French studios Java Architecture and Atelier Brunoir tempered their preference for "soberness and order" to deliver this jewellery store interior for a Parisian client who could not get enough gold and pink.
The studios were tasked with designing a new interior for Nuun, a brand of jewellery designed by Nourah Al Faisal.
The client requested an opulent, gold and pink colour palette for the 70-square-metre shop, which initially threw the design team.
"When we got out of our first client meeting for the design of the new Nuun jewellery shop in Paris, we felt a bit disoriented by the client brief, which could be summarised as: I want more gold, I love pink," said Florian Levy, one of Java Architecture's founders.
"After spending a night with our friends from Atelier Brunoir asking ourselves how can we conciliate the client's desire for shining extravagance and our classical architect's desire for soberness and order, we finally agreed on a project: the pink should be slightly diffuse by indirect light; the gold should be spread around the project by adding a number of precious brass construction elements," added Levy.
Atelier Brunoir and Java Architecture focused their attention on one long feature wall. Although it is white, it has the appearance of being a faint, dappled pink, due to light reflected off the arched, pink-backed panels that sit in front of it.
These offset panels hold the jewellery display cases, inherited from the store's previous owner.
Another coloured wall at the back of the store, in a small nook dubbed "the boudoir", features an ombre effect with a gradient from pink to white.
All of the other walls in the store are white. They are complemented by parquet floors, while the client's desire for gold is satisfied by brass fittings and details dotted throughout the store.
Chair legs, lamps, shelves and frames all feature the finish. A jigsaw of brass- and silver-toned mirrors on one wall of the boudoir helps to make the small room "avoid a claustrophobic feeling".
Java Architecture was founded by Levy alongside Alma Bali and Laurent Sanz in 2014. The Paris-based firm works on housing and commercial projects.
Atelier Brunoir, also based in Paris, was founded by Jennifer Bongibault and Jeanne Boujenah in 2011 to work on design and interiors.
While the colour scheme may have caused the studios some pause, pink and gold is proving a popular colour combination in current retail interiors.
The London boutique of RED Valentino features bubblegum-pink and mustard-yellow velvet panels, while one of Snøhetta's interiors for skincare brand Aesop features brass panels with walls painted in a shade of mace.
Photography is by Alexandra Mocanu.