SHOP: Marco’s Collision Centers LOCATION: South Pasadena, Calif. OWNER: Marco and Lillian Maimone
SIZE: 29,200 square feet STAFF: 22 MONTHLY CAR COUNT: 95
1) When Lillian Maimone, CEO of Marco’s Collision Centers, took over design duties for the company’s seven locations in 2012, she knew she wanted to create a soothing, comfortable lobby that mimicked a spa or upscale hotel.
“We wanted to be different from other shops that use bright colors and hard materials, such as marble,” she says. “I felt that customers are already tense when they walk in the door. Our goal is to ease their stress and make them feel at ease.”
Maimone liked the warm look used in Tommy Bahama’s Restaurants, and she selected similar dark, warm woods in various stains.
2) For furnishings, Maimone had a strict budget. She headed to Pier 1 Imports and Cost Plus World Market, and chose leather couches and chairs, coffee tables and bright pillows.
“People think we made a huge investment with an interior designer,” she says. “It’s important for MSOs to have a consistent brand. We ensured that with every location, there was a perfectly matched interior and exterior design.”
Maimone adds that, in a furniture store, the pieces are usually arranged in display rooms, which gave her ideas about how to set up the furniture in the waiting room.
3) To tie the multiple locations together, Maimone decided to incorporate the green in the Marco’s logo throughout the waiting area. But rather than choose the same bright green, she opted for a forest green contrast wall to keep the relaxing environment. Maimone used booklets from the paint suppliers to find complementary colors, and painted the rest of the walls a creamy taupe.
4) To set up the receptionist and estimator’s spaces, Maimone looked to hotels for inspiration. While the receptionist greets the customer from behind a large service desk, the estimators work in their own offices, which feature one-way glass. The one-way glass allows the estimators to see when a customer arrives, while also giving them a sense of privacy when working with a customer.
