Minimally Calm – Viktoria and Woods Chadstone by Golden

Sitting in contrast to its animated surrounds, Viktoria and Woods Chadstone is a welcoming place of calm. Part of a growing collaboration, the store is the third that Golden has designed for the iconic Australian brand, drawing on a key ethos of simplicity and timelessness.

As a brand born and bred in Melbourne, celebrating Viktoria and Woods’ expansion through their new flagship store in Chadstone seems fitting. The project sees the culmination of clarity and vision for Viktoria and Woods in its own hero physical space. The space is imagined as an immersive escape from the trappings of traditional retail and acts as a window into the essence underpinning the brand – that of simplicity and calm. The resulting space utilises a deliberately restrained approach in bringing spatial elements together and showcasing key products. Through emphasising a modern and luxurious approach, elevated details and beautifully curated insertions help Golden to showcase the brand in its truest and most beautifully adorned form.

The surrounding interior walls share a consistent and subtle texture, finished in stucco, allowing the soft light to reflect a rippled affect and cast interesting linear shadows. Smoother surfaces then act as a counterbalance and become their own feature within the space.

Built by Yarra Valley Commercial, Viktoria and Woods Chadstone is the result of a journey between designer and client. Having previously designed two destination spaces for Viktoria and Woods, Golden is attuned to the needs of the brand and how the spaces are an opportunity to capture both context and the ethos of the brand. A palette of muted and softened finishes and textures encases the space, which together with soft and concealed lighting ensure the space feels both refined and effortless. From the open shopfront, the experience begins through a clear connection to the internal display, as the entire store becomes its own display. The surrounding interior walls share a consistent and subtle texture, finished in stucco, allowing the soft light to reflect a rippled effect and cast interesting linear shadows. Smoother surfaces then act as a counterbalance and become their own feature within the space.

Crowning the space is the central counter moment where a monolithic stone form emerges from its plush carpet underfoot. It sits in contrast to the soft flowing garments and is a beckoning gesture where the main interaction occurs. Symmetry is used to infuse a formal sensibility and to allow for a free flowing of movement within the space. The rails are hung deliberately minimally off the walls to further enhance the gallery aesthetic. The lightweight nature of select items against the more statement and heavier permanent insertions then creates a natural hierarchy within the space. The strong European influence is translated in many ways, as is a connection to local and to the handmade, with several custom furniture and art pieces included throughout.

From the open shopfront, the experience begins through a clear connection to the internal display, as the entire store becomes its own display.

Viktoria and Woods Chadstone offers a quiet reprieve and aims to bring an element of understated glamour back to the retail environs. Through a carefully crafted restraint, Golden has created an introspective sanctuary from which to indulge in the world of Viktoria and Woods.