seem to stand out as the sole source of color in the entire store. And while this style certainly had an appeal, this type of atmosphere seems to lose more and more of its simple charms by the month. It had its time and place, but simple minimalism became more gimmicky.
It’s time to break from the monotony of simplicity and explore local storefronts with real individuality. We at the Collegiate have compiled a series of three stores in the Bay City area that seem to defy all laws of modern design, in all ways for the better.
- Beatles and Beans
It’s hard to talk about individuality in local shops without talking about Beatles and Beans. Let’s face it, the prime culprit for the minimalism design trend is coffee shops, and many of them seem to believe less is better. No coffee shop defies this rule harder and more glorious than Beatles And Beans. Every square inch of every wall is plastered with memorability, records, photos of, and everything under the sun from your favorite 60’s pop quartet. Better yet, just like their menu, the room’s design is constantly changing, with different Beatles-related items being added by the week. The business isn’t just about being a store-sized Beatles shrine. It’s also about the environment itself, and just like the items on their menu, it is constantly changing and evolving. Which, in certain aspects, might be as equally reflective as the diverseness of the band’s discography. However, the environment is only half the battle with this shop. The coffee itself is beyond fantastic, rich, and made with enough love to allow you to carry the world on your shoulders.
- Electric Kitsch
There is a lot to love about buying your favorite album through different mediums. While it is effortless to stuff all of your favorite music into a Spotify playlist and call it good, nothing entirely stands up to the physicality of a vinyl record or a CD. This is where Electric Kitsch comes in, a record store with enough diversity within albums to fit something in everyone’s collection and an aesthetic to stand out nearly from every other record store in the state. What once was a rugged hardware store has been turned into an emporium for records, vintage clothing, instruments, and a total 70’s aesthetic sucker punch. Filled with vintage items scattered around for decoration, the shop forces the customer into a world curated by charismatic co-owners Jordan Pries and Jessica McQuarter. “We wanted a store geared towards what we liked but was somewhat specific to certain eras in time,” said Pries. “I just want people to feel like they can find something here. Like there is that spot for them just how there is a spot for us”.
That’s the magic of this store. Even though it feels like a place someone else created, it’s not hard at all to feel yourself fit in with the general atmosphere of the place. It’s not just about the music or the vintage aspect of the store. It’s about the world that McQuarter and Pries created.
- Retro Attic Studios
Rounding off our journey is a store that aims to implement individuality and nostalgia into their storefront and your home. Run by owner Michael Bermudez, Retro Attic Studios specializes in selling, restoring, and designing Mid Century Modern furniture. “Mid Century Modern” is an architecture/furniture style popularized in the ’50s and ’60s for its colorful simplicity. Bermudez said he wants the customers to feel shocked and awed by the first impression entering the store. And while this style by design may have specific attributes in a minimalist look, the character and history of the pieces themselves have the capability for so much more. As the ’60s and ’70s have made a comeback through popular styles and music, so has furniture. “Most stores try to encompass everything: the rusty treasure, Grandma’s china set, and I just want mid-century people, 50’s to early 80’s style,” said Bermudez. There is no better place to integrate that style in your life than Retro Attic. A small warehouse off of Saginaw street in bay city is where you can make your mid-century dreams come true. He shared that when most people walk in, they say, “Wow, I’ve never seen this much stuff like this before.” Shelf upon shelf is filled with pieces of furniture that have enough history behind each one to fill a textbook.
