The Chalk Room

Bright lights, white walls and a clinical atmosphere might be the norm for high end fashion, but in East London traditional menswear shop Hostem of Redchurch Street have gone in the opposite direction.

Design studio James Plumb was commissioned to turn the subterranean portion of the menswear shop into a unique and dimly lit bespoke space befitting the mood of the specialist pieces they wish to show there. It’s not just the calming lighting and woody tones that mark it out, but also the baffling furniture - including a sofa with what seems to be a table growing organically out of its centre and a wardrobe permanently on the verge of collapse. Unusual items abound, including an antique Wurlitzer harp case and a repurposed pig transport crate.

The entire effect leaves the Chalk Room looking more like a set from one of London’s many immersive theatre productions than a high street store, and it’s well worth a visit for the aesthetic alone.