HIMACS adds a fresh pop of colour to Leeds bookshop

When it comes to designing the interior of a retail store, it’s all about making customers feel welcome and right at home. For Leeds-based independent bookshop Colours May Vary, who stocks a wonderful range of graphic art and design, typography, illustration, product design, prints, cards, gift, wrap, stationery and homeware, their USP is to source locally and internationally from a mix of established and up-and-coming producers. Situated on the upper balcony of Leeds Corn Exchange, the shop often collaborates with furniture maker Plaey, designer and manufacturer of modern and modular furniture that combines form, function and a sense of fun.

“As their name suggests, Colours May Vary stocks a lot of colourful design items and books,” explains Plaey designer Matt Kelly. “So our approach for their furniture has always been clean lines in plywood or white, to let their products pop!”

“We recently used HIMACS in Alpine White for the countertop, as it’s the perfect material for both durability and quality of touch. For this latest tiered display shelving, we wanted to continue with these materials and decided to use HIMACS for the upstands, too. We had some Ruby HIMACS in the workshop from another job and noticed that the pink colour was a very close match to Colours May Vary’s branding by Studio.Build. So we introduced the Ruby HIMACS for the bottom upstand and drawer fronts, as well as for the cog-shaped hooks for the counter-end pegboard.”

The resulting unit has a really fresh aesthetic that sits perfectly in this design-focused environment.

As one of the UK’s largest independent distributors of panels and decorative surfaces, James Latham, HIMACS distributor in the UK & Ireland, brings the perfect finish to each and every project. With a wealth of experience in construction and design for art galleries, museums, shops and showrooms, this collaborative project brings together all the leading names in design.

With its innnate flexibility and special characteristics, HIMACS is the perfect choice for retail interiors. HIMACS is hardwearing, durable and fire resistant as well as exceptionally hygienic and resistant to wear and tear, scratches, stains and UV light. Its non-porous surface makes it extremely quick and easy to clean while its thermoformable properties also allow it to be moulded into any shape and size. The absence of visible seams also ensures a seamless finish that prevents dirt, bacteria and viruses building up on the surface. This makes HIMACS a Solid Surface material with unbeatable hygienic and clean air properties, guaranteed by certifications that comply with LGA, NSF international standard and Greenguard.