A pink-tinged CBD store in New York and a minimalist handbag boutique in Milan are among the top 10 shops of 2019, selected by interiors reporter Natasha Levy as part of Dezeen's yearly review.
Standard Dose, USA, by SR Projects and Tuna Architecture
It's only fitting that SR Projects and Tuna Architecture set out to create a "calm escape" inside this New York store, which exclusively sells products infused with CBD – a cannabis-derived substance known for its anxiety-reducing qualities.
The space is decked out in a soothing mix of pink plaster, pearly white tiles and pale grey terrazzo. There are also a series of arched doorways that take customers through to the on-site tea rooms, meditation spaces and yoga studio.
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Valextra, Italy, by John Pawson
John Pawson channelled "minimalism, clean elegance and restrained luxury" to create the interior of Milan's Valextra store, which boasts a spartan mix of grey-plaster walls and stone floors.
The overhaul also saw the erection of a suspended ceiling, parts of which have been cut away to form faux skylights that illuminate the high-end handbags displayed below.
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Fig, Canada, by Scott & Scott Architects
Scott & Scott Architects drew upon the natural ingredients found in Fig's skincare products to create the rich-green interior of the brand's Vancouver store.
Concave tubes of khaki-coloured steel align to form a feature wall, while at the centre of the space is a service counter topped with emerald marble. Forest-green velvet curtains can also be drawn back to reveal a series of private treatment booths.
National Museum of Qatar gift shop, Qatar, by Koichi Takada
A staggering 40,000 pieces of wood were used to form the undulating surfaces of the National Museum of Qatar's gift shop.
Designed in reference to the Dahl Al Misfir cavern, the shop's soaring walls stagger downwards to form stalagmite-like columns with in-built display shelves. Light trickles in from the outdoors through skylights punctuated in the ceiling.
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Aesop, South Korea, by Mlkk Studio
Behind the cold, grey facade of a mixed-use building in Seoul lies this cosy Aesop store, which is almost entirely lined in reclaimed red bricks.
The material palette – which is meant to "enrich the sense of time and history" – takes a turn on the first floor, where walls are covered in a chocolate-coloured plaster. Treatment rooms are finished with deep brown cabinetry and sandy beige sofas.
Louis Vuitton, UK, by Peter Marino
A heart-shaped neon sculpture by Tracey Emin and a series of cocoon-like pods from the Campana brothers are just some of the colourful artworks to appear inside this west-London branch of Louis Vuitton, which reopened this year following a 14-month renovation.
Other fun elements like a tall, twisting staircase have also been included in the store, which Peter Marino wanted to seem "lighter, clearer and happier" than the fashion brand's early retail spaces.
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Dolce & Gabbana, Italy, by Carbondale
Chubby cherubs and angered deities soar across a digitalised fresco that features inside Rome's Dolce & Gabbana store, which occupies a 16th-century palazzo.
A rich material palette of walnut, brass and marble has been used to decorate the rest of the space, reflecting the "magnificence and uniqueness" of the Italian capital.
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Open, UK, by Emily and Mark Anderson
Design novices Emily and Mark Anderson took on the task of transforming a dilapidated surfboard factory into this shop-cum-cafe, which lies just 100 metres from the Cornish coastline.
The space has been finished with bright-white walls that nod to the colour of nearby cliffs, and a handful of woven furnishings. Eventually the owners are also planning to create a workshop where avid wave-riders can learn how to make and shape their own surfboards.
Hollow terracotta tiles that double up as shelves cover the interior of this shoe store in Barcelona, creating a scallop pattern across its walls.
Although similar tiles have been used to clad the service counter and seating bench, grey-resin floors and display plinths help keep the rest of the space simple.
Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore, China, by X+Living
A myriad of novels seem to line the walls of this bookstore in Chongqing, which features confusing zig-zag staircases and mirrored ceilings.
An equally whimsical fit-out has been given to the shop's other reading rooms, including one with glossy tempered-glass floors and conical shelves where bibliophiles can hide away and leaf through their favourite titles.
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