Duffy Design Group Wins IIDA Award for Best Retail Project

Boston, MA, July 10, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Duffy Design Group was recently presented with the International Interior Design Association's (IIDA) 2009 New England Interior Design Award for Best Retail Project. Duffy Design Group's award winning entry was D Scale, a modern furnishings and accessories store owned by Dennis Duffy. The ceremony was held at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the judges were from IIDA's Georgia Chapter. This year's project entries had to be designed by New England firms, be completed and occupied after January 1, 2006, and could be located anywhere.

Dennis Duffy, Principal of Duffy Design Group acted as both designer and client for this project. A long-time resident of Boston's South End, Duffy is familiar with the neighborhood, its residents and the people who are drawn to visit the area. It was his intent that this new furnishings and accessories store join the burgeoning area of SoWa – (South of Washington Street) in the South End and become a destination store. SoWa's enclave of artist studios has recently been complemented with up-scale restaurants and retail stores that have led some to observe that this neighborhood might soon become Boston's version of Tribeca. Having worked with the developer of this area on other commercial projects, Duffy had a deep understanding of the overall concept of the area.

Because the existing space occupied a corner of a building that had once been used for manufacturing, it had great exposure to the street. The upper level, three feet above street level, would still have thirteen foot ceiling heights. The lower level, below grade would still have exposure to the street from the existing building openings. In order to maximize this and to highlight the industrial “bones” of the space, the upper floor plate was pulled away from the exterior wall, allowing more natural light to penetrate to the lower level. In contrast with the raw steel columns and granite façade, the interior was designed to convey a sense of luxe modernism. 30” wide horizontal bands of masonite projected off of the interior walls, finished in a pearlized champagne color – against the warm vanilla base color give the entire space a bold, but sensuous graphic presence. Other finishes utilized, such as the leather and steel clad columns and the warm grey ash provide a synergistic contrast to the raw, industrial elements of the base building.

Inspired by the Moderne Movement, D Scale has proved itself as a true destination store for custom and modern furnishings. It caters to both the general public and to the trade. D SCALE's core collections include its signature D Scale pieces, as well as furnishing lines from Emporio Beraldin in Brazil, and fabric and leather furnishings from Polaris, Italy. These lines are complemented with vintage and contemporary pieces both domestic and international. D Scale was recently awarded Home Accents Today's 50 Retail Stars for 2009, a National Award for The Best and The Brightest Retail Stores Sponsored by Americas Mart'Atlanta.

About Duffy Design Group
530 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
617-423-4373
www.duffydesigngroup.com

Dennis Duffy is the Principal of Duffy Design Group, an interior design firm which is known for its awe-inspiring interiors. The firm is a four-time winner of Best of Boston for Interior Design and has been published both locally and nationally. The firm offers its expertise and unique vision to residential clients and consistently partners with architects, developers and builders. Whether the project is a sleek residence overlooking a city skyline, a contemporary boutique hotel or a sprawling country manor, Duffy Design Group designs intuitively - carefully determining the best solution for each client. For more information please visit

About D Scale
520 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
617-426-0060
www.dscalemodern.com

D Scale located in Boston’s South End, is a dynamic furnishings studio featuring Dennis Duffy’s own line of custom furniture paired with a masterful collection of contemporary and vintage 20th century pieces handcrafted by European and American artisans. The D Scale Collection, inspired by the Moderne Movement, is designed with both balanced proportions and luxurious comfort in mind, and with the flexibility to be custom tailored. Unique finishes, informed by nature and sensual fabrics complete the experience.

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