Style in a recession

Let's face it, starting a business right now takes some cajoneys! When you've got advertising costs and equipment, employees, franchise fees etc., you may think the last thing you have the budget for is hiring an artist to do the painting. You may be surprised, however, how little paint can cost and yet what a big difference it can make in how your business feels.
I have some friends who recently opened a combination storefront with a Wireless Toys franchise and a coffee shop. They have a great location off the highway and near the university. The Wireless Toys side was easy to decorate - it's all decided corporately. The coffee shop, on the other hand, was plain white with a BIG, RED counter that these frugal owners picked up second hand. What they needed was a little interest. We sat down, crunched numbers and were able to work within their budget to create a great design with little money and a few good helpers.
The name of this cute little coffee place is Java Connect, which is very apropos considering it's within a cell phone distributor. I wanted to create a fun atmosphere that would be comfortable for those who want to sip their skinny-soy-green tea-no whip latte while perusing the internet on their laptop. There were two challenges with this room: 1. The BIG, RED counter top 2. The oddly shaped space with a 30 foot long wall. We chose soothing colors that would be mellow and feel technologically modern. The grayish green palette went well with the gray tables, yet was neutral enough to be used with a pop of red. I broke up the long wall with a swooping transition of color. By repeating circles in a color pattern, we created the "connect" to the techno side of the Wireless Toys store and it gives a nod to "connect the dots". By adding one random red dot in our circle pattern, we were also able to connect to the counter which we toned down by painting the front of it in the darkest gray.
This budget friendly design is very versatile in that items can be added later. For example we installed some very fun and flirty stencils this week to add a little bit of the unexpected. More red accents will be added as the notion hits, or the budget allows. Part of my idea with this design was that it can be done in stages if the owners choose. Let's face it, paint is cheap, if you have a flair for design, put something on paper and get it up on that wall! If you don't have that artistic touch, call a professional. You'll be glad you did.
If you've got a taste for a great coffee and need a new cell phone at the same time, head down to N.Sierra Street and stop into Java Connect and Wireless Toys and check out the 175 dots on the wall.