Skagen
Paris, France
The Skagen design team was given free reign to re-think the company’s store concept. Happily accepting the challenge, they came up with a design that fits Skagen’s Scandinavian design aesthetic to a T.
Danish design
“The Skagen brand is firmly rooted in Danish design”, says designer Emilie Ball. “Making our watches, jewelry and leather bags and accessories look simple by a lot of smart engineering is a key feature of that aesthetic. That’s exactly how we approached the design for our Paris store: by using ingenious ways to showcase our products, we created a beautiful pared down look.”
There was a big push to use quality, authentic materials. Scandinavian design is all about the subtle details.
Floating at eye level
One of the ways in which the desired tranquil appearance is achieved, is by using wall mounted holders for the display of watches. “They almost seem to be floating at eye level”, says Ball. “That’s a departure from the usual way of presenting them: in cabinets, behind glass. It offers our clients the opportunity to view them from all angles, and to touch them.”
The vertical lines of the flooring draw you into the space, making it a very inviting place.
Subtle details
Finding the right flooring was a huge part of getting the desired impact, says Ball. “Getting the basics right is very important. We needed our flooring to not only have the correct look, but to be hard-wearing too. It has to withstand a lot of traffic while aging gracefully, so there was a lot of back and forth before we settled on the Hakwood product. When I got the sample I was absolutely thrilled."
