A Palo Alto fixture since 1953, Peninsula Optical looked next door when it came time to give its longtime neighborhood business a new home. Framestudio designed the new shop as a warm, contemporary take on the traditional optician: straightforward, welcoming and quietly distinctive.
An elevated oak bar runs through the center of the narrow space, creating an easy place to sit, try on frames and talk. Along the walls, Dieter Rams’ 606 Universal Shelving System for Vitsoe provides a crisp backdrop for eyewear, with its modular components neatly accommodating display and storage as the shop evolves.
Overhead, a generous skylight fills the interior with natural light, joined by globe pendants that offer a subtle nod to the shop’s midcentury beginnings. Oak and wool felt bring warmth and texture to the otherwise rigorous interior, creating a shop that feels polished without losing the neighborly character that has kept Peninsula Optical in Palo Alto for more than 70 years.
Press Retail Design Blog