Maison Balzac – Armadale
Maison Balzac opens its second destination in Melbourne, with its exquisite and artistic interiors, it sets the perfect backdrop for its kaleidoscope of objects and fragrances for the home.
Words: Georgie Ward I Photography: Amelia Stanwix
Photo: Amelia Stanwix
Photo: Amelia Stanwix
“We have had a lot of fun conceptualising the store, and that is the spirit that we hope to create when people visit...a sense of whimsy, a memory, a response, the feeling of a unique kind of beauty. At Maison Balzac, we love to awaken your senses.”
“This Armadale store is much more than a retail space, it’s an invitation to enter our Maison Balzac world.”
Maison Balzac expands from its Sydney store, to a new location - Armadale in Melbourne!
With its distinctive light blue interiors that pay homage to the work of Italian designer Ettore Sottsass, the store is a showcase for the playful glassware, candles and unconventional objects that Maison Balzac is known and adored for.
The brand is an expression of pure imagination, translated across a myriad of novel objects, jewel-toned glassware, candles and ceramics for sensory rituals. Founder, Elise Pioch Balzac describes her Maison Balzac world as a means to capture and distil memories through a range of varying mediums.
Elise worked with designer Sam Costello from Daam Studio to create the store’s eclectic interiors. Pioch’s key source of inspiration for her store’s vision was a classic 1970’s Memphis movement Lapsilazzuli teapot by Ettore Sottsass. The curvy shelving piece that greets customers as they enter the store, references the style and colour of this teapot, that Pioch ever so adored.
The soft blue beginnings of the store is contrasted by a more peachy pink palette at its rear. Rows of bright oranges, yellows and reds against illuminated white shelving gave another colour addition to the already very vivid palette.
In addition to this Memphis movement inspiration, there are also nods to the Brutalist art movement within the petite Melbourne store, with delicate scones and French lighting. ‘At the heart of our store concept was the irreverence of two artistic movements that are very dear to Maison Balzac: the Memphis Group and Art Brut,’ says Elise.
Like its sister store in Surry Hills Sydney, the Armadale store will be a must-visit destination for lovers of beautiful, unexpected items for the home. There are current collections of Maison Balzac candles and decorative objects as well as a collection exclusive to Melbourne - the Pompom wine glass in a unique colour combination of Teal and Azure Blue, echoing the palette of the store.
Elise invites people to take a walk into Melbourne’s Maison Balzac world, ‘We’ve long dreamt of opening a store in Melbourne and we can’t wait to welcome Melbourne clients and friends inside.’