A Large Sliding Window Offers A Look Inside This Nature-Inspired Store Design

April 5, 2023
A modern retail store with built-in planters throughout.

Architecture and interiors firm MRDK have designed a modern retail store in Montreal, Canada, for Attitude, a company that specializes in plastic-free beauty products.

The design of the space reflects their commitment to sustainability and a connection to nature, which is visible from the street, as they have large sliding windows that open to reveal a display of stones, plants, and products.

A modern retail store with built-in planters throughout.
A modern retail store with built-in planters and stone accents throughout.

Stepping inside, the lush planter beds have been filled with a mix of moss, rocks, and branches, that have been placed around the store to mimic a journey through nature on a boardwalk, therefore creating a natural and serene environment.

A modern retail store with built-in planters and stone accents throughout.
A modern retail store for a beauty brand includes built-in planters and stone accents throughout.

Natural materials including granite, lime plaster, and white oak, have been used throughout the store, providing a tactile and earthy feel to the space.

A modern retail store for a beauty brand includes built-in planters and stone accents throughout.

Floor-to-ceiling white supports allow wood shelves to be mounted away from the wall and nestled within the planters.

Floor-to-ceiling white supports allow wood shelves to be mounted away from the wall and nestled within the planters.
Floor-to-ceiling white supports allow wood shelves to be mounted away from the wall and nestled within the planters.

At the back of the space is a wood service counter with the brand name engraved into it.

A modern retail store for a beauty brand includes built-in planters and stone accents throughout.

The main focal point of the space is a large granite island with two sinks carved out of it. The boulder-like shape and texture of the island suggest a natural element as if it has been carved by the forces of nature over time.

A modern retail store for a beauty brand includes built-in planters and stone accents throughout.

This centerpiece complements the natural theme of the space, giving customers the sense of being in nature surrounded by rock formations.

A modern retail store for a beauty brand includes a large boulder-like granite island with carved-out sinks.

Adjacent to the two carved-out sinks, are metal-lined soap trays that hold a variety of products that can be tested.

A modern retail store for a beauty brand includes a large boulder-like granite island with carved-out sinks and metal soap trays.
A modern retail store for a beauty brand includes a large boulder-like granite island with carved-out sinks and metal soap trays.

At the end of the island, there’s a shelving niche for storing towels.

A modern retail store with a large granite island with a storage niche.

Here’s the floor plan that shows the layout of the planters throughout the store.

A modern retail store with built-in planters throughout.
Photography: David Dworkind | Design: MRDK | Team: David Dworkind, Benjamin Lavoie Laroche | Contractor: Groupe STLC