A new olfactive haven has taken residence on Paddington’s Oxford Street. Tapping into the transportive abilities of scent, Libertine Parfumerie founder Nick Smart tasked renowned interior designer Tamsin Johnson with creating a space that honours the brand’s expansive international fragrance portfolio while remaining grounded in its Sydney surrounds.
“Nick had a vision for an elegant and richly decorated space with a continental feeling,” explains interior designer Tamsin Johnson of the brief. “Visitors to the store should feel transported yet at home. The intention was to take shoppers on a journey of discovery, where they can make their way through the space in a paced way. But it also has that feel where you want to pause and settle in.”
Nestled within the leafy shopping district, the glazed façade of Libertine Parfumerie hints at what’s to come; with two vintage French chiffoniers greeting visitors, their hand-painted surfaces providing fashionable real estate for the perfume house’s home scent products.
Effortlessly balancing heritage style with contemporary influences, Johnson reconciles European flair with a relaxed antipodean aesthetic. The 200-square-metre space is evocative of an old world apothecary, artfully curated as per Johnson’s signature style. “I set about researching a lot of classical European druggists and other stores and reflecting upon them as inspiration for this project,” Johnson says. “One of my favourite things to do is explore classical pharmacies overseas, particularly those very old ones in Milan, Vienna and throughout France. They are so dignified and ornate. I wanted to recreate that feeling here.”
Indeed, the interiors are reminiscent of the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence, the oldest pharmacy in the world. Furniture takes on a dignified tone, with custom chocolate-tinged cabinets and white marble plinths housing offerings from the likes of Amouage, Trudon, and Creed. Offsetting the vintage feel of the cabinetry is a collection of modern Italian glass pieces, sourced from Murano by Johnson; think dramatic chandeliers, jewel-like wall pendants and sculptural vases.
Visitors are encouraged to interact with and enjoy the hand and body products on offering, with functional antique basins sourced from France positively begging to be used. “[The basins] are 18th century, solid marble pieces with wonderful shapes that offset the visual weight of the timber joinery and the multitude of fragrances with all their captivating packaging and branding.”
Linking the front and rear sections of the store is an open-sky courtyard, with the foliage-laden space inveigling visitors to take a pause. Beyond the courtyard, the intimate rear section of the store is reserved for rare and exclusive fragrances from Libertine Parfumerie’s marquee perfume brands — think Creed, Roja Parfums, and Astier de Villatte.
“The Sydney flagship stands as a timestamp of our journey so far and Tamsin was the perfect design partner to ensure Libertine Parfumerie makes its mark among likeminded, luxurious labels in Paddington,” says Libertine Parfumerie founder Nick Smart. “We wanted to create a space that hasn’t been seen in Australian beauty retail.”
And that they have, with the new flagship boutique acting providing both a visual and olfactory sense of escapism.
The Libertine Parfumerie flagship boutique is located at Shop 6/134-140 Oxford Street, Paddington, and is open from 10am to 5.30pm, seven days a week.
Words by T. Angel
Images courtesy of Anson Smart
