Behind the design of the new Diptyque London home
When is a shop more than a shop? When it’s a portal that transports a customer into a brand’s story. Better placed to do this than most is Diptyque, which arguably invented the concept store when it opened its two-sided boutique at 34 Boulevard Saint Germain (effectively a diptych, hence the name) in 1961.
Filled with rare finds from the travels of its founders– interior designer Christiane Montadre-Gautrot, British artist Desmond Knox-Leet and theatre designer Yves Coueslant – it was a place of discovery, scented with fragrances concocted by Knox-Leet. His time decoding messages at Bletchley Park during World War II led to the famous ‘dancing’ alphabet on Diptyque’s labels.
Now, the fragrance house is taking its founders’ vision to the next level with the opening of two Maisons – in Paris and London. Part boutique, part cultural hub, these unique spaces are the largest opened by the brand.
‘We’ve designed them as places of inspiration and sharing, where customers can not only buy products, but also explore the brand’s rich world through exhibitions, workshops and events,’ explains Diptyque’s Laurence Semichon on the importance of bricks and mortar. This is vital for a fragrance brand, where ‘bespoke consultations, olfactory discovery sessions and sensory experiences allow customers to connect deeply with our products’.
The London Maison is arranged like an aesthete’s apartment over three floors of a Georgian townhouse on New Bond Street. ‘London has a special significance for Diptyque, being the birthplace of one of our founders, Desmond Knox-Leet,’ Semichon notes.
The ground floor is divided into different zones, with stone tables crafted by British sculptor Steven John Clark at the front and a sculptural white-plaster staircase swirling through the centre. It’s entwined with an iron vine railing, the work of Atelier de Forge Robert & Robert.
They were among the many creatives commissioned to bring the Maison to life. ‘Our founders were passionate artists, and their heritage continues to guide our approach in selecting the artisans we collaborate with,’ explains Semichon.
Further in, the scheme gets darker, more intimate, culminating in a green-lacquered room offering personalised engraving and gift-wrapping. Its crowning glory is a floral ceiling by British artist Claire Coles, whom Diptyque discovered on Instagram. Her mixed-material mural wallpaper art combines hand-painted elements, gold leaf, faux leathers and vintage wallpaper flowers.
‘There are areas where some of the flowers aren’t finished – although my hands have made it, I wanted it to feel like it’s come to life after I’ve left it,’ Coles explains. She felt an affinity with Diptyque’s founders who, like her, were influenced by their travels. ‘My work is inspired by chinoiserie, but it can also look quite French and impressionist, so it felt like a good tie-in with their ethos,’ she says. ‘Diptyque’s typography is quite playful and my work is similar.’
Upstairs, the tranquil ‘Ephemeral Space’ has been curated by Colette’s legendary founder Sarah Andelman. This area will see a rotating programme of different events and installations. Further back, theatrical curtains reveal the ‘Bathing Salon’, with gold swan taps, a copper bathtub, Jean Roger’s ceramic foliage and stained-glass windows by Studio Vitrail inspired by the garden notes of the Maison’s ‘Ofrésia’ perfume.
British glassmakers Vezzini & Chen made the grand chandelier that floats above the ‘Fragrance Library’. The bent-brass structure will develop a unique colour over time, while light diffuses through the ceramic and glass sections. ‘The combination of visual beauty and alluring fragrance invites visitors to indulge in a memorable moment, leaving them captivated by the artistry and sensory delights of the space,’ explains artist and director Cristina Vezzini.
In this fantastical setting, the customer is transformed into the protagonist in a play. It’s that sense of theatricality, of stepping out of time into another world, that is the marker of the Maison’s success.
While it’s easier than ever to buy whatever you want with a click, by creating immersive interiors that can’t be replicated in the digital world, retailers are reminding people that a physical experience is, in many ways, priceless.
‘This experiential approach is essential to meet the desires of modern consumers, who are looking for authentic brands that go beyond the product,’ Semichon declares. With plans to bring Maisons to New York, Shanghai and Tokyo, she enticingly adds: ‘This is just the beginning.’ diptyqueparis.com
