A material guide
What is Mycelium?
Mycelium is the living network behind mushrooms, and a way to grow considered materials for interiors.
A simple answer
The part of a fungus that does the work
To answer “what is mycelium?”: it is the fine, thread-like network that makes up most of a fungus. It grows through hemp, finding food and joining the world around it. A mushroom is the fruit we notice; mycelium is the living network beneath it.
At Osmose Studio, we work with that natural growth. Mycelium grows through hemp and holds it together, creating a light, tactile material that can be shaped for a space. We use it as a starting point for design, not as a novelty.
From growth to material
How we grow it
We guide a simple natural process, giving the material time to grow into the shape the project needs.
- 01
Start with hemp. We grow our material from hemp.
- 02
Let it grow. We introduce mycelium and give it a clean, controlled environment.
- 03
Shape the piece. As it grows, the material takes the shape of a mould made for the project.
- 04
Dry and finish. We stop the growth, dry the piece, and finish the surface for its intended use.
Made for real spaces
What we make with it
The same grown material can become a panel, a surface, or a larger installation, depending on the brief and the place it needs to live in.
Restaurant panels
Grown panels used as room dividers and wall detail in a London restaurant.
Slide 1 of 8: Restaurant panels
A clear boundary
A material with limits
Mycelium is not a magic material; we use it where its qualities genuinely fit the project and choose something else when they do not.
Start a conversation
Have a project in mind? Let's grow your idea.
Tell us what you are making, and we can talk through where mycelium could earn its place.
Want the detail?
For the longer answer, read our full plain-English guide to mycelium.