Color Splashed Retail Incubator Delights

A blast of bright color greets visitors when they enter Raymond/Lawrence in Palm Springs' Uptown Design District. The brainchild of entrepreneurs Raymond McCallister and Larry Abel, the space is a "retail incubator" with an art gallery and innovative vendors selling wares from clothing to real estate. Abel says it was a three month pop up store idea that became a permanent lifestyle destination.

The store's tag line is "Where Creativity Comes to Play," and only the most sour cranky puss would not catch the fun bug once inside. Larry says the idea behind the concept is to offer space for new brands to set up shop without the high risk of leasing a store on their own before knowing how their products will be received in the area. It's not a co-op, but the space enables vendors and artists a test run in the marketplace in a creative environment with other forward-thinking merchants.

I found the most striking and eye-catching designs in the store the acrylic pieces made by Abel and McCallister. Abel says they're drawn to the material because of its potential for a crisp, sharp and modern look. Their unique take on the synthetic combines traditional styles with a modern twist. They use the material to create everything from frames, vases and bowls to furniture and colorful eye-popping decorations.

With about twelve vendors set up in the shop, there's a rich variety of products. One of the vendors is Slip, a lamps and lighting company. Slip's aesthetic is "witty, modern, and sophisticated," and a good fit at Raymond/Lawrence. Soup Home, a home furnishings business, uses certified organic and sustainable materials that are "conceptualized, designed, and merchandised in a cross-category lifestyle philosophy." Crate of California, LA Sporting Club, and Katelyn Grayce are a few of the other vendors in the mix.
If you're yearning for European magazines, there's also a small newspaper stand.         

Just about everything in the store conveys artistic expression. If you look closely at the wood display shelving for glassware (above), you'll notice the martini and wine glass cut-outs.
 

                   

A giant tree sculpture is the current centerpiece in the art gallery, a project space operated by Royale Projects. The tree is a stunning work by Pontius Willfors who created the work from multiple avocado tree branches and using chains and buckles to connect the pieces. It's pretty spectacular and for $26,000 it can be yours. 

Abel and McCallister are busy entrepreneurs. This is not their only venture, only their latest venture. They have five other businesses. Their decor store Art Style Innovation, known as ASI, has been in Palm Springs since 2009.

 

One of their most successful ventures is an event business. They produced 187 events last year in Southern California, including a party for the popular Fox show, House. Taking a cue from the story line of the protagonist's prescription drug abuse, portrayed by Actor Hugh Laurie, the couple created large pop-art style pill bottles for party decorations. The bottles were a hit and and have been a big seller ever since.             

                              

Abel says there will be at least five new companies coming to the showroom this summer including a unique San Francisco gift shop, and lighting and window treatment vendors. 

It's not difficult to find Raymond/Lawrence. Just look for the bright orange and green mailbox waving to drivers outside the front door on North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.