Paul Smith wanted a flagship store that would feel like a home, and if you don't look closely, his Westbourne House looks like one of the rows of snowy white three-story Edwardian townhouses that line the streets in this stately section of Notting Hill.
A thick glass staircase lit from above that floods the heart of the house with light; a transparent glass front door; and carved storefront windows out of one side to attract passersby, who can peer into “The Dining Room” on the ground floor, where accessories are displayed in a glass-topped dining table.
There are clusters of paintings, someone’s family portrait and a bike for sale on the landings. Bespoke suits on the third floor. “The Playroom” on the second floor has children’s toys and novelty items. Sprinkled throughout are Smith-designed and one-of-a-kind items for men, women and interiors that Smith picks up on his world travels (he has since opened a dedicated interiors shop on 9 Albemarle Street in Mayfair with globally sourced antiques, objects d’art and curiosities, many of which he gives a Paul Smith makeover with eccentric colours and fabrics).