Vantage Builders, Inc. completes retail renovation for J.McLaughlin - Store designed by Larson and Paul Architects

Vantage Builders, Inc., a general contracting and construction firm based in Waltham, completed a high-end retail renovation for J.McLaughlin's new location at 14 Walden St. The store is the brand's 10th location in the state. J.McLaughlin, the classic American clothing and accessories brand for women and men, wanted to establish a brick-and-mortar presence in the metrowest area, as part of its expansion plans in the Northeast. The Walden St. site met the retailer's location needs but required renovations from its previous use as a home design store. "The Vantage Builders team understood the unique aesthetic requirements of J.McLaughlin and helped us achieve the look we wanted in Concord," said Kevin McLaughlin, co-founder and creative director of J.McLaughlin. Vantage followed plans by Larson and Paul Architects, which works with J.McLaughlin nationally, creating a store that is one-of-a-kind yet highlights the brand's distinctive style. The store has updated fixtures, lighting, shelving and finishes. First, the company needed to gut much of the existing store, including removing shelving, fitting rooms and lighting that did not fit in with the new plans. Key to the new design was to ensure that the lighting properly displayed the clothing and accessories. New DanaLite lights were installed throughout the store on fascia boards, new track heads with energy efficient LED bulbs were placed at the sales area and decorative wall sconces were mounted near the fitting rooms. Yellow stripes were meticulously painted throughout the store's walls, ceilings and soffits. The hardwood floors are highlighted with decorative FLOR carpet tile accents. Finally, new shelving and wood base finishes were installed. John Connor, principal, Vantage Builders, said, "Our goal was to ensure that all aspects of the build-out, from construction to materials to design elements, perfectly reflected the brand's style and elegance, while also remaining inviting and welcoming for their clients." Vantage Builders offers contracting services to corporations, developers, property managers, retailers and private institutions throughout New England. Their standard construction services include general contracting and construction management. More comprehensive services include design/build and value engineering. In managing and building scores of commercial projects, they've found that versatility is key to their customers' success. Their experience includes specialized tenant build-outs, standard property improvements, base building work and construction from the ground up.