Aesop Larchmont

The design of Aesop Larchmont, Los Angeles, is a meditation on minimal intervention. ATELIER X DESIGN worked closely with Aesop’s in-house team embraced the existing shell of the 100 year old retail space, which, with its concrete floor, columns, and exposed ceiling with timber carpenter trusses —a little worn and raw—has the spirit of a lively atelier. The existing façade, with its ample window, permits natural light to flood into the space, while an astonishing zenithal light streams in from the depths of the store.

Materials were chosen for their longevity and modesty: maple timber was sourced nearby and used to create free-standing furniture that would be readily reusable. Along one wall, a sequence of shelving units is entirely made of timber. Their apparent simplicity is deceptive: if one were to look closely, they would see the meticulous, elegant functionality of the joinery.

Occupying the centre of the room, a quartet of stainless-steel basins—made from repurposed stock material found at the millworker’s factory—are set into pieces of limestone from a Kansas quarry that have been cut from pre-existing panels. These sinks sit atop functional timber frames that reveal copper drainpipes and other services—superfluous materials were omitted in all instances. Less is more. At the end of this store’s tenure—if it should ever come to that—the full unit can be disassembled, relocated, and given a second life. 

In the depths of the room, a salvaged limestone monolith conceals an intimate zone where a lone basin allows a single patron to apply Aesop’s superlative skincare products directly onto their face, as if at home. Light slips through a gap in the rock; the whiff of parsley seed; a sublime, private moment. Before departing, guests are invited to rest awhile on the mid-century sofa. Here, they might contemplate their preferred Eaux de Parfum or, possibly, Aesop’s thoughtful and precise approach to store design.