Aesop Bordeaux

A stately corner building in tranquil place Puy Paulin hosts Aesop Bordeaux. Designed in-house, the store seeks to recapture the original spirit of the space. The façade’s patinated stone and traditional wooden shutters serve as inspiration for the interior materiality. Original timber parquet was discovered underneath tiles and a concrete screed—the imperfections have been celebrated here as markers of faded glory. Massive bespoke pinewood furniture takes formal cues from the chamfered corner of the floor plan. The cabinetry’s rough grain emerges through pine-green paint, tracing years gone by. Light floods in from ceiling-height windows. Gold-veined marble lines the counter and basin, heightening the warmth of the velvety clay walls and brass finishes. An original spiral staircase, with a bronze pinecone-topped newel, draws the eye up to the second floor, which houses domestic amenities. The store is revealed at night when the tall windows on both levels offer a superb interior scene.