After months of passing the new Hermès flagship store on Rue de Sèvres (located in the 6ième arrondissement near St. Germain), I finally decided to stop and take a look inside.

So in doing my best to appear important and wealthy (large sunglasses, Blackberry in hand, avoiding eye contact, etc.) I waltzed in and took a peak.

As you enter the store, you realize pretty quickly that this is no ordinary space - converted from a 1935 art deco Lutetia indoor swimming pool, the store opened in December 2010, and is Hermès second largest store in the world, after Tokyo.

In addition to their usual fare of clothes, accessories (scarves of course), and saddles, this Hermès store also manages to fit in a tearoom, a gorgeous flower shop, a bookshop, and entire sections dedicated to housewares. I guess when you have three stories to work with, you might as well go hard or go home.

Below are a few photos I took, thanks to my trusty Blackberry - for more info and photos, check out these short pieces on the store from Travel Avenue and Wallpaper* Magazine.