Malin + Goetz’s new San Francisco store pairs sustainability with simplicity

Green Grocers

By Siska Lyssens • Originally published as an Online Feature

What with the founders of Malin + Goetz, Matthew Malin, and Andrew Goetz, having cut their teeth in the beauty and design industry respectively, it’s no wonder that their products, as well as their retail environments, are conceived with the purest aesthetic considerations in mind.

The clean lines of the timber shelving and lighting echo each other in their geometric simplicity. (Eric Laignel)

The New York-based skincare label’s minimalist packaging—bright colored lettering against a stark white background—is utilitarian with a modern flourish, a signature style they’ve extrapolated to the brand’s stores.

For their new San Francisco outpost, Malin + Goetz called upon Bernheimer Architecture, the Brooklyn firm the duo previously entrusted with the design of their home office in Manhattan and their first Los Angeles store.

Wooden apothecary cabinetry and white furnishings complement each other in the minimal retail space. (Eric Laignel)

Malin + Goets’ signature bright coloured packaging livens up as stark white wall. (Eric Laignel)

“Malin +Goetz have always asked us for simple responses,” principal Andrew Bernheimer explained. “A modern and thoughtful approach that allows their products and the design of their products to remain legible.”

Inside, the simple geometric scheme draws the eye toward the depth of the store. (Eric Laignel)

The straightforward rectangular shape of the floor plan meant that an uncomplicated scheme could be achieved with relatively few interventions: a necessity due to budget restraints and the age of the premises. For instance, some of the surfaces could not be removed. To maximize space, simple shelving with reduced depth resulted in an unencumbered shop floor concept.

The cross-laminated timber shelving runs all along one side of the retail space. (Eric Laignel)

To achieve this, Bernheimer turned to a sustainable solution: mass engineered timber, which is used all along the wall of display shelving. “We saw an opportunity to use this renewable resource and play with the manufacturing process of cross-laminated timber,” he added.

A minimal storefront with Malin + Goetz’s signature lettering beckons customers in. (Eric Laignel)

The store’s floor plan shows its straightforward rectangular shape with minimal interventions. (Courtesy Bernheimer Architecture)

This solution, along with “a lovely and simple geometric scheme relying on single lines of light to draw one’s eye into the depth of the store,” by Flux Studio, creates an effective retail presence for Malin + Goetz—seamlessly suited to the brand’s design vocabulary.

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