by Tracy Dillon
In keeping with the retailer's practice, this store reflects the historic style, architecture, and environment of the region — from cypress trees draped with Spanish moss at the entrance to the alligator pond and aquarium in the back of the space.
Reused materials connecting local patrons to their roots include reclaimed lap siding with its faded paint on walls and casework and reclaimed wood flooring in lobbies and apparel areas. Old V-grooved tin and rough-hewn siding from sawmill ends create an authentic swamp shack in the store. Actual trees and branches serve as logs and handrails and are cored out to cover structural I-beams.
“We use dead standing timber for its environmental sensitivity, but it also doesn’t shrink like green wood does, which makes it much easier to work with.” says Larry Whiteley, Bass Pro Shops’ manager of communications.
The integrated work of several A.R.E. member companies and other fixture providers contribute to the regional ambiance. “We build a lot of our own fixtures and tend to work with those from other providers by integrating them with our own pieces,” Whiteley says. For many departments, Lozier gondolas with slotwall were trimmed with wood cladding from TJ Hale and positioned with custom fixtures, some designed and built by Bass Pro from reused materials.
TJ Hale also worked with Bass Pro, building nesting tables, four-ways, dump tables, custom gondolas, slatwall towers and fishing rod racks for gondolas using materisals that include reclaimed barnwood, reclaimed oak flooring, rough-sawn pine, heavy-gauge metal, and logs.
Some metal fixtures were hand-forged by a blacksmith, notes Christian Morgan, TJ Hale's director of client management. Edges hand hewn with a draw knife, details carved by hand, and a range of distressing, antique finishes, and custom paint, stain, and finishing techniques add to the high level of detail throughout the store.
Rounding out the ambiance are artifacts, memorabilia, cabinetry, and fans from antique stores, including vintage black-and-white photos reproduced from the collections of historical societies and local historians. To accomplish this level of detail, Whiteley says, Bass Pro stores typically take nine to 12 months following groundbreaking to complete.
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