Look Book

36 | The Jewelr y Book HOW ONE JEWELER REIMAGINED LUXURY SCHWANKE-KASTEN JEWELERS CREATES A SECOND-FLOOR SANCTUARY FOR EVENTS, LARGE & SMALL by Eileen McClelland e invitation arrived with fresh pasta, premium olive oil and an Italian recipe. irty of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers' top clients were invited to cook along at home before attending the actual event, a dinner prepared by James Beard Award-winning chef Adam Siegel. e creative invitation reflects the many possibilities that opened when Schwanke-Kasten's owners Tom and Charlie Dixon decided to add a second floor to their family-owned jewelry store in Whitefish Bay, just north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Party planning quickly became a natural activity once that permanent venue was in place. e transformation began with a local business improvement district grant program designed to help business owners create second-floor additions and rooop gardens. Architects James Dallman and Grace La, principals in the firm LA DALLMAN, designed the contemporary gathering area to include a kitchen, dining room, bar and bathroom. e design itself has drawn recognition: the 2022 Boston Society of Architecture's Interior Architecture and Spatial Design Award and the 2023 Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects in Wisconsin. e AIA Wisconsin said the addition exemplifies how small-scale projects can have an outsized impact on their urban contexts, in this case by creating social connection as a counterpoint to digital commerce and big-box retail. One standout feature is a prismatic skylight, slightly tilted to the north, which allows for diffuse daylight without glare or strong shadows. e project extended the quiet space into a miniature landscape with large windows facing a patio and garden, lending it the feel of a sanctuary. Dixon plans to host more chef-created dinners. Siegel, co-owner of Lupi & Iris in Milwaukee, was one of 10 national finalists for best new U.S. restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2023. He also won the 2008 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest as executive chef for Lake Park Bistro. e space has become a venue to host everyone from car enthusiasts to rare whisky connoisseurs and foodies. For a Women and Wine event, the team invited entrepreneurs and business and industry leaders for a food and wine pairing led by chef Micaela Erickson, who is preparing to open the restaurant Radish in Milwaukee. For a car club outing, Dixon served brunch and treated the neighborhood to an impromptu car show out on the street that included a selection of Ferraris and other exotic autos. "We'll try to expand on that with other chefs in the area, an elevated cuisine meets high-end jewelry," Dixon says. Although he hosts trunk shows, too, many other events don't feature any jewelry or watches. "We look at them as investments in goodwill and PR, where they felt invited to an exclusive event that didn't mean we were going to make them feel compelled to buy something right then and there in front of their peers," he says. Privacy is just as important as community. Half of Schwanke-Kasten's business is in premium watch brands, and watch clientele includes celebrity athletes who value discretion as much as crasmanship. ere have been many quiet celebrations in the lounge—where Dixon delivers an engagement ring, has a drink with special clients and toasts their lives to come. "It's a great way to connect with clients on a deeper, personal level beyond just a transaction," he says. In a market racing toward frictionless transactions, Schwanke-Kasten added friction on purpose — a staircase, a meal, a conversation. Business has doubled. As it turns out, people are hungry for something worth the effort. R E T A I L R A D A R Above: Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers' second-floor event space designed by LA DALLMAN Architects Below:: Guests from local businesses enjoying a "Breakfast at Schwanke's." Above: President of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Charlie Dixon (center), with two event partners.

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