When I walk through my hometown Amsterdam, I can’t help but notice that one shop after another seems to be slowly disappearing. Rents are high and for many shops it’s payback time, after they received help from the government during the pandemic. I enjoy beautiful shops and even started an entire website about interior shops and shops with special interiors in Amsterdam.
The site, Amsterdam Next, is still visited every day, although I rarely have time for an update and unfortunately I had to mention in many blog posts that the shop no longer existed. Let’s face it Blogging takes a lot of time. But an update is always in the back of my mind, because there are still plenty of addresses and some gems to be found in Amsterdam.
Aesop Rue des Francs-Bourgeois
Loving beautiful interiors in retail, is why I enjoy my trips abroad even more. I usually visit a city for an event or fair and always take a day in the city itself. Often to visit those shops that we don’t have in Amsterdam, such as Muji and Mad et Len in Paris. A store that I always visit everywhere and that we do have in Amsterdam is Aesop, where the first one is in a beautiful historical building: Aesop Amsterdam
All the Aesop’s that I have visited in Europe have one thing in common: every interior is different and always worth a visit. So also the one in Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the heart of the Marais. I snapped a few images for you to swoon over. Find more of my Aesop finds here: Aesop on vosgesparis
Curves and Craftsmanship
Nestled in the heart of Le Marais, the Aesop store on Rue des Francs-Bourgeois is a space where thoughtful design meets masterful craftsmanship. Conceived by designer Valentin Loellmann, the store is inspired by nearby Place des Vosges—Paris’s oldest planned square … did you know the name of my blog comes from this same place!
The design began with a poetic watercolour sketch by Loellmann. The space, shaped around a central structural wall, creates a sense of unity through three interconnected circles. A centrepiece reminiscent of a civic fountain anchors the room, while curved counters and cabinetry guide movement. A timber ribbon frames the front window and blends into the ceiling.
Intimate alcoves sculpted into the walls provide spaces for reflection and pause, while the choice of materials elevates the sensory experience. Solid oak, hand-hewn and finished with welded brass, invites touch and promises a patina that will evolve with time. The central stone basin, carved from a single block, combines polished and raw surfaces, highlighting the beauty of natural imperfections. The plastered walls, brushed by hand, create soft, textured movements that mirror the floor’s radial details.
Images ©vosgesparis // picture 3 & 4 by Aesop
Het bericht Curves and Craftsmanship at Aesop Rue des Francs-Bourgeois verscheen eerst op vosgesparis.
