Aesop reimagines Victorian interiors in Leeds boutique

Australian-founded skincare brand Aesop has unveiled its latest UK store in the historic Victoria Leeds County Arcade, drawing inspiration from the rich detail of its setting and the transformation of domestic bathrooms during the Victorian era.

The County Arcade, influenced by Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele, is known for its sculptural flourishes, bas-reliefs and decorative motifs.

GALLERY

For Aesop’s in-house design team, the floor became a key point of reference. “Made of mosaic, it features horizontal lines articulated in response to the placement of vertical marble columns,” explained Marianne Lardilleux, Aesop’s director of global retail design. “The oak flooring of the store echoes this discreet rhythm, allowing the space to integrate seamlessly into the gallery and act as a subtle extension of it.”

The design concept also looks to the evolution of the Victorian bathroom, a period when hygiene was redefined. “The Victorian bathroom transformed the way hygiene was perceived in England,” Lardilleux said. “It grew in size, became a living space in its own right, and filled with gadgets and fixtures. It embodied both modernity and a certain art of living.”

Referencing this history, the Aesop store incorporates codes of Victorian private interiors alongside construction standards typical of the Industrial Revolution. To anchor the design locally, the team used natural materials sourced within England, including stone from a nearby quarry and recycled oak for the flooring. “Wood, stone, and finishes were chosen to evoke the harmony typical of Victorian bathrooms,” Lardilleux noted.

Historical accuracy was extended to the shelving, with the team sourcing original Globe Wernicke units. These modular shelves, contemporaneous with the arcade itself, were the first of their kind to be manufactured and assembled across multiple countries.

As with all Aesop stores, the interior is unified by a single colour palette. In Leeds, green was selected to reflect the tones already present within the arcade. “The County Arcade is built from terracotta stone and adorned with many orange-toned details, yet the colour green is omnipresent throughout the space,” Lardilleux said. “Choosing shades of green allowed the store to subtly embed itself within the gallery’s aesthetic universe.”

Images by Ollie Tomlinson via Dezeen