French fancy: Cire Trudon opens its first US boutique in New York

Cire Trudon’s claim to fame may be that it’s the world’s oldest candle manufacturer and thus supplied wax to the royal and imperial courts in France, but its timeless collection of scented candles, bust candles, room fragrances and scented matches are just as relevant in the present.

Cire Trudon’s evocative world can now be fully experienced stateside at the company’s first American boutique, located on a suitably well-heeled street in New York City’s Nolita neighbourhood. Newly opened this month, the bijou boutique serves up quintessential French flair with a contemporary twist.

'We wanted to bring some Paris to Nolita with a mix of classical and contemporary design that would work well for 400 sq ft,' says Julien Pruvost, the house’s executive director. 'I collaborated with the Paris-based architect Fabrizio Casiraghi, who understands the design sensibility of intimate spaces, French heritage and complimentary lighting techniques.'

Casiraghi, who left Dimore Studio to set up his own design firm earlier this year, embraced classical elements like mirrors and enameled surfaces, but delivered them with an urban feel. Inspired by a ‘Galerie des Glaces’ – a mirrored gallery typical of French chateaux and palaces, the intimate boutique is lined with mirrored tiles that concurrently emanates an edgy, almost disco ball effect. Minimal strips of neon lighting are juxtaposed by vintage notions, such as antique Japanese vases and a statuesque Art Deco lamp that decorates the service counter. Glass shelves around the room, which is painted a lacquered shade of Cire Trudon’s accent colour, burgundy, delicately display the house’s wares, along with an assortment of found objects, such as antique candlesnuffers, candleholders and more.

‘The space is conceived as a dual but unitary space. My aim was to create a balance between contemporary elements and traditional ones,’ explains Casiraghi. ‘For Cire Trudon I wanted to adapt the architectural language to the size of the boutique therefore, in order to achieve the harmony between old and new, I chose two elements: polished enamel and antique mirrors.

Concerning the layout I decided to emphasize the rectangular form of the boutique creating an even stronger corridor-effect:  the cabinets, the shelves and the products are placed all along the right-hand side. Even the spots on the ceiling follow this length-setting, driving clients’ eyes till the end of the boutique.’

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ADDRESS

248 Elizabeth Street
New York, New York

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