Officina Profumo Santa Maria Novella corner

Hi Contract oversaw the creation of the bespoke furnishings for the new Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella corner inside Harrods, London, shaping a space that translates more than four centuries of history into a contemporary and highly evocative experience.
The project reinterprets the classical language of the historic Florentine pharmacy through English-style furniture crafted entirely from solid linden wood, with joints handmade using traditional mortise-and-tenon techniques. The drawers feature classic dovetail joints, diamond-patterned bases and backs, while the patinated finishes are achieved through artisanal aging and wormhole techniques, completed with hand-applied beeswax. The white Carrara marble tops, hand semi-brushed and finished with a half-round moulded edge, dialogue with green combed-cotton velvets, recalling the atmosphere of Renaissance workshops where medicine and alchemy coexisted. The brass handles, produced using the ancient sand-casting technique, along with the coats of arms and lettering in genuine hand-applied gold leaf, reinforce the monumental character of the setting.
The result is an environment conceived as a true “cabinet of curiosities,” where history, materiality, and artisanal expertise merge into a highly scenographic installation, capable of enhancing the brand’s identity within one of the world’s most iconic retail contexts.