Just as a craftsman’s workshop might feel as though it has always been there, Aesop’s store on Avenue des Ternes has a preordained quality. At the beginning of the project, the brand’s longstanding collaborator Jakob Sprenger discovered four nineteenth-century ceiling medallions from the palatial Hôtel de la Guillonnière, which was demolished in 1923. The boutique’s design evolved around them—after 101 years of dormancy, the antique remains have been brought back to life in a context of humble domesticity.
The store’s atmosphere responds to the area’s residential quietude—saturated hues and rounded forms coax visitors to slow down and linger. Generous bay windows connect the space to the street; cosy seating allows visitors to enjoy a peaceful moment in the sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees in front. To one side, a Fragrance Armoire contains the unconventional world of Aesop’s Eaux de Parfum; to the other, an individual basin accommodates in-depth encounters where one can apply formulations directly to their face, as if at home. A massive, gently sculptural basin is the room’s nucleus: here customers can explore Aesop’s full range of products for the skin, hair, body and home in a convivial manner. Underfoot, reclaimed tomettes—traditional French hexagonal terracotta tiles—contribute a certain gravity only strengthened by their aged imperfections.
