Brabary Renovation, Part Two: Execution, Results and Lessons Learned

Our recent four-day renovation at Brabary (read our earlierpost about how we prepared and planned) went very smoothly. We want to highlight a few of the key lessons we learned, and what helped make this project such a success.

The designer and I worked together closely and communicated openly with each other. That was extremely important. Our senses of style were also a good match, so she was able to understand and deliver my vision for the store.

While we could have rented a storage unit, we chose to pack up all of our merchandise and store it in the center of the room, covered in sheets. The tradespeople had to work around it, but it made a huge difference to how quickly we were able to hang things back up on Wednesday morning. Imagine – we arrived at 8:00 a.m., and opened at 10:00 a.m.!

I had a moment of doubt when I saw the state of things on Sunday morning, but the designer quickly reassured me that the workers were starting later in the day and would work into the night. And indeed, we met our goal of a four-day renovation!

That’s where having a designer really paid off. She was so diligent in communicating back and forth between me and the tradespeople, so everything kept moving and I always knew exactly what was going on.

There are always other less expensive options for renovations, but you have to realize that it’s a trade-off. Then it might be you calling tradespeople or vendors, making design decisions, or even assembling furniture or fixtures.

Do what you do best and pay others to do what they do best. It is so important for professionals to understand the best use of their time and skills, and this extends to all areas of your business.

The same valuable lesson applies to household tasks and projects. Some people love being part of the process, others find it stressful and find that it’s well worth paying for help. On the do-it-yourself end you can get free advice on colors at a home improvement store, and on the premium service end you can have a decorator source, select, and even go out and purchase everything for you. And there is a whole range of options in between.

We’re extremely happy with the results and process of our renovation at Brabary. The staff is thrilled and there’s been a noticeable improvement in morale. While some of our returning customers haven’t even noticed (the colour changes were that subtle), we know that we’re creating a better first impression for our new customers.

Brabary Renovation, Part One: Planning and Process

On Wednesday, October 15^th at 10:00 a.m., Brabary opened the doors to its newly renovated interior. I wanted to take you behind the scenes on the process and share some of the things we learned.

Why renovate? The store was looking tired, the walls were getting scuffed, and the panels where we hung garments were worn. The lighting was very industrial and I had always wanted more of a boutique feeling. 

The store just needed a boost – an uplift. We needed to find that balance between functionality and aesthetics.

It was actually our customers who encouraged us to create a focal point at the front of the store to bring the high ceiling down and create a cozier setting. This is an intimate product we’re selling, so that’s the kind of environment we want to welcome our clients into.

I found a designer through connections, and she ended up being the perfect choice. She worked with my wish list to come up with a plan and estimated budget, and then it was up to me to prioritize and pare that list down into “need to haves” and “nice to haves.”

There were some things I just couldn’t resist, like the high-end lighting, even though that brought the final budget to triple what we had originally planned. We joked that we’d have to start charging a “lighting tax” along with our sales tax.

We were already doing all this work, I thought, shouldn’t we just do this, too? When is the next time I will have all these tradespeople here, the store closed, and a designer standing by?

When you’re doing something like this, there’s always a danger of “project creep” so you absolutely must plan for your budget to increase. In some cases, we were able to trim the budget by choosing store-bought (local, whenever possible!) options instead of custom-made.

Another important lesson learned was the importance of planning ahead. Our lights arrived five months after we ordered them. Think about the things that will take longer to customize or ship, and get those decisions made and orders placed as far ahead as possible.

Because we’re a retail store, the other planning challenge was finding a time line that wouldn’t be too disruptive to our clients. So we chose Thanksgiving weekend since we would be closed Monday anyway.

The workers started on Saturday night after we closed. We stayed closed one extra day and re-opened Wednesday. I wasn’t sure we would make it, but by Wednesday we were totally ready. A full renovation in four days. Wow!

A Professional Bra Fitting: What a Difference!

We know that there are many women who have never experienced the power of a professional bra fitting. We want to stop this from being the best-kept secret, so we asked one of our customers to describe her first hand experience.

This is Barb’s story:

What were your experiences buying bras like before you started shopping at Brabary?

My bra shopping experiences prior to Brabary were a nightmare for me! I dreaded even going shopping for bras and put it off as long as I possibly could. I would make sure I had a good chunk of time and then head out to a department store like The Bay.

I would walk up and down every aisle looking for something in my size that didn't look like a granny bra...because I am larger, I found that to be an overwhelmingly difficult task! I would take bra after bra into the change room, hoping that one would fit AND look good! Often I would end up in near tears and leave with nothing. It was without a doubt the worst thing to shop for.

What made you decide to give Brabary a try?

I met Jane at the club and she suggested that I come in to see her at Brabary. Others who knew of her and her business also highly recommended her. I was simply hoping to find a better way to shop for bras that didn't depress the hell out of me!

What do you remember about your first professional bra fitting?

I remember feeling a bit self-conscious when I went in for my first fitting. That feeling quickly passed when I realized how knowledgeable Jane and her staff were. It was clear that I wasn't the only busty woman to feel that level of anxiety about bra shopping. They put me at ease right away and instead of guessing what might fit me, they knew exactly what would AND what would look good on me!

What difference has it made to have professional fittings?

When you wear a bra that fits you feel better, you feel more confident and the clothes you wear over top of that bra look better! The professional fittings take the stress out of bra shopping. I no longer have to guess. They have my measurements, size and preferences on file in their computer so even if I can't remember they do!

Thanks to Barb, a Brabary customer and fan.