Where perfume meets the printed page

Autumn is the season for reading again, and for noticing how home smells. Livingetc's lifestyle editor has found two shops that bring those pleasures together.

In London, Aesop's Fragrant Fables Library marks 21 years of the brand's fragrances, and it's open at Aesop Regent Street until 4 October. Poems inspired by the stories behind each scent hang from the ceiling, and the brand has revived its 2014 Nasothèque idea: you can have your nose cast in ceramic as a keepsake. Four more London stores each take on one fragrance with their own set design, from giant nose sculptures in Seven Dials to telescopes at Duke of York Square. Perfumer Céline Barel describes the collection as a mix of nature and poetry.

In Paris, Astier de Villatte has opened a perfume and stationery shop at 171 Rue Saint-Honoré. Its bespoke notebooks share the Art Deco-style shelves with white-glazed ceramics, candles and perfumes. With chequered floors, cream wooden cabinets and chandeliers, it feels more like a grand private library than a shop. The newest scent, Tanger, part of its travel-inspired Destination collection, blends bergamot, maté, musk and citrus.

Both are good reminders that the best shops feel like somewhere you'd happily spend an afternoon.

Our summary of a story from Livingetc, published 27 September 2026. Read the original