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Steve Hunter ArchitectThe interior design of Molten Store is a lesson in keeping your brand image uncompromising when entering new territory. The Brisbane-based jewelery boutique has carved out a unique niche and earned a reputation through ethically sourcing, recycling, repairing and crafting high-end sustainable jewellery. A key requirement for the brand’s latest retail interior was to convey these qualities within a shopping mall environment.
The brand started as a humble online store and later expanded into a stand-alone boutique on James Street. Recent growth has seen the brand open a second bricks-and-mortar store in Chermside’s Westfield shopping centre, marking its shift from street retail to department stores.
The essence of Molten Store is to provide a personalized and customized service that is different from the typical retail experience. Introducing a boutique into a shopping mall requires in-depth consideration of the customer’s brand image and values. Project architect Steve Hunter said the client chose early in the design process to “embed” and maintain the store’s defining character rather than sacrifice to fit in with the new surroundings.
The internal layout is a key differentiator of Molten Store from its competitors. “We didn’t want the layout to look like a typical jewelry store, where there’s a distinct ‘us versus them’ dynamic with servers on one side of the counter and customers on the other,” Hunter said. The space feels shared.”
The aim of this floor plan was to create a “guided experience” where customers would be immediately welcomed, while also allowing them the freedom to explore and browse items without having to ask for permission. The circular floor plan is integrated with a central island and seating nook for personalized appointments. The circular plane enhances store flow, ensuring better access for customers with trolleys or prams, and allows staff to visually monitor activity without feeling intrusive. Seating nooks are cleverly concealed within the central island, providing clients with privacy when considering purchases and discussing bespoke jewellery.
Products are primarily displayed in raised cabinets on the walls of the store. Hunter explains that this tactic is employed strategically to position the product within the customer’s line of sight. “In a jewelry store, you usually look down at the products displayed below the counter, but we wanted to elevate the products and make them more visible,” he said.
“One of the challenges of displaying jewelery is that it is often only a few centimeters in size, which makes it difficult for people to visually interact with the product unless they look at it up close. For us, as designers, it is important to make these Products are placed close to the eye, and they are grouped into smaller areas based on the specificity of the product; for example, certain stones are grouped together.” Hunter continues: “The lighting design was also well thought out, especially the brightness contrast of the space. We lit and brightened the wall units to make them stand out from their surroundings, directing attention to the product display.”
The soft tones used throughout the book further highlight the jewelry while also providing the ideal backdrop for seasonal merchandise rotation and holiday decorations.
Narratives of mineral “erosion” are intertwined with the materiality of the store to reference the origins of the stone. Hunter explains that the walls, floors and lower portions of the cabinets are clad in a unique micro-cement material that symbolizes “heavy elements that erode over time, while the finished white upper volume is more neutral”. , contrasting elements,” he said.
“We envisioned the cabinetry as a heavy element that would erode over time, revealing jewels through the slight erosion of the solid landscape. It was a loose concept that evolved throughout the design process.” The vision, Hunter explained, was to wrap the product in a lustrous material. Layers of solid, heavy materials such as microcement are replaced by shinier finishes, such as polished cappuccino onyx tops and brass and polished stone inside the drawer units.
Hunter said the design approach required a delicate balance between creating a fun atmosphere and not straying too far from the accepted retail aesthetic. The aim was to ensure that the space was clearly defined by its merchandise to prevent customers from being distracted by interior details.
The end result is a design that breaks away from the repetitive nature of jewelry stores often seen in shopping mall complexes, which Hunter describes as “a clutter of products everywhere.” Instead, Molten Store achieves a quieter, more considered aesthetic. It’s elegant and charming yet easy to navigate.
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