Designed by Virgile + Partners, the integrated retail and hotel offer within the Imagination Group the new ‘House of Elemis’, the successful British beauty brand located in the heart of Mayfair, has reopened after a period of refurbishment.
The concept plays up an intimate residential approach, the feeling of being in the House of the brand, combining the ambiance of ‘Bond Street luxury’ with the young spirit and accessibility of contemporary brands. The combination of retail and spa treatments, sometime compromised in a department store situation due to their restrictions and use of space, is here liberated, creating an experience that combines beauty and science, the two components of the offer, making it more experiential and personal.
The idea is of ‘unintimidating luxury’ key to the updated spirit of the brand. It is sophisticated and distinctive, appealing to women and men alike through a contemporary and elegant design, that has an inherent British quality without the usual clichés. The materiality of surfaces expresses Elemis from a different angle when it came to wall and floor finishes, using timber and parquet floors with a soft neutral but warm colour palette that enhances the presence of the product rather than compete with it.
Transparency and glow, both inherent in the quality of the skin, were important in the scheme, always playing with light and soft reflections in the presence of the back lit ‘skin membrane’ that creates the signature background to the product display. Pattern, textures and sculptural forms are also present in the furniture design such as in the playful central interactive bar and the greeting reception table.
The new Penthouse created by Virgile + Partners is the perfect environment to communicate not just the innovation and professionalism of the Elemis treatments but doing it in a clutter-free, dreamlike and relaxing ambiance of a signature room. The House of Elemis continues to widen the expertise of Virgile + Partners in the Beauty sector with their previous work for L’Oreal International, Biotherm, Space NK and the recently launched Geneu brand.
