Originating in Mount Maunganui in 2021, the contemporary furniture and homewares brand is extending its Auckland reach with a new showroom in Takapuna.
The beachy north shore suburb is a great fit, with stylish but relaxed design that prioritses clean lines, natural materials and earthy, grounding tones.
It’s referred to as a showroom, but almost everything is available to purchase on site. The majority of pieces are from Kayu Studio alongside a complementary selection of other like-minded brands.
The spacious store on Takapuna’s Hurstmere Road shopping strip is Kayu Studio’s second Auckland location, following the opening of its Grey Lynn showroom in October 2024, which helped establish the brand’s presence in the city.
It also operates a large showroom and retail space in Mount Maunganui and even an Airbnb set up with the brand’s wares.
The brand’s refined wooden furniture and homewares are designed by an in-house team and crafted by skilled makers in Indonesia, where founder James Mitchell spends part of the year. The collection reflects the close relationships he has built with these artisans, with hand-finished surfaces, traditional joinery and intricate weaving techniques defining its ever-evolving range.
Mitchell’s aesthetic works well with Kiwi lifestyles, it’s streamlined but not spare. He has described his inspiration as mixing minimal Danish design with simplistic Japanese influences, but it has a life and energy that feels akin with local desires.
The new Takapuna space makes it easy to soak up that approach and imagine each piece living at your place, set up to feel like stepping into a home rather than a retail environment.
Mitchell says after five years, he feels like Kayu Studio has found a clear sense of direction and a quiet confidence in its own aesthetic.
‘It’s always been about making pieces we’re genuinely proud to put our name to, that are not only beautiful, but built to last,” he says. “In the early years there was a lot of learning, but now we can say every piece in our collection has earned its place.”
Warm wood pieces made from teak are a highlight, as are the marble homewares such as bowls, trays and incense holders. As for the ultimate gift selection? We hear the cream and terracotta marble chess set keeps selling out, such is its popularity as a living space showpiece.
Kayu Studio‘s Takapuna showroom opens to the public from Friday, June 5 2026.
