Contract - September 2016 - 64

2

1
Ground Floor Plan

3
2

2

Lower Floor Plan

1
2
3

Entrance
Display area
Changing room

Occupying a highly coveted spot on London's
Mount Street, J&M Davidson's flagship store could
have taken a flashy approach to compete for
attention in the well-heeled Mayfair neighborhood.
On the contrary, despite counting fashion
heavyweights like Céline, Moynat, Roksanda Ilincic,
and Christian Louboutin among its neighbors,
the British luxury leather goods and clothing brand
opted for a cool, calm, and quietly collected interior
designed by London-based Universal Design Studio,
founded by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.
"We wanted the interior of our store to
complement-yet at the same time juxtapose-
its setting in a natural and sophisticated way,"
explain John and Monique Davidson, who launched
the brand in 1984 with a line of exclusive, handcrafted
belts. J&M Davidson already has outposts in Aoyama,
Tokyo, and Notting Hill, London, and its product
offerings now encompass handbags, small leather
goods, shoes, clothing, and knitwear. "J&M
Davidson is a brand that has endured throughout
64

the years but they wanted to freshen things
up and relaunch with a new outlook," says Hannah
Carter Owers, who leads the 50-person team
at Universal Design Studio alongside Co-director
Jason Holley. "We worked with the brand to develop
a brief that pays homage to its core values of
modern luxury and commitment to craftsmanship,
but with a view to attracting a younger, newer,
and more international customer."
J&M Davidson's new London interiors are
ornate but relatively compact, with just 900 square
feet of space spread across two floors. Universal
Design Studio completely overhauled the storefront
in order to display the brand's extensive product
range. "We completely remodeled it and ripped
everything out," recalls Carter Owers. "We had
to rebuild the floor between the ground level and
the lower level so that we could move the staircase
and open everything up."
A subdued palette and intricate details
Taking inspiration from the elaborate 19th century
pink terracotta masonry facades that line Mount
Street, the studio worked with a neutral palette
of subtle pinks and taupe realized in tactile
materials such as polished plaster, quilted fabric,
leather, terrazzo, and carpet. Layered together
with brushed brass fixtures and furniture topped
with the composite material Jesmonite, these
subtle tones create a warming and restful ambience.
Upstairs, leather goods and handbags
are immaculately displayed within glass vitrines,
on cast glass stands, and across thin underlit brass
shelves that appear to hover off the white walls.
A tall terrazzo cash desk with soft rounded edges
was custom made in London to match the store's
light gray terrazzo floors, as were the glass and
terracotta display plinths and Jesmonite-topped
sideboards that can be found throughout.
Taking center stage, a traditional interlocking
staircase has solid terrazzo marble treads. "Each

cantilevered step is cast to interlock with the one
next to it to prevent it from twisting and turning,"
says Carter Owers. Located along a double-height
polished plaster wall to the left of the entrance,
the staircase's white metal balustrade and leatherwrapped handrail leads guests to the store's
lower level.
Here, daylight reaches the interior via light
wells at the front and back of the store while
the windows resemble glowing artworks covered
with frosted panes of glass. As one moves towards
the back, past more crisp brass display shelving
and bespoke Jesmonite storage furniture, the space
feels noticeably softer and more intimate with
upholstered walls and carpet underfoot.
"[The overall experience] slows down
and becomes a bit more sedate and secluded
as you move through the space," says Carter Owers
of the transitional approach. "The core products
that J&M is known for are displayed in a gallerylike
setting on the top floor, where the space is light
and the materials are hard, so the focus is on
the craftsmanship of the bags. Then, as you move
downstairs to men's accessories, through to the
changing rooms and into ready-to-wear, it all
becomes softer. These are the areas in which people
will be trying the clothes on, so it needs to be more
comfortable and warmer."
For finishing touches, J&M worked with
London-based interior designer Nicholas Chandor
to source several antique furnishings. "It's nice
to have a mix of pieces that are designed specifically
for the store and other 'found' pieces," says Carter
Owers. "We wanted the store to have a timelessness
to it. We want the interior to endure, and not
be something that will be ripped out in five years
time. So it has this sort of neutrality to it; it can
develop over time and still feel absolutely fresh
and inviting." c

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Contract - September 2016

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