Kind Curations
Elegant and subtle aren’t typically words that come to mind when we think of the Gold Coast. But a new retail fitout designed by Knight Wilson in collaboration with Chloe Naughton presents a clear idea based on just two materials.
Knight Wilson with Chloe Naughton
There can be a lot of unknowns in establishing a new bricks-andmortar retail business: How much storage and display space is required? How to cater for an evolving product offering? How to allow for potential expansion? When designing the fitout of Kind Curations, Chloe Naughton and Daniel Wilson addressed these unknowns with a modular design that allowed for flexibility and adaptation. The design is based on one strong idea and two materials replicated in multiple ways, and it has allowed the founders of Kind Curations, Kasey Attard and Sam Treffers, to grow their homewares, fashion and accessories business in a cost- and time-effective way.
Attard and Treffers established Kind Curations in 2017 after contemplating a retail venture for several years. They took the leap when the boutique retail complex Cornerstone Stores opened on the Gold Coast and engaged Sydney-based architect Chloe Naughton for the design. Naughton brought Gold Coast resident Wilson on board as he knew the site, context and local contacts.
Attard and Treffers’ quick decision meant a ten-week turnaround for the design and fitout. They wanted a simple, flexible interior that would allow them to expand the business and evolve the product offering as required. It also needed to align with Attard and Treffers’ ideology of promoting brands and artists who operate in a responsible, sustainable manner.
Following the rapid success of Kind Curations, Attard and Treffers expanded their twenty-square-metre tenancy by taking out the wall between the adjacent shop to double the space. With a six-week turnaround for the fitout, Naughton and Wilson re-used all the original elements and designed new components as needed.
The interior of Kind Curations is composed of modular elements made with birch plywood and radiata pine dowel. The materials present a subtle and tactile backdrop that complements the aesthetics and ethos of the products for sale. Standard material sizes streamlined the construction process and minimized waste, and the moveability of elements allowed for expansion and evolution, and reduced the cost and time of increasing the tenancy size.
Ground-level drawer boxes and overhead shelving provide storage and display space around the walls of Kind Curations. Various-sized boxes are used as plinths for objects in the storefront windows, and the point-of-sale counter and merchandising table have trays and drawers to support different retail functions and product offerings. The dowel detail continues throughout the store and serves different purposes, depending on the function of the joinery component. It is used as a clothing rail around the walls; as drawer pulls on storage boxes; as shelf supports for the bookcases and to prop up artwork; as clothing hooks in the changing rooms; and as crossbars on the stool and stepladder.
The joinery visually warms and softens the concrete floor and ceiling of the Cornerstone Stores base build, which offers a view through the front windows of cascading greenery and cafe seating. Suiting the coastal location and indoor-outdoor subtropical design, Kind Curations has a relaxed and beachy atmosphere. As Attard and Treffers continue to develop their business, the modular design of the fitout has the ability to respond to all the knowns and unknowns. A
“The materials present a subtle and tactile backdrop that complements the aesthetics and ethos of the products for sale.”
Project —
Kind Curations Cornerstone Stores 570 Gold Coast Highway Tugun Qld 4224 kindcurations.com
Design practice —
Knight Wilson in collaboration with Chloe Naughton
Knight Wilson knightwilson.com.au
Chloe Naughton chloenaughton.com.au
Project team —
Daniel Wilson, Chloe Naughton
Time schedule —
Design, documentation: 2 months Construction: 1.5 weeks