The Fragrance Lounge: Behind the Design

Find out what Liberty’s Merchandising Team have to say about what went into designing the one-of-a-kind perfume space

By: Maddi John

Our new destination dedicated to the art of perfumery is like nothing you’ve experienced before. With a curation of the most exciting niche brands and bespoke experiences on every counter, The Fragrance Lounge is a uniquely captivating olfactory experience – where the alchemy and history of perfumery is brought to life.

But where did it all start? We sat down with Liberty’s Head of Beauty and Commercial, Natalie Guselli, and Visual Concepts Designer, Yvonne Godby, to find out the story behind The Fragrance Lounge.

Read More: Discover everything there is to know about The Fragrance Lounge

What makes The Fragrance Lounge unique compared to other perfume spaces?

Natalie: With an extensive number of years working in beauty between us, we have visited a lot of fragrance retail spaces globally and this concept is our version of the perfect amalgamation of our favourites. We were inspired by independent retailers such as Nose in Paris who present perfume in a non-biased display rather than dictated by brand – this was an important element we considered when designing our own Fragrance Concierge counter.

We wanted this space to feel distinctly different to the typical perfume halls in luxury department stores that can often look and feel bright, cold and sterile. We were led by the architecture of the building and the room itself – the wood of the pillars and the ceiling coupled with the heritage tiles let us indulge in a space that felt warm and inviting. This is a space that invites you to slow down the pace and enjoy the art of fragrance discovery.

How did you choose which brands would go into The Fragrance Lounge?

Natalie: We knew from the start of the project that we wanted a strong mix of brands that would appeal to both our existing and new customers alike. It was important to us to have a mix of established brands, heritage fragrance houses, discovery, contemporary and some big hitters that were missing in our existing portfolio.

We met with 25 brands before we landed on our final selection of 10 counter brands. We believe each of these works in harmony with each other and our brand, fulfilling our criteria of originality, craftsmanship, storytelling and beautiful products that we know our customers will love.

This is a space that invites you to slow down the pace and enjoy the art of fragrance discovery.

Natalie Guselli

What makes The Fragrance Lounge unique compared to other perfume spaces?

Can you tell us more about your design choices? What kind of atmosphere and experience you were aiming to create?

Natalie: One of the primary objectives was to create a space that customers want to spend time in. There are many features around the space that invite the customer to navigate the whole room – the consultation lounge draws you to one side of the room, and the interactive art installation to the other. No corner was left untouched as we aimed to utilise every inch of this beautiful space.

In this space, we wanted to exaggerate our iconic Liberty heritage with references to our history as carpet merchants and centred around the feature ceiling that is covered in the re-worked archive print, especially for this concept. The space should feel like a speakeasy bar coupled with the 5-star service of a luxury hotel concierge. Choosing the perfect fragrance takes time, and we wanted a space that allows everyone the freedom to discover at their own pace, with lots of inviting experiential elements along the way.

The Noseum is an interactive wall of noses created by artist Tasha Marks | AVM Curiosities. How did the idea for it arise and how was it brought to life?

Natalie: One of the original images we had as a reference in our moodboard was a sculpture of a large nose and we became obsessed with the idea of a nose wall. It is intended to represent everybody and the idea that niche fragrance can be inclusive and open to all, whereas, traditionally this sector in fragrance can feel quite exclusive and there is a certain degree of snobbery attached. In true Liberty fashion, we wanted to embrace our eccentricity and have an element of fun in the space and something for people to enjoy and engage with. We found the perfect collaborator in Tasha Marks – a gifted artist and fragrance historian who brought together scent and sculpture for us, scanning over 200 noses with some of those with scent technology within the nostrils.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when creating The Fragrance Lounge?

Yvonne: The biggest challenge was choosing materials that would not be affected by the alcohol content in the perfume. We had to test different materials and lean on the expertise of our suppliers to find materials that would be easy to clean and that wouldn’t react when exposed to the perfume over long periods of time.

How did you choose which brands would go into The Fragrance Lounge?

Natalie: We knew from the start of the project that we wanted a strong mix of brands that would appeal to both our existing and new customers alike. It was important to us to have a mix of established brands, heritage fragrance houses, discovery, contemporary and some big hitters that were missing in our existing portfolio.

We met with 25 brands before we landed on our final selection of 10 counter brands. We believe each of these work in harmony with each other and our brand, fulfilling our criteria of originality, craftsmanship, storytelling and beautiful products that we know our customers will love.

Shop Perfume