Pebbles Toy Store was a dream project — a local community toyshop where the architecture and branding could come together seamlessly as a playful place for the children of New Haven. The name Pebbles alludes to the looming landmass of East Rock, the namesake of the neighborhood. Pebbles became the moniker for the blue snail logo for the store, and his journey around the city shaped the approach to the design.⁠ A snail’s trail of colorful lines stretches inside and outside the store, and custom furniture was inspired by the snail’s wiggly path.

At Pebbles, old was blended with new. We worked to restore and replace historic materials like tin tile ceilings and brick walls while we added in contemporary colors, forms, and materials. This historic building has been home to restaurants, dry cleaners, and food shops for generations, and we wanted to honor the cozy and lived-in quality of our local neighborhood store while adding in unexpected design elements.

The client came to us with a specific idea in mind for the branding. It was then my job to interpret what he had made, expand on it, and bring it to life in a way that honored his original vision.

Lead Design: Marie Corriveau, Atelier Cho Thompson
Lead Architecture: Emilia Baker, Atelier Cho Thompson
Photography: Samara Vise