The Midwest Miniatures Museum held its Grand Re-Opening on Nov. 6th, 2021, in Grand Haven, Michigan.
Formerly located at Hickory Corners on the grounds of the Gilmore Car Museum, the Museum had been looking for a new location that was much more accessible and fitting in aesthetic to display their miniatures collections. After an extensive search, they were finally able to acquire the historic Nathaniel and Esther Robbins House in downtown Grand Haven.
r.o.i. Design was referred to the museum by independent museum consultant, Timothy J. Chester, and we were engaged in 2019 by the Museum’s director, Ina Whitney, to assist in the design of the first-floor exhibit. We visited the Hickory Corner location along with Ina and the Museum’s administrator, Hanna Steinman. We selected the items to be displayed and began the process of designing the exhibit.
We designed new display cases and fixtures for the exhibits in a style imitating the interior trim of the home. In addition to supporting the curation of the exhibit, we also managed the execution. We engaged Bluewater Studio to create the exhibit fixtures, and their attention to detail and care for the artifacts made the project a success. We also added new gallery lighting to the historic home and worked with contractors on interior upgrades as needed.
The initial display shows some of the best of their collection from miniature rooms, complete miniature structures, a silver collection, miniature art, textiles, as well as displays of miniature toys, tableware, and so much more.
The museum is now planning for future phases and is engaged in fundraising to add an elevator and create more exhibits on the home’s 2nd and 3rd floors.
If you are in the Grand Haven area, you should plan a visit to the Midwest Miniatures Museum to see this unique collection.
Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images.
The owner of Merl’s Towing and Grand Rapids Towing, Dick Caster, is a long-time friend of r.o.i. Design. His late wife, Mary Jane Caster, was one of the founding members of r.o.i. Design. So, when he came to us needing help to dress up his business’s exterior, we were happy to help.
He did not want to spend too much money on the renovation, so the scope was limited to mostly repainting. We wanted to make the façade of the building look up-to-date and modern, but also have an element of fun. We produced a paint scheme that included vertical stripes with bold colors. Within the two orange stripes on the front, we also added some horizontal accents to break the pattern up.
We made a rendering in Photoshop so Dick could see what it would look like, and his painter could use it as a guide. The result was a success, and the building looks great!
We met Mike and Lisa Mervenne through an introduction by West Michigan Office Interiors. They are the owners of Burco, Inc., an amazing company that supplies automotive mirrors for new and after-market. This multi-generation business is an entrepreneurial inspiration. It’s reflective of the business creativity in West Michigan, but more specifically of their corporation.
Our year-long relationship of designing and budgeting resulted in a great remodel thanks to Erhardt Construction and Joe Kuhn. The project was completed early this year.
The remodel included more open office areas, an expanded break room, more efficient office layouts, and branded décor. Building on their amazing brand, r.o.i. Design developed an interior design scheme that reflects their brand colors, culture, and needs.
In addition to interior design, we were able to provide graphic design for custom branded décor, as well as providing new furnishings for their break room.
r.o.i. Design is busy with nearly 30 projects this December, and three to four projects will be completed soon.
Funky Buddha:
Adding a fourth location in West Michigan, Funky Buddha is planning to open a storefront studio at “Studio Park” in downtown Grand Rapids this winter. Known for their “hot yoga”, this place is “steaming” cool. The team at “FB” engaged architect Jon Blair of r2Design and r.o.i. Design for interior finishes and details. They have refreshed their branding, as is evident by their clean new website. This latest location supports the brand in its simple but bold approach. Our contractor friends at First Companies, Inc. are making it all happen.
Burco:
A family business that produces and distributes car and truck mirrors and related products decided to upgrade its office with new finishes and in-office branding. Their products are creative and solution-driven, so why not make the office match that creativity? That means an expanded lunchroom with all new cabinets and furnishings, punches of the company’s “blaze-orange” accents, painting out the old mahogany trim, and all-new office furniture. It is quite a transformation! Thank you to Erhardt Construction for making us all look good.
West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry
This growing practice in Holland, MI is in the final phase of building their new office. West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry engaged the help of Dixon Architecture, r.o.i. Design, and T2 Construction to make it all happen. The new office includes expanded square footage in most areas from their current offices. Waiting, exam, treatment, and kids’ areas all grew. The much-loved model train and fish tank are being updated and replaced with newer models. In addition to the calm but kid-friendly interior finishes and details, r.o.i. Design was asked to design their new logo. And of course, we incorporated the train into the new brand. Stay tuned to see more of how this project turns out!
Grand Valley State University:
Using all of our skills in exhibit design, graphic design, and interior design, we created a soon-to-be-installed exhibit that will be unveiled at GVSU’s downtown Pew Campus this winter. It is always great to work with GVSU!
Sunshine Community Church in Grand Rapids recently purchased and remodeled a building in the city’s northeast side at 3019 Coit Avenue NE, near Riverside Park and the Grand Rapids Home for the Veterans. The new building is a perfect fit for their congregation after downsizing from their campus on the East Beltline.
With a new building, the leadership realized they needed some wayfinding signs to direct their parishioners where to go. Years ago, when they were still on East Beltine, r.o.i. Design helped them with some wayfinding signage there, so they remembered us and gave us a call.
Since then, they had re-branded themselves, with new logos and graphic standards. We worked within the branding standards to create a family of signage for the building’s needs. We created identity signs, wayfinding, directories, and entrance signs to make it easier for visitors.
We also worked directly with their signage vendor, FastSigns in Grand Rapids, to get the signs fabricated and installed. They did a great job and the signs look great. Sunshine Community Church is very happy with the way everything turned out.
West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry provides specialized dentistry for infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special needs. As their practice grew, so did the need for a new dental office. Currently located in Holland, MI, at 844 Washington Avenue, their new location is being built on 16th Street near Lighthouse Insurance. r.o.i Design was brought on to design the interiors of the new building, along with the project’s architects, Dixon Architecture.
At the beginning of the design process, the suggestion was
made to also look at redesigning the practice’s logo. We offered our graphic
design services, and West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry asked us to create some
concepts.
Through the graphic design process, we supplied them with a
few ideas that they narrowed down for further development. One of the featured
elements of the new office design is a scale model train and track which winds
throughout the waiting area, hallway and open operatory spaces. They decided
that it would be fun to incorporate a train into the logo. We went back and
forth a few times with ideas and finally landed on a simple, but fun, circular
logomark with the train motif.
The construction of the new office will be wrapping up soon,
and we are excited to see how the whole space comes together. Be sure to look
for a post with photos of the space in the near future!
Old Logo
For more information about West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry, please visit westmipeddent.com.
