We have resided in Shoreditch for many years, quietly witnessing the neighbourhood’s evolution. With an office once on Chance Street, we have since been faithful to Redchurch Street, where we opened a tiny store at 5A in 2009, and then later a more expansive abode at number 44. After more than a decade, the interior and façade were whispering, politely, about their readiness for renewal. Designed with longstanding partners JAMESPLUMB, the renovation reclaims items from the previous two incarnations while also musing on what it means to occupy historic and yet ever-changing streetscapes.
In their investigations, JAMESPLUMB were intrigued by the textures of the kerbstones and pavement details of Redchurch Street. Layers of materials that have accumulated over years of roadworks, bush-hammered granite, cast-iron grates, chipped glass bricks—weathered and worn by the elements and foot flow. An encounter with an iron foundry proved fruitful. Close collaboration with the artisans led to the development of bespoke basins that reference the store’s former enamelled troughs, the subtle texture from the sand-casting process echoing some of those found on the street. 3D scans of Redchurch Street’s kerbstones were used in the casting of a countertop that quite literally brings the gutter to the table. The brackets that support rows of shelves were also cast in iron, their tapered form taken from a fixture found in a nearby market. Arranged neatly on these understated supports are our products for the skin, hair, body and home—some known intimately already, others new acquaintances.
