In honor of the 25th anniversary of Tiffany & Co.’s San Francisco flagship, the whole store has undergone a glittering expansion and renovation. Walk up to the renewed Tiffany location in the heart of Union Square and you’ll face towering glass windows reminiscent of Art Deco skyscrapers. They are grand enough to impress and to get a long look inside, where new starry lighting beautifully illuminates a series of bespoke salons, including those for engagements, haute joaillerie, and watches. Look up and you’ll see a sparkling second-floor mezzanine that now overlooks the entire foyer. What’s more, this will apparently be the first Tiffany store to debut an outdoor space: an exclusive terrace with seating and green shrubbery that VIPs will have access to. On the occasion of the reopening, Haute Living sat down with Tom Carroll, Tiffany & Co. vice president for the Northwest, to talk about the reinvigorated space.
What excites you most about the redesign?
Throughout our 50-plus-year history of Tiffany & Co. serving the San Francisco community, we have had the opportunity and privilege to grow a pretty significant business, which of course means more customers in our store at one time. The new design is much more spacious and allows for a more intimate environment for our clients to consider a beautiful Tiffany & Co. piece of jewelry as they celebrate the most important occasions of their lives. It is a more luxurious space and allows us to be more attentive. Most important, our multimillion-dollar renovation of the entire space provides an opportunity for us to say thank you to all of our clients for their generous support.
Why separate the store into a series of rooms?
We feel that the room configuration gives us the best opportunity to present important collections in a focused environment. We now have a beautiful new bridal-jewelry salon on the second floor adjacent to an outdoor patio, and we’ve never had the opportunity to present our iconic Tiffany & Co. diamond engagement rings in natural light. We’re also excited about presenting our Tiffany watch collection in a salon designed especially to complement these exquisite timepieces. Plus, we’re really excited about having the proper environment to mark the return of high jewelry to the San Francisco market.
What distinguishes the San Francisco market from other cities?
San Francisco is a city that’s rich in tradition yet acknowledged as one of the most progressive cities in the world. Our city is home to some of the most admired and important arts institutions in the world (SF Opera, SF Symphony, SF Ballet, SFMOMA) and home to some of the world’s largest and most innovative tech companies. The natural beauty of the City by the Bay and its substantial environmental attributes make it a place like no other.
What are some of your favorite Tiffany & Co. pieces?
I’m really excited about pieces by Francesca Amfitheatrof, Tiffany’s design director [since September 2013]. And I’m particularly fond of the Tiffany T and Victoria collections as well as our new watch collection.
What’s next for Tiffany & Co. in San Francisco?
We have the privilege of helping people mark their most important occasions and celebrations. That never gets old. And every day, the very talented people I have the great honor of working with come to work determined to prove that we deserve our clients’ trust. There is nothing more exciting than having a bird’s-eye view of a marriage proposal, the arrival of a child, the celebration of a job promotion, or a special birthday or anniversary. These things will always be what’s next for Tiffany & Co.
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