The Scandanavian countries of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway have long traditions of creating stunning objects for living. You can see how these techniques have evolved from their folk art roots into exceptional modern design pieces that have an innate sense of joy—a bit of warmth in a long, dark Nordic night.

Building off the momentum from Mollusk San Francisco, Chris Gentil and Michael Machemer decided to expand to the East Coast. With its congested streets and urban landscape, New York City isn’t considered a destination for surfers, but this didn’t deter Gentil and Machemer from setting up shop in Brooklyn.

Walking into Le Labo’s boutique on Elizabeth Street is a welcome antidote to the hard-selling atmosphere of any New York City department store’s fragrance section.