Chanel
135 Maiden Lane
San Francisco, California
Tel: 415-981-1550
Designer: Peter Marino Architect

At the Chanel Boutique in San Francisco, the disciplines of fashion and interior design converge seamlessly in a new design by New York architect Peter Marino. The 7,900-square-foot store’s makeover is its first in 20 years. Marino, who has designed more than 90 boutiques for the luxury brand over the past decade, takes pains to make each unique. To that end, he designed tweed fabrics specifically for the store’s custom chairs, along with silk-and-wool carpeting, all in muted browns and beiges reminiscent of Northern California. Since haute couture, not the building, is the star here, Marino created a minimalist backdrop in Chanel’s signature color combination—black and white—while conveying a sense of opulence through the use of materials like ivory cabouca limestone and travertine on the floors and gold leaf on the ceiling. Inside, a two-story black metal-and-glass wall with a white dot pattern evocative of hanging fabric creates a unifying element while serving as a display area for handbags, shoes, and jewelry. Walls made of silk fabric encased in glass act like fashion accessories, adding textural contrast and another luxe element to the overall panache.