We arrived at the University Village just outside of Seattle yesterday. Next to the Village at Park Royal where I live, this one is really pretty. Guess why we were here? Crate & Barrel of course (we don’t have one in Vancouver).
How cute are these umbrella stands for shoppers to use when it’s raining – they were throughout!
I didn’t end up with much. I’m not really into new tabletop decor since I haven’t bought my dining table or sideboard yet.
Everywhere I go, I’m always looking at colour (I can’t help myself) from the perspective of “Is it trendy or dated?”
In this adorable little village, there was not a trendy colour in sight!
Conversely a shopping center in Abbotsford (where my family lives) has recently been painted brown. Trust me, there is nothing attractive about a huge rectangular looking box, with zero architectural detail in a dark, heavy colour like that (Residential is different of course), and it just screams 2008! When I tried to find a photo on the internet to show you, I couldn’t find one. No one obviously found it pretty enough to photograph as it’s not on their website either.
According to an article I found at allbusiness.com, the suburban village trend of merging commercial and residential is reinventing failing shopping centres all around the country.
I don’t know about you, but every time I see a new trend and think it’s really fabulous, I have a hard time imagining what would be the next more fabulous, more modern look beyond this one.
This village is such a great example of the Colour Marketing Groups slogan: ‘Colour Sells, and the right Colours sell better’. Colour done right, creates atmosphere and exterior is no exception.
All Photos by Maria Killam
Do you have a village like this where you live?
If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person decorating and colour.
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The village near where I live IS University Village! LOVE shopping there!
We used to live east of Seattle, and University Village is my favorite shopping center!
Sure! Oodles of them 🙂
The Queen city (Charlotte) is young and hip as compared to Pittsburgh where I lived 3 years ago. Color and design was very dated in PGH.
Charlotte is just fabulous!
We have many wonderful villages here in the Rivertowns~ I love colorful spots to shop, they always lure me in.
pve
In little Cranston, RI, there is a shopping center called Garden City. My great grandfather was one of the original designers, so I have a soft spot for it. Anyway, it is now the most gorgeous place to shop — outdoors at its best (completely redone, of course, several timess). I'll take outdoor shopping over a mall any day of the week!
I agree that the exterior sets the mood and draws people to shop at the more welcoming stores. Someone really needs to explain that to CVS Pharmacy. They are building a new one near me and I so badly want to show them better options than their weak looking yellow with red signage. I guess it's working for them.
Maria–we have a wonderful village called the Waterway in The Woodlands, Tx. I ADORE shopping there. Tim and I go there for dates too. Shopping in the outdoors and fresh air is way better than in a mall. Love the trendy/not trendy photos. I learn something new every day!
xo
Donna
In Jacksonville we have St John's Town Center – it has one of the two Ballard Designs retail stores in the country.
I live less than a mile from UVillage – and I love it! They have everything you would need (and lots of things that you might not technically NEED, but that I certainly always want – Zovo, JCrew, Lululemon, Anthro) The one drawback is it is a nightmare trying to find parking near QFC and Bartells during the holidays, so I switch grocery/drugstores from Thanksgiving-Christmas. The parking garage they have by C&B is great, but too far for me to push a grocery cart loaded with food.
I really like this post and have read it a few times.
I cant think of a place quite like this here in Western Massachusetts.
But what tickles my fancy is that I have been working on a business plan for a "new" kind of food truck that would really be a traveling cafe; food, art, zines, photo studio.
And in my mind I see color. COLOR!!!
Anyway, I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, I just learned that my son will be in Seattle for 3 weeks, starting next Monday. He's an engineering student at Northeastern in Boston and they are flying him out to investigate a cement issue with the subway system.
if YOU know of anything he should see, go, eat, etc., PLEASE let me know. He's fun, smart, and handsome 🙂
Maria, I cant think of a place like this here in Germany. There are wonderful COLORful villages in my homecountry Bulgaria.
I can't think of a village like that in Melb, there are parts, moreso the wealthier of course, but there is always a bit of great, average and crap in the one street! love those umbrellas!
I was at Crate & Barrel in Seattle recently {I'm from Vancouver}, and I just kept saying to my husband, 'You don't understand…this is all the stuff I always see online that I can't get!!'
Nancy
I love near University Village and LOVE IT!