The new Astrid & Miyu flagship jewellery store is located on St. Christopher’s Place in Central London. Astrid & Miyu are a young London based contemporary British jewellery brand with pieces that are versatile and edgy, at the same time classic and subtle. The challenge was to balance the aesthetic of the unique jewellery line with an interior that would enhance the customer experience of the brand. We employed a faceted layout with geometric shapes pushing in and out of the walls to create jewel box display cases while optimising the small space with concealed storage. The shop reflects the jewellery brand’s versatile and edgy pieces through the selection of materials and use of geometry. Soft pinks and greys combined with natural wood, marble, concrete, brass and ceramic mosaic tiles are used throughout the interior.
What was the project brief?
As their main flagship store, it was important to develop a design language that would reflect Astrid & Miyu's unique products and brand. The ground floor was to used as the main retail space, and the basement was designed to support the staff.
What were the challenges?
The original shop space was quite compact and was split into two rooms. For the basic operations of the shop the client needed to have visibility through the whole shop. In addition to this they also required enough space to host small events so it was very important that the two spaces could be combined. We were able to remove most of the dividing wall with the addition of a steel beam, however there was one structural portion that had to be retained.
What were the solutions?
In order create a more unified space, we added angled walls to direct the flow of people from the front of the shop to the rear. This helped to conceal the structural portion of the wall and it also gave us the opportunity to create geometric display cases with hidden storage behind.
In order to integrate the beam into the design, we introduced horizontal bands of colour and material which included a strip of brass that ran all the way around the shop.
