London-based design firm Child Studio has unveiled a new retail space for British eyewear brand Cubitts. Housed within a Grade II-listed shopping arcade in Leeds, England, the store evokes the studio’s signature midcentury-inspired style, while also accentuating the history of the site.
“New interiors within historic structures often fall into a pastiche or offer a sterile minimalist look that doesn’t attempt to engage with the context,” say Child Studio founders Alexy Kos and Che Huang. “We wanted to take a more subtle approach and to build a layered narrative that would acknowledge different chapters in the building’s history. We tried to imagine how the space could have evolved organically over time, fusing the Victorian cabinetry features with the Art Deco interior elements and Modernist references.”
Interiors reinterpret Victorian vernacular with details like towering display cabinets finished in a chocolate brown gloss lacquer that wrap the store. Off-white textured wallpaper also lines the illuminated display shelves and serves a striking visual contrast. Echoing the original architectural faience of the arcade, clay geometric floor tiles in varying shades of terracotta, sand, and anthracite hues nod to the site’s materiality and color story. The custom checkout counter—equipped with a reflective black glass tabletop as well as a stainless steel base and a cherry wood storage cabinet—was crafted to recall a writing desk. Antique furniture also anchors the interior to instill a sense of ageless elegance.
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