Younique Culture Project

This past summer I was contacted by an acquaintance from church. She mentioned how she saw my work on The Loft signs in our youth room at church, and wanted to do something similar for her new boutique opening in Plainfield, IN.

Her boutique is named Younique Culture. It offers a wide variety of clothing, jewelry and accessories, as well as home furniture and decor. Their style covers the vintage, classic, and modern look very well. So with that, the store owner asked if I could produce a sign with a look that incorporated metal, plywood, black paint and various random shapes.

I took on the project and began to design. Since the owner loved "The Loft" signs so much, I started with that look and changed the text on the front. We went back and forth pretty quickly and determined the final look. I then proceeded to build the sign with the owner's father. He's a professional in the construction field so his expertise came in very handy! The store ended up opening before the sign could be completed, so I created a temporary sign for her. This temporary sign was made from a giant, canvas drop cloth that I sketched the name on and freehand painted.

The final sign was built out of rusty/corrugated metal, plywood, 2x4's and black/white paint. Over a series of mornings and evenings, her father and I constructed the sign. One major feature that is different from my "The Loft" signs was the lighting element. For "The Loft" signs we used a standard ceiling lightbox with fluorescent lightbulbs. For Younique Culture's sign we used hundreds of LED lights. They can be accessed and changed through a panel on the side. We also had to make sure this sign would stand up to the elements, something "The Loft" sign didn't necessarily need to do as they reside inside. We accomplished this by sealing the sign in various locations with caulk and by sealing the rusted metal with a lacquer material. Another feature that turned out pretty well was the light wash of purple paint added to certain pieces of the rusted metal, to tie in with the store look more.

The sign turned out really well, and I was pleased to help with such a fun piece that will complement the boutiques' interior nicely.

-The Media Buff