How did the concept for Picnicka come about?

Summer Bishop (SB): Our clients wanted to create a space where their guests could “graze and play”, so it needed to feel relaxed and at home but elevated enough to complement the restaurant’s excellent food and beverage offering. Essentially, all the fun of the traditional, long, relaxed European picnic was to be combined with the comfort and elegance of a modern restaurant.

We wanted an underlying alfresco feeling, outdoorsy yet sophisticated, and an environment where you’d feel comfortable popping in for a morning coffee or brunch, as well as for dinner and cocktails in the evening.

How did this narrative translate into your design and chosen materials?

SB: Natural materials were used throughout, often in very playful ways.

We used rattan in our custom light fittings, bread trays, chairs and the maître d’ station, in a nod to the traditional picnic basket, and checked patterning in the ceiling design and soft furnishings alludes to the picnic blanket.

The four-metre-high dried-flower wall transports guests directly to a European meadow and a warm palette, including cream, rattan, timber, red brick, travertine flooring, charcoal-stained timber and tiled archways, creates cosy spaces for guests to enjoy from day to night.

Soft furnishings were kept within neutral tones (cream, charcoal and terracotta) and we used natural-looking fabrics for understated luxury. Puddle-shaped rugs and tabletops add a casual atmosphere, encouraging guests to lean in to conversation in a more intimate setting.

What sustainable initiatives were factored into the project?

SB: All of the bricks are reclaimed, each brick sliced into thinner slip bricks to create the sense of expanse without wasting a huge amount of product. And almost all of the materials are natural, including timber and recycled cocoahusk marmoleum tabletops. 

Tell us about your fabric choices.

SB: Warwick has the best range of natural-looking, commercially rated fabrics and we like to use them whenever we can.

For Picnicka, we wanted fabrics that would reference the quintessential checked picnic blanket so we chose Arlington Onyx for our plush, custom-made upholstered chairs. Its contrasting soft cream and charcoal pattern is incredibly eye-catching. It feels like natural linen but is, in fact, an appropriate Halo easycare fabric for restaurant seating.

The banquette on the fully covered walkway is Grasmere Paprika, another reference to the classic picnic rug. Here, we needed a bit more warmth from the fabric and the terracotta colour, blended with the natural linen look, has the perfect tone for the space.

Picnicka was the 2023 Interior Awards Hospitality Award winner. Read about it here

See more in the Material Focus series, including inspiration from Gulf Rise by Urban Lounge, SemiCreative’s Seven restaurant, Cachet Group’s 205Q Hive and Lobby and more, here.

ArchitectureNow and Architecture NZ work with a range of partners in the A&D supply sector to create appropriate content for the site. This article has been supported by Warwick Fabrics.

If your brand or clients are interested in similar creative content email mark.lipman@agm.co.nz to enquire.