Très beau

The French don’t go shopping; they go for unplanned walks and naturally find something extraordinary. That elegant sense of discovery permeates the new Puiforcat salon in Paris (puiforcat.com). The antithesis of a typical showroom, the new quarters for the iconic French silversmith are the work of the celebrated designer Tristan Auer, whose chic-with-substance bona fides range from the memorable interiors at the recently renovated Hôtel de Crillon to creations for Cartier, Chanel, and Nina Ricci. Auer designed the space to unfold like an apartment, with passage into different realms of the Puiforcat story. “I love to get caught up in adventures,” he says. “The best is to manage design and decoration to make life softer.”

The vestibule, with its Auer reproduction of a 1920s Jean Puiforcat rug, details the history and heritage of the French house, which dates back almost 200 years. The dark-walled tailored lounge and living room were created as intimate places to become immersed in the collections—a mix of tabletop, serving pieces, objects, decoration, and special editions—while the workshop room is a crisp white ode to the company’s artisan essence, displaying raw tools (used in the silver-making process for centuries) alongside finished Puiforcat works.

The dining room will host private events and receptions— an ideal way to taste life à la Puiforcat. But for collectors and new initiates to the brand in particular, the salon might be the perfect place for wandering and getting lost the French way. —ARIANNE NARDO