Bekins Showroom Tour

Here is a pictorial tour of Bekins beautiful new Grand Rapids showroom.  If you haven't been in to visit yet, let this entice you to go there and check it out!

Designed by Visbeen Architects
Built by Mike Schaap Builders
Cabinetry by Benchmark Wood Studio

A.K. Rikk's Takes Home an ARE Award for Outstanding Merit


On April 16, 2013, the Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E) Design Awards were given out at a ceremony in Downtown Chicago at the Hard Rock Cafe.  The 72 winners were awarded for excellence in all aspects of retail design from 51 projects all over the world.  With a record breaking 2,000+ entries, the prestigious winners had to beat out the highest number of entries ever to take home awards in 23 categories.

One of the most significant design projects in our recent history, A.K. Rikk's, was recognized for Outstanding Merit in the Specialty Store over 25,000 square feet category.  What an honor it was for us to be set apart amongst the highest caliber retail projects in the industry!

About A.R.E: The Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.) is an international non-profit trade association advancing the retail environments industry.  Members are leaders in the international retail environments industry, including store fixture suppliers, retail design firms, suppliers of visual merchandising products, suppliers of materials and equipment for the industry, and service providers. 


The winners were featured in an April 2013 issue of Retail Environments Magazine.  
For ease of reading, please click here to view the full article on our website.

Project Team:
Architect/Design: Visbeen Architects, LLC
Audiovisual: Bekins
Interior Design: Jeffery Roberts Design
Electrical/Lighting: High Point Electric
Engineering: JDH Engineering
Engineering: Landmark Design Group PC
Exterior Signage: Conduit Studio
Flooring: Grand River Interiors
General Contracting: Lamar Construction Co.
HVAC: Quality Air
Lighting: Carlson Design LLC
Lighting Design: Crites Tidey
Millwork: Benchmark Wood Studio
Plumbing/Electrical Engineering: Byron Plumbing Inc.
Project Management: NextWork
Retailer: A.K. Rikk's
Stone/Tile: Hard Topix LLC
Stone/Tile: Top of the World Granite
Technology: Crestron 



Welcome to Grand Rapids, Bekins!

If you have been following us on our Facebook page, you already know that our friends over at Bekins are now officially in Grand Rapids!  In December, they opened the doors to a new location we had the pleasure of designing.  This state of the art showroom features the latest in home appliances, entertainment electronics and home automation technologies.  Since it's founding in 1975, Bekins has grown to become the #1 electronics integrator in the state of Michigan and we were happy to partner with them on this new venture over in our neck of the woods!

Haven't had a chance to visit their showroom yet?  Check out these photos from the trade professionals open house they held last month. 


For more photos from this great event, please visit Bekin's blog.  You can also check out a virtual tour of the entire showroom.

For more information about Bekins, check out their website and our vendor spotlight on this quality company.

Built by Mike Schaap Builders

Big News for Grand Rapids!


Have you been wondering what the old Nextel building on 28th street is being transformed into?  Well, after much speculation, the secret's out!  Today, it was announced that AK Rikk's is the face behind this 28,000 square foot retail gem that Visbeen Associates had the pleasure of designing.  Set to open late this summer, the new location of AK Rikk's will be a full service men's and women's clothing store complete with a men's suit room and tailor shop, women's shoes and handbags shop as well as a section of home goods and furniture from manufacturers like Herman Miller.  In addition, the back portion of the building will have classroom space for a non-profit organization currently in the works that is intended to benefit and support emerging young creatives in the Grand Rapids area.

We are thrilled to be a part of this fantastic new expansion of Grand Rapids' retail skyline.  Here are a few shots from the press conference this morning where this big news was announced, as well as some interior and exterior design renderings done by our very own David Lorenz.  You'll be transported to 5th Avenue as soon as you step inside!

 Awaiting the anticipated news

 The reveal!

 Jim Murray, president of AK Rikk's, outlining the history of AK Rikk's and it's plan for the expansion

 Captive audience of clients, business partners, supporters and press

The future of AK Rikk's

 Exterior rendering

A welcoming entrance to the two-story retail space

Women's salon with a 25 foot TV screen on the wall 

Men's haberdashery

Custom designed and built cabinetry takes display to a new level 

Small home goods and furniture shop 

 Women's shoe and handbag shop


The massive corner window display is complete with a movable stage for dramatic seasonal and featured displays


We are proud to be a member of the team bringing this vision to life:
Developer: NextWork
Architect & Interior Architect: Visbeen Associates, Inc.  
Interior Designer: Jeffery Roberts Design
Custom Cabinetry: Benchmark Wood Studio
Structural Drafting: Landmark Design Group, PC
Landscaping: MeadowGreen Group


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