New Zealand-based soft furnishings house Baya, owned by 86-year-old textile specialist Furtex, is opening its first Australian showroom. Australian Design Review takes a closer look. 

Laid out like an open gallery, where every display serves as its own unique artwork, the newly opened studio of New Zealand-based producer of rugs, cushions and throws, Baya occupies a prime location in one of Melbourne’s most enterprising postcodes. 

Situated in the thriving inner-city suburb of Richmond, home to the Victorian state capital’s bustling tech scene, the new Baya showroom represents a major leap into new territory for the storied producer of premium soft furnishings. 

Baya’s open-plan showroom allows guests to freely navigate the space

Presenting customers with an open-plan space with floor-to-ceiling windows on the Yorkshire Street side, the new showroom will feature a permanent display of more than 200 unique cushion designs, 100 rugs and 60 throws.

Owned by legacy manufacturer Furtex, established in 1939, Baya pays tribute to their 86-year journey in textiles, to create a soft furnishings brand that fuses classic New Zealand design and traditional craftsmanship. Given the artistry and detail in each handcrafted piece, Baya’s new showroom is designed to serve as both a functional studio and a curated display space.

New York-style arts experience in trendy Melbourne suburb

Launching in the Australian market in 2022, and following a successful appearance at the Melbourne Design Show 2023, the need for a centrally located showroom to serve their growing Melbourne-centric customer base was deemed essential.

Baya’s full range of soft furnishings on display throughout the store, all easily visible and accessible

“We had a makeshift showroom set up in our Tullamarine Warehouse, which location-wise was a challenge, and it really didn’t allow us to tell the Baya story,” says director of sales Sam Heath.

Now equipped with a new space to engage directly with the studio’s most engaged Australian clientele, Baya sought to present its artisanal hand-crafted products as pieces deserving of close attention and considered appreciation.

Seeking the intimate, invitational feel of an art gallery, inspiration came from StudioStudio creative director Sebastian Negri following a trip to New York. The city’s numerous galleries and arts centres proved a rich source of influence upon the overarching vision of the Baya showroom redesign. 

“From an interior architectural perspective, I envisioned this space to be experienced as an art gallery,” Negri says. “Every detail, from the sliding structures to the plinths and rug library, was designed to be interacted with, similar to the behaviour that clients would have while curating art.”

Large windows flanking the wall of the new studio bathe the interior in deluges of natural light

Open-ended exploration and brand-led design elements

By removing doorways and walled partitions, the new Baya studio is open to exploration with no immediate focal points that could overwhelm the browsing experience.

The space is airy, adorned with a moving full-size rug wall; a bespoke rug sample library; wool details throughout as a nod to their appreciation of the noble fibre; and all finished with elegant pieces by Tim Webber Design furniture, the latter providing a live testing ground for styling ideas and concepts to be brought to life.

“Each piece is treated as a work of art, inviting clients to contemplate and engage with the products in a carefully curated space,” says Negri of the Richmond location.

Display monitors and seating areas allow customers to visualise their design projects and personal spaces with Baya products

Previously the home of Melbourne design studio Hecker Guthrie, the building was completely repurposed following its acquisition by Baya, yet still maintained the building’s heritage aesthetics and foundational structure. The polished concrete floors remain, now stripped of walls and doorframes and fully exposed in the building’s latest incarnation as a unique showroom-studio setup. 

“We’re exceptionally proud of the space that Sebastian’s created,” says Heath. “Having worked with him on other projects over the years, we knew the space and brand would be in good hands. He’s delivered on that promise and we’re incredibly excited to be open in Richmond.”

Photography by Shannon McGrath.

Sign up for a Baya Trade Account today, or make an appointment with our Showroom Manager Darren Brown.