Material Focus: Walker Mitchell

Kirsty Mitchell is the designer and co-director of Walker Mitchell, the Auckland-based interiors firm behind the Fabric Bistro in Hobsonville Point. In this collaboration with Warwick Fabrics, Mitchell talks to us about what inspires her material choices.

The interiors of Fabric Bistro in Hobsonville Point was designed by Walker Mitchell.

Fabric Bistro was built in an ex-army textile warehouse. Did this heritage inform your design and material choices? If so, how?

Kirsty Mitchell (KM): The character of the building informed our design. We left as much of the masonry and structure exposed as possible. We kept the palette generally neutral so the spatial emphasis was on texture rather than on pattern and colour.

There can be a coldness to former industrial spaces. What tips do you have for turning something like this into a soft and inviting hospitality interior?

KM: All of the introduced elements are aesthetically soft and warm to counteract the industrial character of the building – warm timber and brass hues, with honed stone textures and soft fabrics.

You have used linens, drapes, handwoven pendants, and soft textiles on cushions and seating booths. Tell us about the qualities that you needed from these materials (be it technical, aesthetic or anything else).

KM: We were looking for soft, natural textures and colours to be juxtaposed against the building’s steel and masonry. The seating is in a soft, luxurious, velvet-style fabric that is nice to the touch but hard-wearing and performs well in hospitality settings. The linen drapes help break down the large warehouse space into smaller zones.

How did you arrive at the textile materials that you selected? What are your starting points and how does that journey and process work?

KM: Our starting point was to create a warm, comfortable environment in an open, industrial space. We selected fabrics based on neutral aesthetics, softness of touch, durability and appropriateness for hospitality, and cost.

This mood board, created from Warwick Fabrics samples, is inspired by the Fabric Bistro specifications and features products perfectly suited to a high-traffic hospitality environment. From left to right: Beachcomber Smoke; Lovely Coal; Augustus Ecru; Component Pebble; Fletcher Bark; Augustus Midnight; Augustus Grey; Lovely Ochre; Lustrell Allure Chai. Image: Toaki Okano; styled by Thomas Cannings

ArchitectureNow works with a range of partners in the A&D supply sector to source appropriate content for the site. This article has been supported by Warwick Fabrics.