Fit for purpose
A new chapter for Città in Christchurch.
Città’s newly reimagined Merivale store is more than just an expansion: it offers an elevated retail experience. The freshly renovated space has been carefully designed to showcase Città’s products while creating a welcoming environment for customers.
Located on Papanui Road in the heart of Merivale, the store’s new fitout was a collaboration between Città designer David Moreland and Alexander Wastney of award- winning design studio Designwell. The pair have previously worked together, bringing an established creative partnership and shared understanding of retail design to the project.
For David, the expanded premises was a chance to consider the way the brand’s products are experienced in-store.
“With the Merivale expansion, we doubled the footprint. Moving into a larger format store is always an opportunity to showcase our ever-growing collection of textiles, accessories, furniture and lighting in the best possible way,” he explains. “We want our locations to function as both a retail store and a showroom.”
Central to the redesign was a desire to transform the atmosphere into something softer, more inviting, while strengthening the store’s street presence. One seemingly simple change was transformative: painting the existing galvanised ceiling white.
“It may not sound like a major change,” says David, “but it proved to be one of the most impactful improvements to the interior.” The result is a bright, airy showroom. Soft hues, bespoke fixtures and carefully considered displays allow the products to take centre stage, while dedicated consultation areas offer customers the opportunity to personalise pieces with expert guidance from the Città team.
Alexander describes the design process as one of refinement rather than reinvention. The existing store had polished concrete floors, crisp walls and floor-to-ceiling glazing, providing a strong foundation to build on.
“A big part of the design process was simply editing the existing finishes within the building and carefully layering in display platforms, allowing Città to be its confident, considered, yet understated self.”
Striking sculptural limestone-clad counters are focal points, anchoring each end of the showroom. Introduced to bring warmth and texture to the space, the natural material was carefully selected to complement the finishes found in Città’s product collections.
Another standout feature is a custom adaptation of the brand’s popular Craft Cabinet, which runs the length of the store, and serves as both storage and display. Originally launched as part of the Craft collection in 2022, the modular installation highlights the functionality and versatility of the range while helping customers visualise how the pieces might work within their own homes.
Light-filled, welcoming and functional, the updated Merivale store offers Christchurch customers an experience that feels distinctly Città.
Visit the store at 12 Papanui Road in Merivale.
