Our Approach

At Marula Studio, every project begins with authentic connection, to people, place, and story. We believe that spaces should not only function beautifully but also reflect the heritage, colour, and character of the lives they serve. Our work celebrates pattern, culture, and individuality, weaving these elements together to create environments that feel deeply personal and genuinely lived in.

We’re known for our ability to optimise costs without compromising creativity, bringing clarity and efficiency to even the most complex projects. With a keen eye for colour harmony and bold pattern combinations, we take pride in balancing sophistication with personality. We’re never afraid of a challenge!

Every space we design is an invitation: to feel at ease, to feel inspired, and to see your most authentic self reflected in your surroundings.

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Reimagining the Hatfield Student Bank

In a digital-first banking world, the Hatfield branch set out to redefine what a student bank could be, transforming it from a transactional space into a creative and entrepreneurial hub.

The design invited students to experience the brand through community and collaboration, offering flexible spaces to work, meet, and launch their own ideas. A modular event area could easily shift from small study rooms to a presentation hall for student-led talks and exhibitions, ensuring the space evolved with its users.

In partnership with local artists, the bank’s walls became a gallery, celebrating emerging talent and reinforcing its connection to the community. A coffee shop and incubation hub completed the ecosystem, making it a place to connect, create, and grow, becoming a space that empowered the next generation of entrepreneurs while bringing the brand’s values to life.

Redefining Private Banking Suites

As part of the bank’s broader corporate evolution, the private banking suites were re-envisioned to align with the new brand identity and deliver an elevated, multifunctional client experience.

These spaces were integrated into the retail floor, consolidating the bank’s footprint while maintaining a distinct sense of exclusivity and calm. The design balanced privacy with accessibility, positioning the suites as flexible, elegant environments for both business and relationship-building beyond traditional banking needs.

Evolving the Brand Story

This project refined the retail new corporate identity with a focus on scalability, cost-efficiency, and clarity across the bank’s branch network. We developed three distinct design models to serve different market segments and operational needs:

Industrial Model: Durable, high-traffic design for bustling branches with heavier customer flow.
Light Model: A cost-conscious, adaptable version suited to mid-size and suburban branches.
Full Model: The premium, flagship expression of the brand, complete with private banking suites and high-end finishes.

Together, these models created a flexible design framework that allowed each branch to reflect the same brand essence, tailored to its context.

Creating Space for Collaboration

The office redesign focused on optimising layout and creating a more human, connected work environment. We rethought how employees meet, collaborate, and recharge, incorporating more engaging staffrooms, informal lounges, and client-facing meeting spaces.

The outcome was a workspace that supports productivity and wellbeing, reflecting the same brand values experienced by clients: thoughtful, efficient, and community-oriented.

Bedford Gardens Retail Bank

This concept branch served as a pilot for a new operating model, reimagining how a retail bank could function and feel. The design took its cues from Bedford Gardens’ local history and community, creating a meaningful connection between the brand and its customers.

The space celebrates South African heritage, from textiles and patterns that reflect the region’s diverse culture, to steel details referencing the area’s mining and railway legacy during the gold rush era.

The result is a branch that feels warm, familiar, and rooted in place, balancing heritage and modern function. It offers an environment that feels like home, comfortable and welcoming, all while supporting enhanced service delivery and operational efficiency.

Rosebank Retail & Private Bank

An evolution of the Bedford Gardens concept, the Rosebank branch further refined the balance between brand storytelling and practical design. Building on the foundation of heritage and warmth, this iteration introduced stronger branding elements, richer colours, and a more streamlined, cost-effective fit-out.

Designed to serve both retail and private clients, the branch expresses the brand’s growth, more confident, more vibrant, yet equally grounded in authenticity. It reflects an ongoing journey of adaptation: honouring connection to community while embracing efficiency and progress.