Kick Pleat is a clothing, shoes, and accessories boutique. The primary request from the client was that the retail space needed to be “on brand”. Her fashion aesthetic is neutral, natural, and subtle. In response, the materials palette includes white stucco, white oak paneling, concrete tiles, blackened steel, marble, and copper and brass accents to complement this aesthetic.
Project Name: Kick Pleat
Studio Name: Chioco Design
Completion Date: 2016
Location: Austin, United States
Photography: Lars Frazer
The space was an existing retail building but was completely re-envisioned with an extensive exterior and interior renovation. Transparency was created by installing large expanses of display windows, which draw the attention of passersby and cars waiting at the busy intersection. The exterior finish is a white stucco that is applied in various finishes, further emphasizing the brand’s rich but neutral palette.
To emphasize texture, there is a mix of white-on-white stucco with smooth, medium and heavy textures that vary across planes. Custom fixtures we fabricated by local craftsmen. They lean against the perimeter walls and are held in place by heavy, rough marble blocks. These racks provide a solid, raw counterpoint to the refined plaster walls on which they lean.
The sales counter and jewelry displays create strong rectilinear marble volumes that are cantilevered out from white oak bases. The shoe displays also form a strong presence with their stepped surfaces of varying heights. With smooth stucco finishes, they are an extension of the adjacent walls.
The introduction of natural light was paramount to the design. The existing building’s length presented the need for new windows and skylights to provide as much natural light as possible while also keeping the lighting balanced, to avoid glare.
