Child Studio Transforms Belgravia Townhouse into Cubitts Eyewear Store.

Child Studio has recently completed another store interior for the British eyewear makers Cubitts. Set within a classic 19th-century townhouse, the interior balances the existing traditional Georgian architecture with the eyewear brand’s distinct Modernist design aesthetic. The store occupies the ground floor and basement of a terraced townhouse in an affluent Belgravia neighbourhood in West London. A special landmark for Cubbits is the fact this part of the city was developed in the 1830s by the architect and builder Thomas Cubitt, whose legacy inspired the eyewear brand’s name. Child Studio opted for a subtle approach that would celebrate the architectural heritage of the neighbourhood and the building.

As most of the interior detailing had been lost over the years of previous renovations, the design challenge for became restoring and highlighting the original features of the townhouse. To begin, refined and understated mouldings, architraves and cornices were sourced and integrated back into the design. The doorways have been opened up to form dramatic 3-meter tall frames and the original wooden floorboards have been uncovered and repaired. The team also sourced an antique cast iron fireplace, painted in an ivory colour and installed in the front room. The walls throughout the store have been decorated in a dusty yellow tone characteristic of the period’s interiors.

Cubitts Brighton Eyewear Store by Child Studio.

Located on the English coast, the site has provided a rich source of inspiration for the designers, who drew on the modernist heritage of the seaside town to create a layered and tactile environment with a touch of nostalgia.

Another layer to the store’s design was the early 20th-century modernism. “It was important for us to build a layered narrative for this project and to connect the townhouse architecture with the modernist ethos of the brand,” commented Alexy Kos and Che Huang, co-founders of Child Studio. “We imagined a contemporary interpretation of a classic Drawing Room — an elegant living room where guests may be welcomed and entertained. We were particularly inspired by the pioneering designer Eileen Gray, who lived in this part of London in the early years of her career in the 1900s. Many bespoke pieces within the space pay homage to her work.”

Child Studio developed a series of bespoke display shelving units that are designed to look like freestanding room dividers. Their undulating shapes in the front room are lined in a textured wallpaper with a linen pattern, while the displays in the back room were crafted in mahogany wood with brass detailing. The central space is occupied by a bespoke sculptural table with a tubular steel base, burl wood patterned top and a black gloss lacquered storage unit.

Cubitts Soho Eyewear Store by Child Studio.

Child Studio's design for British spectacle-maker Cubitts Soho store references underground venues and subcultures that emerged in this buzzing London district, once notorious for its adult cinemas and sex shops...

The designers accessorised the space with a selection of antique lighting fixtures, including the “Jumo” table lamp designed by Gray, hand-blown Murano wall lights, cast plaster seashell sconces and the ‘Leaf’ brass desk lamp by Tommaso Barbi. “We aimed to create an intimate and domestic atmosphere using a curated mix of bespoke and antique design pieces,” concludes the duo.

British Eyewear Brand's Nostalgic Leeds Store by Child Studio.

London-based design practice Child Studio has completed another store for the British spectacle makers Cubitts. Located within an ornate Victorian shopping arcade in Leeds, the interiors evoke nostalgia...

[Images courtesy of Child Studio. Photography by Felix Speller.]