1929 Luxury Wine Boutique

Between rue Saint-Roche and rue des Pyramides in the first arrondissement of Paris, France is a small 17th century church filled with historic paintings and beautiful stained glass windows. Next to this historic church is a building with typical Parisian façade of light beige stone with wrought iron balconies and large windows. There is a narrow cobblestone alleyway separating the two buildings that leads to a small garden; it’s very picturesque Parisian, the only thing missing is a view of the Eiffel Tower. The massive window that belongs to the store located on the corner of the alleyway at 284 rue Saint-Honoré has partially been covered by four large wooden wine bottles suspended from the ceiling and supported from the floor. In the center of the window is a bold black oval with two small swirls on each side. Inscribed in the oval in a classic, art-deco font is the year “1929”, outlined in a charcoal black and colored in a golden yellow hue. Through the door on the corner of the alleyway at 284 rue Saint-Honoré, this petite boutique called “1929” presents a golden, warm and welcoming strong art-deco inspired vibe to those who enter. To the right there are two vintage wine barrels painted black, each with a glass table top to display books about tasting wine. The floor is a worn, dark, almost a black-grey colored hickory wood and the individual Edison filament lights hanging from the ceiling are dimly lit. Across from the door, the exclusive 20 bottle collection of wine carried by the boutique is showcased on 20 shelves just big enough for a single bottle. The wall is painted with a deep grey chalkboard paint and beside each shelf, written on the wall is a short description of the key notes tasted in the wine, where it comes from, and the year. Moving to the back of the store, the second half of this wall has 20 temperature-controlled wooden drawers built into the wall from the floor to the ceiling. Each drawer contains a small stock of wine bottles acting as easy access for the employees. The logo or name of the wine stocked inside has been wood-burned onto the front of each drawer. At the back of the store there is a door for the small, private and rentable tasting room, as well as a few art-deco inspired art pieces. The counter with the register has a deep brown, almost black, wooden base with a rich copper top that faces the two windows that look into the narrow cobblestone alleyway. Beside the door of the tasting room is a half-circle wine display painted black with classic golden art-deco arches across it. The bottles are laid along the shelf at a slight angle behind glass. These bottles are the 10 rarest, most expensive bottles of wine in the whole boutique. Rumor has it, this boutique is the only place in Paris where these rare 10 bottles are available to purchase immediately. And once you do, you're sent an invitation to the 1929 speakeasy hidden beneath the boutique. The password and exact address to the speakeasy is printed on the invitation and it’s impossible to get in without it. A good friend of mine gained access to this speakeasy and shared his knowledge of the hidden spot with me. There is a magnificent piece of artwork created from old wine barrels that acts as the secret door to the speakeasy. It is just past the two windows on the left side of the door down the narrow cobblestone alleyway between the building which house’s the luxury wine boutique, 1929, and the 17th century church. 

But luxury wine boutique, 1929, and its hidden speakeasy does not actually exist in Paris, France. Studying luxury brand management in Paris, France has given me the opportunity to contribute and collaborate with fellow international students on unique projects and attend classes I do not have access to at my home university in the United States. The luxury wine boutique, 1929, was a description of the final project I completed with 3 other students for the luxury visual merchandising class I attended. Being the only person in my group to have experience with graphic design and art, I was responsible to design a store layout and in-store displays that would aid in executing a proper flow of the store for customers. I chose materials and colors that would best compliment our wine boutique and an art-deco inspired theme. In addition, I designed window displays, art to be included in the interior as well as a logo for our store. Having no experience with interior design or architecture, but plenty of experience with art and knowledge of consumers thought processes, I was successfully able to complete the aesthetic and layout of this luxury wine boutique.