Once a police station built in 1864 in the shadow of one of the country’s most elite and historically white institutions, the historical building at 31 Church Street was transformed into Yamba Boutique, a Black-owned and majority women-owned cannabis dispensary. This transformation was not just architectural, it was symbolic, intentional, and narrative-driven.

Proportion had the privilege of touching almost every facet of this transformation. From brand strategy and visual identity to signage, uniform design, interiors, and visual merchandising, we crafted each element with thought toward one clear, unified voice. Our goal was to create a cannabis experience rooted in care, community, and representation.

Beginning with a Foundation of Brand

This project started, as all our projects do, with brand. Our client, Leah Samura, envisioned a dispensary experience that centered hospitality, education, and warmth. She wanted a space where those historically excluded from the cannabis industry would feel welcome to all, notably women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ folks, elders, and first-timers (The curious and the cautious).. 

So we asked ourselves what that experience could feel like. Through strategy, and focus on the target audience, our path to differentiation was clear. It needed to be tactile, welcoming, and grounded in both nature and narrative - breaking from the cold, clinical tone of most cannabis retail spaces.

Reframing the Past for an Authentic Future

The building itself came with its own history. It had once served as a police station and later, a carriage repair shop. Rather than ignore that past, we chose to reinterpret it.

We used aged brass details from Chemetal as a reference to old police uniforms. Custom reeded Bendheim glass cabinetry and pivot panels, fabricated by Rustica and evokes traditional safety glass, filtering light and offering privacy and intrigue. A bronze ‘historical’ plaque sits within the living green wall at the entrance. It tells the story of the building and the people reclaiming it right below the subverted ‘Weed the people’ badge. More than a marker, it’s an ah-ha moment meant to be shared by those in the know.

Leather strap accents and drawer pulls nod to the building’s equestrian past, offering another layer of storytelling. At the entrance, we designed a custom white oak carriage-style door with the Yamba “Y” subtly embedded in its cross-bracing. These small moments of branding serve as layered touchpoints along the customer journey to build recognition, pride and loyalty.

Nature’s Beauty as a Guiding Principle

The entire 900-square-foot interior is grounded in natural materials that echo the organic life cycle of the cannabis plant.

We sourced white oak flooring from Foglie D’Oro and laid it in a custom herringbone pattern, inspired by the angular striations of the cannabis leaf. Wall surfaces are finished in Roman clay from Portola Paints, which adds an earthy, hand-applied texture throughout the space.

To complement the wood and clay, we introduced natural stone, aged metal, and tile in soft, muted tones. Onyx wall sconces from L’Aviva Home and glazed tile from Zia Tile elevate the palette without adding visual noise. A green wall by Naturalist adds a quiet exhale of plant life without demanding attention.

Our custom wallpaper, designed in-house and printed by Phillip Jeffries, wraps the hallway and restroom in coral and plum-colored florals overlaid with cannabis leaves. The botanical motifs are drawn from historic textbooks at Harvard and bring both softness and scholarship into the space.

Designed for Flow, Built for Comfort

Despite its small footprint, Yamba Boutique is carefully laid out to feel spacious and welcoming. The plan includes security and reception, point-of-sale, storage and display, back-of-house support, and curated merchandise vignettes throughout.

Rounded millwork edges and intuitive paths guide movement naturally. Pivot-panel windows at the entrance meet cannabis retail regulations while still allowing soft daylight to filter in. Reeded glass helps shield product from street view without closing off the interior experience.

We intentionally designed storage into the casework to reduce visual clutter and allow for a sense of discovery. Nothing about this space feels hurried or overwhelming.

Every Detail Designed with Purpose

Every product and fixture was curated with the same level of care. A Lawson Fenning ottoman adds sculptural softness. Lighting from Arteriors creates quiet focal points. Vases from Audo Copenhagen complete the merchandising with subtle elegance.

Working alongside Isenberg Projects, a range of off-the-shelf goods from women- and minority-owned brands was curated. Glass bongs from My Bud Vase and ceramic pipes from Baer Ceramics serve as both accessories and aesthetic objects. These items displayed in softly carved niches bring the shop’s larger mission to life on the shelf.

Yamba Boutique shifted expectations and it tells a new story about what cannabis retail can be when care, culture, and beauty are centered. Where space and brand are all rolled into one cohesive expereince.

Material Sources

• PORTOLA PAINTS - Roman Clay walls
• CHEMETAL - Aged brass metal details and trim
• ZIA TILE - Glazed wall tile
• FOGLIE D'ORO - Wood flooring
• FSB - Bronze door handles (interior only)
• DALTILE - Floor tile
• L'AVIVA - Onyx wall sconce
• ARTERIORS - Desk lamp
• DL DESIGN WORKS - Wood wall sconce 
• LAWSON FENNING - Ottoman
• PHILLIP JEFFRIES - CONTRACT - Custom wallpaper
• BENDHEIM GLASS - Back counter glass cabinetry
• RUSTICA - Glass pivot panels
• AUDO COPENHAGEN - Floor vase / Counter vases
• NATURALIST - Green wall
• BAER CERAMICS - Smoking pipe‍
• MY BUD VASE - Glass bongs

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Project Team

• Brand and Interior Design: Proportion Design‍
• General Contractor: Build Out Construction Corp‍
• Signage: New England Neon
• Photography: Maurisa Arieta‍
• Merchandising: Isenberg Projects

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