Inside Obakki's Custom Loom Installation at Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas
How Obakki partnered with Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas to create a resort-wide artisan design program anchored by a 175-foot custom woven installation.
There is a moment when guests enter the lobby of Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas and instinctively look up.
Suspended overhead, a 175-foot handwoven textile installation stretches across the lobby and lounge spaces in tones inspired by the Sonoran Desert — rust, ochre, sage, and warm earth. At once architectural and deeply handcrafted, the piece has become one of the resort's defining design features.
The installation was conceived, curated, and delivered by Obakki as part of a comprehensive artisan design program created for the property in collaboration with artisan partners across Mexico.
A Hospitality Design Approach Rooted in Relationships
At Obakki, our work begins long before a project brief arrives.
For more than a decade, we have built direct relationships with artisans around the world, working within communities, visiting studios, and developing an understanding of traditional techniques and contemporary craft practices. These relationships allow us to connect hospitality brands, designers, and ownership groups with makers whose work can bring authenticity, meaning, and a strong sense of place to a project.
Our role extends beyond sourcing. We collaborate with project teams from concept development through installation, identifying artisan partners, managing custom production, coordinating specifications, and ensuring every piece contributes to a cohesive guest experience.
For Kimpton Miralina, that process led us to textile artist Mariella Motilla.
Our founder visited the artisan and studio behind this installation, learning about the techniques, materials, and traditions that shape the work
The Artisan Behind the Installation
Based in Guanajuato, Mexico, Mariella Motilla is known for transforming traditional textile techniques into large-scale architectural works. Trained in both fashion and textile design, her practice spans custom installations, sculptural lighting, wall hangings, and functional textile objects.
Her work explores movement, scale, and materiality while remaining deeply connected to the traditions of handcraft.
For Kimpton Miralina, she created a woven installation that responds directly to the surrounding landscape, translating the colours and contours of the Sonoran Desert into a contemporary textile expression.
A glimpse inside the studio where monumental fiber artworks are meticulously crafted
Mariella Motilla and her team of artisan collaborators in Guanajuato, Mexico
Bringing The Loom to Life
Spanning approximately 175 feet, the installation required months of design development, sampling, engineering coordination, and fabrication.
Every element was carefully considered and coordinated. While ambitious in scale, the installation retains the intimacy and character of handwoven work, bringing warmth, texture, and movement to the resort's expansive public spaces.
The result is both a statement piece and a storytelling device — one that immediately connects guests to the landscape and cultural influences that inspired the property.
Spanning the lobby overhead, the installation interprets desert light, mountain silhouettes, and sunset hues through the language of weaving.
A Resort-Wide Artisan Program
The woven installation was only one component of a much broader artisan initiative developed by Obakki for the resort.
Beyond the lobby, the program included:
- Custom artwork for all 135 guestrooms
- Bespoke textile chandeliers
- Artisan-crafted pottery and decorative objects
- Handcrafted spa accessories
- Custom artisan pieces integrated throughout public spaces
Together, these elements create a layered guest experience that celebrates craftsmanship while reinforcing the property's distinct design narrative.
The Result
Today, the installation serves as a signature feature of the resort — a memorable first impression and a lasting reminder that the most impactful hospitality environments are often those created by human hands.
At Obakki, we believe meaningful hospitality design happens when architecture, craft, and culture come together. Through our global network of artisan partners, we help hotels, resorts, restaurants, and commercial projects create experiences that cannot be replicated through conventional sourcing alone.
That vision has been widely recognized. Kimpton Miralina was named one of the best new hotels in the world by Business Traveller and was also recognized as a finalist in the 22nd Annual Hospitality Design Awards.
Working on a hospitality or commercial project? Learn more about Obakki's Design Trade Program or connect with our team at designtrade@obakki.com.
