Bringing warmth and continuity to Kookai’s retail experience
Project - Kookai Canberra Boutique
Location - Canberra, ACT
Product Used - HW32106 Clicwall Bruges 10mm Panel | HW3279 Bruges 18mm Panel | HW3225 Bruges 0.7mm Laminate
Designer - Kookai
Builder - Emac Constructions
Photographer - Elisa Watson Photography
For a fashion label like Kookai, the store experience begins long before a customer reaches the fitting room. Every material, finish and detail within the store is an extension of the brand itself and plays a vital role in how customers feel the moment they step inside.
Bringing the brand to life
As one of Australia’s most recognised fashion labels, when designing their new store in Canberra, the brief called for a natural-looking finish that would align with the brand’s polished, feminine and contemporary retail vision.
It needed to feel warm and elevated, while also being practical enough for a busy retail environment and consistent enough to support the rollout across multiple stores.
Havwoods’ RealGrain system offers the ideal solution, bringing the character, look, and feel of natural timber into the space with the durability, flexibility, and continuity required for commercial retail design.
A material palette with warmth and polish
One of the most successful features of the project was the way the RealGrain products integrated with the gold trims and accents throughout the store. Creating a warm, natural foundation on the walls, the RealGrain panels pair nicely with the metallic detailing, adding a sense of understated luxury.
Extending the warmth and texture within the palette is the introduction of travertine tiles on the floor and the impressive natural marble sales counter.
One finish across multiple applications
This project required a variety of applications of our RealGrain system throughout the store as a complete project solution. Including our ClicWall panels, 0.7mm laminate and 18mm panels each selected for its specific application while maintaining a seamless visual story.
This shows the value of the complete RealGrain system. With panels, ClicWall, laminate, veneer, edge banding and matching profiles, the same timber-look can be used across walls, cabinetry, display areas, and detailed joinery elements.
For Kookai, the continuity of their brand matters, with the goal of having stores feel connected, recognisable and consistent, even when layouts or applications vary.
Havwoods’ RealGrain system made it possible to achieve cohesion without compromising on performance or installation efficiency.
Designed for retail
While the look and feel of RealGrain were central to the design outcome, the practical benefits were just as important. Ease of installation was a key reason for specifying the product, particularly with the ClicWall product, designed for fast installation.
RealGrain also offers strong resistance to scratches, impact, stains and fading, making it well suited to high-use interiors where finishes need to keep looking refined over time.
A collaborative specification experience
The success of the project also came down to support. The team needed a product that could meet different technical and design requirements, along with the service that made specifications easier. Havwoods was able to provide guidance, answer questions, and ongoing support.
A retail space that feels distinctly on brand
The finished Kookai environment feels warm, cohesive and truly elevated, that highlights the collection and offers the ultimate shopping experience in the heart of the city.
Explore the RealGrain collection or speak with the Havwoods team to create a seamless material story for your next retail project.