Post — Product photo
Caption structure
Hook line — one fact or tension about the piece. Then designer, era, one reason it was chosen. Link in bio.
Story — Photo
Wegner Shell Chair
Denmark · 1963 · AvailableA complete brand direction package. Identity system, digital touchpoints, print materials, and UX/UI specifications for the designer and development team.
Vintage Room Geneva — Logo Exploration v2
Option A — Typographic Wordmark
Option B — VRG Monogram + Wordmark
Applications — compact & icon use
Color system
Typography system
Identity / Display
Spectral Light
Chaise de Hans Wegner, produite dans les années 1960 lors de la période la plus créative de l'atelier.
Body / UI
DM Sans Light
Captions, labels, navigation, product dimensions, provenance card secondary text. Clean. Never heavy.
Vintage Room Geneva — Presentation v2 · Print to PDF from Chrome
Objects chosen for their form, their materials, and the history they carry.
Scandinavian Furniture · 1950s – 1970sVintage Room Geneva was founded on a single conviction: the most considered interiors are built around objects that have already earned their place. We source authentic Scandinavian furniture from the 1950s to the 1970s — chairs, armchairs, tables, sideboards, and lighting — selected for form, materials, and the integrity of their making. Every piece is unique. Nothing is acquired without a reason.
"Nothing superfluous.
Only the essential."
Authenticated Scandinavian pieces, individually sourced and documented.
We locate the specific piece you are looking for across European markets.
We evaluate and acquire quality pieces from private collections.
White-glove delivery across French-speaking Switzerland.
Every piece in our selection has been sourced personally, examined for authenticity, and documented before listing. We do not acquire without a clear understanding of origin, designer attribution, and condition. What you see is what we know — nothing more, nothing less.
To export as PDF: Chrome menu · Print · Save as PDF · Paper A4 landscape · Margins: None
Vintage Room Geneva — Provenance Card Template
Lounge Chair No. 45
Finn Juhl, 1945
Sourced from a private estate in Copenhagen. One of fewer than thirty documented early editions with the original Vodder workshop stamp on the underframe.
This piece is a vintage object. It may carry the marks, patina, and character of its history. Sold as found, in its current state — exactly as intended.
Lounge Chair No. 45
Finn Juhl, 1945
Sourced from a private estate in Copenhagen. One of fewer than thirty documented early editions with the original Vodder workshop stamp on the underframe.
This piece is a vintage object. It may carry the marks, patina, and character of its history. Sold as found, in its current state — exactly as intended.
Printed on cream or white 300gsm uncoated stock. A6 format (105 × 148mm). One card per piece, placed inside the packaging before delivery.
01 — Profile redesign
vintageroom_geneve
Category: change from "Shopping & retail" to "Art & design" — signals gallery positioning, not commerce.
Bio opens with the full brand name in bold. Second line in italic establishes expertise. Third line signals geography and curation. "Trade enquiries welcome" is the B2B signal for designers.
No emojis. No hashtags in the bio. The handle and link carry the SEO weight.
Highlights renamed: category-based (Chairs, Seating, Storage, Lighting) + editorial (In situ, Design notes). Each cover uses the monogram on black. Consistent. No text overlaid on the cover image.
02 — Post & story templates
Post — Product photo
Caption structure
Hook line — one fact or tension about the piece. Then designer, era, one reason it was chosen. Link in bio.
Post — Design knowledge
Why Danish chairs from the 1960s sit better than anything made today.
The joinery was done by hand. The proportions were drawn for a human body, not a production line. And the teak was solid — not veneered onto particle board.
Caption structure
Expand the thesis in the caption. 3-4 sentences max. End with a question or an open statement — never a call to action.
Story — Photo
Wegner Shell Chair
Denmark · 1963 · AvailableStory — Text dark
New arrival
Just back from Copenhagen. Four pieces, one sourcing trip.
Swipe to see what made the cut — and what didn't.
Story — Text light
Three chairs. All teak. All 1960s. Two are already reserved.
The third is still available. Link in bio.
03 — Feed mockup
Why teak furniture ages better than it was sold.
01 — Header & collection page
Scandinavian furniture, 1950s–1970s · Delivery across French-speaking Switzerland · Trade enquiries welcome
Each piece sourced personally. Documented before listing. One owner at a time.
Dining Chair No. 75
Niels Otto Møller · c. 1960s · Teak & cane
Lounge Chair, Maison Regain style
Attributed to Maison Regain · c. 1960s · Oak
Round Dining Table
Attributed to H. Sigh & Søns · c. 1960s · Teak
Bureau Cabinet
Fristho · c. 1960s · Teak & glass
Key changes on this page: Logo centered in header, wordmark only. Navigation left-aligned, minimal. Announcement bar copy revised to English, no emojis. Collection intro adds context and piece count. Product grid switches from 4 columns to 2 — more space, gallery feel. Product titles rewritten to gallery standard: designer name, period, material. "Épuisé" replaced with clean "Sold" treatment. Monogram watermark on every image.
02 — Product page
Scandinavian furniture, 1950s–1970s · Delivery across French-speaking Switzerland · Trade enquiries welcome
Niels Otto Møller for J.L. Møllers Møbelfabrik
Sourced from a private estate outside Aarhus. The No. 75 was among Møller's most enduring forms — produced consistently from the early 1960s and distinguishable by the tightly jointed backrest and the slight outward splay of the rear legs.
Delivered with provenance card · White-glove delivery in Geneva region
Key changes on product page: Provenance data replaces generic product description block. The format mirrors the provenance card — same fields, same hierarchy. Description paragraph is sourcing-story-led. "Enquire about this piece" CTA added for high-value items — opens DM or email, keeps the premium feel. Monogram watermark on product image. "Delivered with provenance card" line closes the brand loop.
03 — Live audit · vintageroomgeneve.ch · March 2026
04 — Implementation: now vs. dev required
Vintage Room Geneva — Homepage · Shopify Dawn constraints
Every section maps to a native Dawn theme section — no custom code required
Scandinavian furniture, 1950s–1970s · Delivery across French-speaking Switzerland · Trade enquiries welcome
Scandinavian furniture from the 1950s to the 1970s. Sourced across Europe, documented in Geneva.
View collection"Every piece is chosen for its form, its materials, and the integrity of its making. Nothing superfluous. Only the essential."
Sideboard Kofod Larsen
Ib Kofod-Larsen · c. 1960s · Teak
Pipistrello Table Lamp
Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce · c. 1960s
Nesting Tables, Victor Wilkins
Victor Wilkins for G-Plan · c. 1960s · Teak
Tapiovaara Dining Chairs
Ilmari Tapiovaara · c. 1950s · Birch
We travel to source — estate sales in Copenhagen, private collections in Stockholm, notary auctions in Lyon. Each piece is examined in person before any decision is made.
About the processFurniture Sales
Authenticated Scandinavian pieces, individually sourced and documented.
Out-of-Stock Search
We locate specific pieces across European markets on your behalf.
Valuation & Purchase
We evaluate and acquire quality pieces from private collections.
Swiss Delivery
White-glove delivery across French-speaking Switzerland.
All sections map 1:1 to Dawn theme native sections · No custom code required for base implementation
Brand &
UX/UI
Book
A complete reference for the design and development team. Visual identity, interaction principles, and experience design for a design-literate audience.
Everything the interface communicates must pass through this filter first. Before any pixel decision, before any interaction pattern, this is the reference.
Geneva-based specialist.
Scandinavian expertise.
Not a vintage shop. A curated source.
The interface must communicate gallery-grade authority from the first second. The user should feel they have arrived somewhere considered — not somewhere convenient.
The design-literate buyer
Architect, interior designer, or educated enthusiast. Knows the difference between a Wegner and a Wegner reproduction. Reads Kinfolk. Visits the Vitra museum. Will notice if the kerning is wrong.
The B2B specifier
Interior designer or architect sourcing for a client project. Time-sensitive. Needs dimensions, condition detail, and fast response. Values trade pricing and discretion.
The serious collector
Financially comfortable. Buying for meaning, not volume. Will spend CHF 1,500 on one perfect chair without hesitation if the provenance is documented.
No urgency mechanics
No countdown timers. No "X people viewing this." No flash sale banners. No stock anxiety triggers. Scarcity is real — it does not need to be manufactured.
No discount signalling
No strikethrough prices. No percentage badges. No "sale" labels. If a price is reduced, it is presented neutrally. Discount language erodes premium positioning permanently.
No dark patterns
No forced account creation. No pop-ups that interrupt browsing. No "are you sure you want to leave?" No cookie banners that obscure content. Respect the user's attention.
The complete visual system. Every element has a rule and a reason.
Primary — wordmark
Use on: site header, presentation pages, hero sections, footer, PDF documents. Minimum width: 160px.
Secondary — VRG monogram
Use on: favicon, image watermark, provenance card stamp, app icon, story header, avatar. Minimum size: 20px.
Black
#1A1A18
Primary text, buttons, headers, dark panels, footer.
White
#F7F4EF
Page background, card backgrounds, reversed text.
Linen
#E8E0D0
Alternate section backgrounds, provenance card, story templates, hover states.
Stone
#C8BBA8
Disabled states, secondary labels, image overlays, skeleton loaders.
No other colors in V1. If a status color is required (error, success), use opacity variations of Black and Stone — never introduce red/green. A design-literate audience reads color meaning quickly; accidental signals are costly.
Light 200
Regular 300
Italic 300 — for descriptions, pull quotes, provenance notes
Use for: headings, product names, body copy, descriptions, quotes
Light 200
Regular 300
SMALL CAPS — LABELS AND NAVIGATION
Use for: navigation, labels, captions, buttons, metadata, UI text
| Name | Font | Size | Weight | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | Spectral | 48–64px | 200 | Hero headlines, cover titles |
| Heading 1 | Spectral | 32–42px | 200 | Page titles, collection names |
| Heading 2 | Spectral | 22–28px | 200–300 | Section titles, product names |
| Body Large | Spectral Italic | 14–16px | 300 | Lead paragraphs, pull quotes |
| Body | Spectral | 12–14px | 300 | Descriptions, provenance text |
| Label | DM Sans | 8–10px | 300 | Categories, metadata, tracking 0.3em+ |
| UI | DM Sans | 10–12px | 300 | Navigation, buttons, inputs |
| Micro | DM Sans | 7–9px | 300 | Legal text, footnotes, timestamps |
Base unit: 8px. All spacing is a multiple of 8. Use generous negative space — it is not wasted space, it is the signal of premium.
Grid
| Context | Columns | Gutter |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop (1280+) | 2 | 2px |
| Tablet (768–1279) | 2 | 2px |
| Mobile (–767) | 1 | 0 |
2px gutter is intentional. It reads as a precise seam, not a gap. Like a frame joint. The photography fills the card edge-to-edge. No rounded corners anywhere in the system.
Motion is not decoration. Every transition earns its place by communicating something: state change, hierarchy, depth. The reference is a museum, not a SaaS dashboard.
Slow is luxury.
Transitions at 400–600ms feel considered. Transitions at 150ms feel like a utility app. This audience knows the difference. Default easing: cubic-bezier(0.25, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0) — ease out, no bounce.
Reveal, don't pop.
Content enters by fading and translating up 16–24px. Never scales from zero. Never bounces. Stagger multiple elements by 80ms per item — creates a reading rhythm, not a fireworks show.
One focal animation.
One page load animation. One hover state. One scroll reveal. Never animate two things simultaneously unless they are part of the same gesture. The eye follows one thing at a time — this is a feature, not a limitation.
--ease-gallery: cubic-bezier(0.25, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0); --ease-smooth: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.0, 0.2, 1.0); --duration-fast: 200ms; --duration-base: 400ms; --duration-slow: 600ms; --duration-reveal: 500ms; --stagger-base: 80ms; --translate-reveal: 16px; --translate-hero: 24px;
Every UI element in the system. Use these and only these. Deviation requires explicit approval.
No border-radius on any button. No icon-only buttons for primary actions. Never use Primary for actions that do not commit (use Ghost or Secondary for navigation-style CTAs).
Specific experience design decisions that reward a design-literate, art-sensitive audience. These are not standard e-commerce patterns. They are the details that make someone say: this place gets it.
Custom cursor — the ring
Replace the default cursor with a minimal circle ring (32px, 0.5px stroke, #F7F4EF at 40% opacity) that follows the mouse with a 80ms lag. On hover over a product image or CTA, the ring expands to 48px and the text "View" or "Open" appears inside in 7px DM Sans. On a dark background, the ring inverts to black.
Implementation: requestAnimationFrame loop with lerp interpolation. Two elements: dot (4px, instant) + ring (32px, lagged). CSS mix-blend-mode: difference for automatic inversion. Disable on touch devices.
Directional image reveal
Product images do not load instantly. A linen-colored overlay (#E8E0D0) slides away from left to right over 600ms once the image is loaded. The reveal direction mimics pulling back a fabric to reveal an object. This single micro-moment signals care and craft at first impression.
Implementation: CSS clip-path animation from inset(0 100% 0 0) to inset(0 0% 0 0). Trigger on IntersectionObserver. Do not animate on scroll — only on initial entry into viewport.
Provenance accordion
On product pages, the provenance data (designer, period, maker, condition, dimensions) is displayed as a compact table. A secondary "Sourcing note" section is collapsed by default and expands on tap/click — revealing the specific story of where this piece was found. The expansion uses max-height transition, not display toggle, for smooth animation.
The collapsed state teases with the first line visible at 50% opacity: "Sourced from a private estate in..." This invites the click without demanding it.
Patina detail viewer
A dedicated "Detail" image mode on the product page. A click on the magnifier icon opens a full-screen overlay with a slow pan animation across a high-resolution crop — specifically showing joinery, patina, material texture, or maker's mark. No zoom controls. No UI. Just the detail, full screen, 4 seconds, then fade out.
This is for an audience that wants to see the wood grain. It signals that the seller knows this detail matters. It also pre-empts the most common trust question: "is the condition really as described?"
Editorial horizontal scroll
The collection page opens with a horizontal scroll gallery — full-height images, each piece at 100vh, side-scrolled like turning pages in a design monograph. Piece name and designer appear as minimal text overlay, bottom-left. A vertical list view is available via a toggle for users who prefer to scan.
Implementation: CSS scroll-snap-type x mandatory with scroll-snap-align start. Keyboard arrow navigation supported. Swipe on touch. The first scroll gesture on the page triggers horizontal mode — a visual cue (arrow + "Scroll to discover") appears for 3 seconds then fades.
Ambient sound toggle
A subtle ambient sound option — very low volume workshop/atelier ambience (wood, quiet room tone) — accessible via a small sound icon in the corner. Off by default. Never autoplay. The moment a user activates it, the site becomes immersive in a way no visual element can achieve. Used by Aesop, used by some gallery sites.
If implemented: single looping audio file, max 2MB, Web Audio API with fade-in on activation. Icon: minimal speaker glyph in 14px DM Sans. Position: fixed, bottom-right, z-index above content. Only build this if audio quality is genuinely atmospheric.
Focused reading mode
A "Read" button on the product page collapses the UI — header minimises, price and cart disappear, the product description expands full-width in a larger type size (18px Spectral, generous line-height). The user is left alone with the provenance story. Exits with Escape or a minimal X.
This pattern acknowledges that some buyers read before they buy. It removes the conversion pressure exactly when the user needs to think — which paradoxically increases conversion for premium items. Trust is built in the reading, not in the button.
The private collection
Not a "wishlist". A "My Collection" — a private save feature that positions saved pieces as objects the user is considering for their collection, not items in a shopping cart. The saved view shows pieces at gallery scale, not as a list. Piece name, designer, price. No remove button visible until hover.
Language matters: "Save to collection" not "Add to wishlist". "Your collection" not "Saved items". "Remove" not "Delete". Every word reinforces the curatorial positioning. Stored in localStorage for guests, user account for registered buyers.
Trade enquiry as conversation
The "Enquire about this piece" flow is not a form. It opens a conversation panel — minimal, dark, full-height right drawer. Pre-populated with the piece name and price. Three fields only: name, studio/firm, message. Submitted as an email to the operator with piece metadata attached. Response target: 24 hours.
The drawer closes on Escape or backdrop click. No confirmation modal — a subtle inline message ("Message sent. We'll be in touch within 24 hours.") replaces the form. The panel remains visible as confirmation rather than disappearing.
Honest scarcity — the single edition signal
Every product page carries a single line: "One available." This is not a manipulative scarcity signal — it is true and it is part of the product proposition. Displayed as a small label in DM Sans, 9px, 0.2 opacity, below the price. No animation, no emphasis. The understatement is the point.
When a piece sells: the listing does not disappear immediately. It transitions to a "Sold" state, greyscale image, price struck through, and a single line: "This piece has found its home." This tells the story and signals activity to new visitors.
The interface is the frame. The photography is the content. A weak photo inside a strong UI still fails.
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Light | Natural light only. No flash. No ring light. Soft, directional. |
| Background | White (#F7F4EF), warm stone, or raw wood. Nothing else. |
| Angles | Minimum 3 per piece: front 3/4, side, detail crop. |
| Detail shots | Joinery, patina, maker's mark, material texture. Minimum 1. |
| Lifestyle | Optional. Max 1 per piece. No competing props. |
| Filters | None. Color correction only. |
| Resolution | Minimum 2000px on longest edge. WebP format for web. |
| Ratio | 4:3 for grid. 1:1 for featured. 16:9 for hero. |
Write for someone who already knows what they are looking at. Never explain what a sideboard is. Never say "beautiful." Say what is specific.
Provenance first, condition second, dimensions third. The buyer needs these in exactly this order to make a decision.
One sourcing sentence per piece. Where it came from and why it was chosen. This is what separates a dealer from a warehouse.
Never use: preloved, sustainable, eco-friendly, timeless, stunning, beautiful, unique (unless it is unique in a specific documented way). Precision is the luxury.
The fastest reference for decisions in production. When in doubt, return here.
Do
Let photography dominate. The interface serves the object.
Use generous negative space as a premium signal.
Animate slowly. 400–600ms is considered. 150ms is utilitarian.
Trust the reader. Show the detail. Let them draw the conclusion.
Two typefaces, used precisely. Spectral for meaning, DM Sans for navigation.
2px gaps between cards. The seam, not the gap.
Black on white. White on black. Linen as an accent. Nothing else.
Don't
Border radius on cards, buttons, or images. Rounds belong elsewhere.
Countdown timers, stock counters, "viewing now" signals.
Box shadows. Use borders and spacing for separation instead.
Bounce, elastic, or spring easing. Gallery-grade motion is always ease-out.
More than two typefaces. Ever. For any reason.
Emojis anywhere in the interface. Including in product metadata.
Gradient backgrounds. The palette does not need gradients.
"The interface must feel like a room someone has lived in and considered — not a template someone has filled."
Vintage Room Geneva · Brand & UX/UI Book · v1.0 · March 2026 · Confidential