9026 Eyes
Malibu Country Mart
23410 Civic Center Way
Malibu, California
Tel: 310-456-9991
Designer: MASHstudios

In putting together its second boutique for luxury eyewear merchant 9026 Eyes, LA firm MASHstudios had to overcome some tough challenges: Fit a comfortable, trendy store into just 300 square feet of space, and balance the client’s demand to be beachy, retro, and contemporary all at the same time. The beachy element of the tiny Malibu store is manifested through solid teak driftwood-like drawers, bright white walls, distressed details, and airy atmosphere. The throwback vibe, inspired by the Malibu pier and its famous Country Mart, comes from medium-toned wood, midcentury-inspired foldout bobby-legged tables, and eclectic seating. The rest is all modern: minimal and built-in display cases with backlighting that gives the glasses a unique glow. Sleek lines lead the eye straight into the store. Meanwhile, the architects shrunk all the cabinets and desks by ten to 20 percent and installed sliding, inset cabinets to maximize space. Luckily, the ceiling, which the firm cleaned up and repainted, is fairly high. “It’s not easy to avoid being super claustrophobic while maximizing the display and having enough product on sale,” noted principal Bernard Brucha.