The historic Piaget flagship on Place Vendôme in Paris unveils a chic new look and an expanded footprint following an upgrade by Rafael de Cárdenas mirroring the elegance and extravagance of Maison Piaget. Focal points like blue sodalite panels honor the timepiece brand’s historic dials alongside 20th century French decorative art by masters like Jean Royère and Jacques Ruhlmann. “Piaget has a strong identity, both sophisticated and creative. The Maison’s playful side, conveyed by different materials, colors, and interplays of shapes allowed me to create a concept worthy of a cabinet of curiosities,” de Cárdenas says. “I used refined products and collaborated with artists to echo both the exquisitely precise movement and the visionary rebelliousness of a Piaget watch.”

Refreshed interiors celebrate craftsmanship across a series of adjoining rooms populated by tailormade furniture redolent of Parisian Haussmann-style apartments. Blue stone and liquid gold punctuate the tony palette while artful plaster further highlights craftsmanship. Shades of blue, coral, and gold blend to echo the sophisticated and creative flourishes found throughout the Piaget catalog as well. A “cabinet of virtuosity” on the ground floor heralds shoppers as it pierces the curve of a sinewy, asymmetrical staircase leading to a mezzanine ensconced in the supple, honeyed brightness of an undulating molten gold mural. Julien Gautier inspires the ceiling fresco on the second floor, further imbuing an artful flair into a sociable atmosphere conceived for cultural encounters against an architectural backdrop.