Cultiver Armadale
Among the historic buildings of High Street, Armadale, Cultiver’s new Melbourne store feels less like a retail space and more like an elegantly composed dwelling.
Joining the lifestyle brand’s line-up of existing Sydney boutiques in Mosman and Woollahra, the two-level store – designed by Studio Tali Roth – captures Cultiver’s ethos of simple, effortless luxury, where material richness and craftsmanship intertwine.
“The store was intentionally designed to reflect the spaces in a home, to create an easy flow that prompts discovery and exploration, where the product is the hero.”
“The store was intentionally designed to reflect the spaces in a home, to create an easy flow that prompts discovery and exploration, where the product is the hero,” says Cultiver’s general manager, Emily Thompson. That vision unfolds through a series of warm, inviting areas, from a light-filled retail floor to a moody styling suite upstairs.
Upon entry, clients are met with a custom metal suspension totem with hand-welded knots by Luke Le Sala, which symbolises and ties Cultiver’s aesthetic to the creative pulse of High Street. It’s paired with Studio Tali Roth’s hand-cast glass tables and a rug bearing the same knot motif, anchoring a brushed stainless-steel sales counter that doubles as a bedhead.
“Each element creates a sense of belonging to something special,” says interior designer Tali Roth. The outcome feels personal and well-crafted yet sophisticated – much like Cultiver’s linens.
The palette is layered and tactile throughout. A Scarpa-esque marble mosaic floor adds a hint of complexity, complemented by soft walnut shelving and brushed metal finishes. “It’s about creating a careful balance between rich textures that add layers of warmth and cosiness to the spaces while letting the essence of the product take centrestage,” explains Roth.
Towards the rear, the atmosphere shifts; honey-toned walls, a lowered ceiling, soft lighting and a built-in custom banquette donned with Cultiver cushions evoke the ease of a living room. “We take great pride in surprise and delight,” says Thompson. “Uncovering something special is both a joy and inspiring, and we believe the shopping experience should be just that. Each design feature is itself artfully crafted with intention, but with a beautiful simplicity.”
Continuing the journey upstairs, the styling suite lets customers explore different textures, layer pieces and experiment with ideas. With deep olive walls, woven sisal flooring, soft velvets and curated objects, the zone conveys a grounded, lived-in beauty. Roth calls it “a cocoon of tactility”, drawing on her time living in New York studio apartments to inform its sense of intimacy. For Thompson, it’s also a glimpse into the brand’s future: “Our retail stores offer more than just a place to purchase, they’re a place to engage, be creative and inspired.”
While textiles remain at the heart of Cultiver, Thompson notes the company has “expanded into new fabrications and products over the past 18 months to provide a more holistic offering”, spanning bedding, dining and living, plus accessories such as linen robes and bags. The store is designed to reflect that shift, giving each category room to breathe and showcasing how people can add Cultiver to any room in a home. In Armadale, that idea lands as a realistic expression of home, where design and materiality cleverly align.
