Refurbishment of a pastry shop and creation of a brand-new chocolate atelier
Aurélien Cohen is a young talented French pastry chef who was running a pastry shop in Asnières, a charming Parisian suburb, when he asked Démodé to help with the refurbishment and expansion of his boutique. His project: to acquire the jewelry store next door to create a chocolate atelier and masterclass room, and to refurbish and reorganize his existing lab and shop.
The first challenge was to create a facade that conveys the illusion that the two spaces are linked together, while actually being in separate buildings. To achieve this, we played on the contrast between blue wood and ceramic tiles to create a modern and elegant facade, attracting attention and making us forget the two buildings.
How to sublimate the Chef’s DNA while innovating
Aurélien had already developed a brand identity, using a strong blue color as a signature, and a Japanese fruit, the kalamansi, for his logotype.
We wanted to keep these roots while updating them slightly: the blue color remained central, but we darkened it to a more elegant and timeless tone, and we used the kalamansi fruit as a common thread in the boutique design.
For the boutique, we created a tailor-made graphic cement floor, in blue and orange colors, with shapes that refer to the kalamansi’s leaves. Similarly, our signature brass wall lamps subtly echo the leaves.
For the atelier, we designed a genuine neon light, reading “Team Kalamansi,” suspended inside in front of the glass facade, immediately catching the eyes of pedestrians and giving a glimpse into Aurélien’s world.
A design embodying the Chef’s values: authenticity, generosity, and elegance
Through his work, Aurélien wants to convey elegance, generosity, naturality, fun, and authenticity as core values. To express these values, we designed a tailor-made wooden counter covered by a warm white waxed concrete counter skirt, embodying authenticity and naturality, while the cement floor tiles give an iconic and strong graphic identity.
Vivid neon lights and funny quotes are spread throughout the boutique to catch customers’ eyes and make them smile.
For some walls, we used the same blue tiles as the facade to add contrast and link the outside with the inside. We chose shiny thin rectangles, which refer to the shape of some pastries.
The Atelier & Masterclass: an extension of Aurélien’s world, behind the scenes
Démodé transformed the old jewelry store into a chocolate atelier and masterclass, with an office for Aurélien. The challenge here was to combine the constraints of a kitchen lab (hygiene, practicality, modularity) with the need to express the brand’s DNA for the masterclasses.
