Dustin and the team at Oamaru Stone were delighted to be involved in the recent refit of the Untouched World flagship store in Roydvale Ave.

Founded by Peri Drysdale in 1996, Untouched World is an internationally recognised brand that consciously eschews ‘fast fashion’ for timeless, stylish pieces that can be worn year after year. Every garment that leaves their stores is designed with intention and made with sustainable fibres that tread lightly on the planet, so when we were asked to collaborate in the design of their new-look store it was a no-brainer.

Lucinda Le Heron and the design team from Gezellig Interiors in Rotorua put a great deal of thought into the detail and the materials used in the new design, and we think you’ll agree that the results are absolutely stunning.

Creative Director, Lucinda le Heron says that the ‘timeless beauty” of Oamaru Stone made it the ideal material for their flagship store. Carefully curated to be understated, restful and welcoming, the new interior’s earthy palette of clay, sand, slate and bronze is the perfect accompaniment to our organic limestone cladding, as is the ethos of the company: sustainable, renewable materials that are kind to the planet and stand the test of time.

Renouncing the sleek minimalism that typifies so many retail outlets around Christchurch, this glorious interior features “spaces to rest, organic shapes, draped slubby textures, and subtle details” that will see customers spending as much time browsing the store itself as they do the clothes.

We are especially proud of the textured counter which has been deliberately left in its rawest state, the rough hewn face making it appear as if it has been hauled in one piece directly from the earth and set onto the floor.

The counter was created by our friends Kris and Stuart from Pinnacle Masonry, along with the extraordinary curved centrepiece (pictured) which is made up of 16 different stones seamlessly fitted together. The frame for this sculpture was designed by the maestros at Douglas Furniture in Christchurch, who created the body from MDF before sending us the CNC programme for the cladding, allowing us to cut the stones precisely to plan with our state of the art fabricating machine.

Kris is the first to admit that working on the table was ‘challenging’ as the stones we cut for him were very thin and delicate, but we reckon the result of this collaboration between designer, stonemason and fabricator is an absolute masterpiece.