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The day I’d been waiting for: the Pottery Barn, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma preview

By Jen Bishop •

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So, for several months now I’ve been banging on about the Williams-Sonoma Inc big four coming to Sydney. For the uninitiated, I’m talking about Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma. I’ll be straight with you, as a non-mummy blogger, I have little interest in Pottery Barn Kids and as a less than enthusiastic cook (I’m going to make a rubbish wife!) I had minimal interest in Williams-Sonoma. Pottery Barn and West Elm however, bring that on! I know you’re fans too because posts about these stores have been consistently in my most popular for months! And at yesterday’s much anticipated preview, I was definitely not disappointed.

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West Elm is SO COOL. I have to admit it’s my favourite. Who better than creative director Vanessa Holden, a Sydney girl who made the move to NYC (who I interviewed recently) to show us round? She talked about West Elm’s trademark eclectic, global mix of pieces which you’re encouraged to mix up as you wish with your existing pieces or family heirlooms to create your own, confident style at home, with the help of their friendly and knowledgable staff.

west elm 2

west elm blue

West  Elm is young and cool but not too hipster. It’s mix and match, laidback but not too casual. I just love it. Its pieces are more apartment-appropriate than Pottery Barn’s larger furniture and well, they just look look like they belong in a warm and comfortable, trendy, young space. You do feel like your parents could equally walk in and find something which worked perfectly with their much loved pieces. It’s just that kind of range, and the range will change frequently.

West Elm creative director Vanessa Holden
West Elm creative director Vanessa Holden

The store’s been given a local feel, with a huge ‘Brooklyn to Bondi’ installation in the window. It still feels very New York though, and so it should.

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As it does in America, West Elm will have collaborations with local brands (more to be announced soon) as well as Etsy sellers, whose artwork can already be seen, and bought, in store.

West Elm etsy

So yes, I heart West Elm. Very much.

And I know you all want to know what the prices are like. I’ve not gone as far as comparing like with like and American/Australian prices, mainly because I just don’t think you can. Things do not cost the same in Sydney as they do in the US (they cost more, and I’m talking staff, rent etc). But the finer details of the prices aren’t really my department. (Take it up with them if you really want to!) What I will say is that looking at the prices and taking into account the quality and the price of similar items in other Australian high street furniture and homewares stores, I was very pleasantly surprised and definitely think things are very good value.

So everyone who thought it was too good to be true and the Aussie version would be overpriced, think again. I’m sure you’re happy to be proven wrong!

West Elm lounge

Moving on to Pottery Barn, because we all know it’s the biggy, the brand we all know, the one whose furniture was on Friends. (Did I tell you that when my now-fiancé and I first met, I was attracted to the fact he owned a Pottery Barn coffee table book on storage? True story.)  For a store many Aussies have never set foot in, the brand awareness is huge. And although I love West Elm best, I love Pottery Barn too. It’s what I want my house to look like when I grow up (at 31, I have no idea when that will be, but no time soon, thanks). It’s classic, comfortable, neutral and very American, in a preppy, Hamptons kind of way. Its big, solid beds and super soft white couches are so inviting and luxurious. If you told me I could only have Pottery Barn furniture and homewares in my homes for the rest of my life, I could live with that, no problem.

See what I mean? And yes, that lounge is as comfortable as it looks!

pottery barn

Can you imagine my interiors addict head spinning with all the visual stimulation?! I really need to come back again and look around in a much calmer manner and without a group of very excited bloggers and other media (naming no names, someone declared today to be the biggest day of her life so far, after her wedding and the birth of her kids, OBVIOUSLY!). With all the photographing, tweeting, instagraming, oohing and ah-ing, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed after a full-on couple of hours. I know, tough gig, but someone’s gotta do it!

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It’s not just the product and the pricing (equally pleasant in Pottery Barn. Think not much over $2,000 for a solid mahogany queen size bed made in America) which will draw in the crowds and keep them coming back, it’s the extras and the service. Things like free design consultations in store or at your home (West Elm, Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids) with no obligation, story time for kids and while-you-wait monogramming at Pottery Barn Kids, free design classes at Pottery Barn and the ability to take home swatches of rugs, timbers and fabrics to see if they work. Delivery (and in some cases assembly!) is usually $99.

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When Pottery Barn, for example, set up entertaining ‘stories’ in store, they not only illustrate how to lay the table but give you the recipes and the playlist for your evening too. Love that holistic approach!

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I think I’ll leave Pottery Barn Kids to the mummy bloggers (I’m just not there yet, although I did see an awesome setup with a grey and white chevron rug and a crib with navy and white linen, plus I think monogramming is cute), but I will give you a quick tour of Williams-Sonoma! I’ve never seen serving ware this gorgeous in kitchen shops before and I do like to entertain.

20130501_111136

Being that I’m not a great cook (I’m not bad, I’m just not that into it) I think I might have to try out a class at its world first in-store cooking school. Yes, even the States don’t have this yet. Go Aussie! It’s really gorgeous too, not like one of those clinical industrial kitchens. I wonder if they let you drink wine while you’re cooking. Probably not… That’s head chef Vlad, by the way, who used to work in Michelin starred restaurants, don’t you know?

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Williams-Sonoma is a foodie’s/chef’s idea of heaven with all the gadgets, utensils, ingredients, knives and pans you could ever want!

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Anna Last (below), the brand’s creative director and an Aussie now living in America, like West Elm’s Vanessa Holden, showed us around this store. (Don’t you think she’s a dead ringer for a younger Martha Stewart, by the way?)

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Did I mention the juice bar?

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I thoroughly enjoyed this morning (although I didn’t buy anything, amazingly). It definitely felt unlike anything we already have in Australia and I think the shopping experience will come to be as addictive as the catalogues. Aren’t we lucky to be the first country outside of North America to get these brands? And you know why? Because online orders from here are bigger than from anywhere else outside of the US.

What you need to know

As I seem to have become a little of a Williams-Sonoma tragic expert lately, I thought I’d pull together the answers to some of your frequently asked questions:

When is it open to the public? Today! Yippee!

Is everything much more expensive than in the States? In my opinion, no. While some things may be more expensive on a straight comparison, I don’t think it’s fair to compare like with like.

I’m not in Sydney. Can I shop online? Yes, all stores ship everything anywhere in Australia. They all launched Australian-specific websites yesterday.

How much is shipping? Standard parcel delivery from $12.95. Home delivery and assembly is $99. Expect to wait 1-2 days in Sydney and up to a week interstate.

Are they coming to Melbourne? Yes, next on the list before Christmas, with expansion across the rest of the country expected but no other locations or opening dates confirmed yet.

Where are the stores? In the Exchange Building at Bondi Junction, right next to Westfield.

Are there trade discounts? Yes, 10 to 20% off. Learn more.

west elm 3

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May 2, 2013

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Jen Bishop

About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. She founded Interiors Addict in 2011. Jen also works as a copywriter and comms consultant to small business owners and brands, helping them with their own content as well as working out what will make them appealing to the media.

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Comments

  1. Mandy Rodrigues says

    May 2, 2013 at 8:07 am

    Jen,
    Great work! Must have been a hard day for you! But yes someone’s got to do it! Cannot wait for it to come to Melbourne – found this link – http://www.theage.com.au/business/property/highend-us-retailer-heading-to-chapel-st-20130226-2f409.html
    Not sure how much is true…

    • Jen BishopJen Bishop says

      May 2, 2013 at 6:52 pm

      I’ve heard from people who know that it is opening there before Christmas 🙂

  2. Alicia says

    May 2, 2013 at 11:21 am

    Great post Jen, thanks! I have been oo-ing and ahh-ing over all the pretty Instagram pic’s over the last few days. Might have to make the trip from Adelaide just to visit the stores – we’ll call it… a business trip 😉

    • Jen BishopJen Bishop says

      May 2, 2013 at 6:51 pm

      I like your thinking 😉

  3. Lynette says

    May 2, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    Absolutely loved reading your day at Pottery etc it all sounds so FABULOUS I am very excited to visit and spend a little or alot of my money.

    • Jen BishopJen Bishop says

      May 2, 2013 at 3:56 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it Lynette! Thanks for the comment.

  4. Yiran says

    May 2, 2013 at 5:40 pm

    Hi Jen,

    Let me start off by saying I’m a huuuge West Elm fan and I used to purchase regularly from their US site. Recently though, since I’ve found out from your website that they are coming to Sydney, I have held off buying a few things.

    Today I got up bright and early to go to the opening to be able to purchase these things. So, you can imagine my shock when on my arrival I noticed that my shopping list of items is significantly more expensive now. Namely there was a coffee table that was on sale for $299 from their US site which is now $399 from Sydney. When I originally had this in US West Elm cart, the delivery from Fifty One came to approx $50. Which would have worked out to be no more than $350, less exchange rate, I probably would’ve paid AU$340. Now that there is an Australia version of West Elm, I’ve discovered that I can no longer order from their US site as shipping to AU is disabled. So if I wanted to buy the coffee table, I’d then have to pay another $36 shipping. This brings the cost of the coffee table to $425. Big mark up from $340.

    Another issue is that it seems the AU West Elm range is much more limited than the US West Elm, thus our access to their full range is now limited.

    So it seems to me, that us poor aussies are in fact worse off now that there is an Australian West Elm than we were prior.

    I find this extremely disappointing. Sorry for airing this on your blog, but I am such a big fan of yours and feel you should be made aware of this.

    Keep up the good work, I love your blog.

    • Jen BishopJen Bishop says

      May 2, 2013 at 6:50 pm

      Hi Yiran! Totally understand where you’re coming from and while it’s not really my place to justify or explain this, I would just say it seems reasonable that things cost more here (staff, rent etc) so the products will too? And it usually happens that when an overseas brand opens up in another country they stop shipping from overseas and you can, sadly, not take advantage of the cheaper prices/exchange rates anymore. But from your point of view I can see that you’re looking at a disappointing markup and wishing you’d bought from the States while you still could! I would just add that although the range is smaller, the benefit is that we now have the physical stores here in Australia and the great in-store experience and service they offer.

    • Belinda says

      January 22, 2014 at 8:57 am

      WARNING – BUYING ANYTHING FROM POTTERY BARN ON BACK ORDER MAY TAKE A LONG LONG LONG TIME

      My husband and I purchased a sofa in September 2013. We were told it would take 16 weeks for delivery. So in January 2014 – we were very excited that our sofa was going to be delivered – to no avail! We were sent a notification by Pottery Barn – the DAY BEFORE THE SOFA WAS DUE TO BE DELIVERED ADVISING IT WONT BE DELIVERED UNTIL APRIL 2014 – 7 MONTHS LATER. The biggest issue – Pottery Barn take upfront payments so they have our money. A second item of furniture that we ordered that was supposedly in stock and to be delivered that week still has not arrived. We have been advised 3 different amendment dates so far. Each time, a day before the delivery date, we are sent a new notification. Not good enough Pottery Barn!

  5. Nicole says

    May 2, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    Hi Jen – thanks for the great pics in your post – I will point my readers to your post. I too noticed today that the West Elm shipping to Australia was disabled and hence we would miss out on some fabulous prices and sales. My readers know what a huge huge fan I am of West Elm and Pottery barn Kids having traveled to the US very regularly every year for over 15 to visit relatives and thus filled my bags with awesome loot, well mostly bedding from West Elm & PBK, – I wanted to add this to the comments above – the good news is it looks like the prices some of the sale items for PBK may be the same in AU is US as it is for one boys quilt right now. I am hoping that the AU market strategy will follow the US with regular great sales for each of these brands – if not in store then at least online AU. Of course in a launch phase this would not happen but over time, I am sure for those who are used to a paying a certain price for these brands we will be able to get amazing products at great prices when on sale – if you can wait 🙂 and when not on sale – well, as Jen said we have that joy of getting to these stores easily, for gifts or other stuff that we just couldn’t wait for an OS delivery ( or trip in my case )

    • Jen BishopJen Bishop says

      May 2, 2013 at 9:22 pm

      Thanks for your comment Nicole! I hope you’re right about sales too 🙂

  6. Parisgirl says

    May 4, 2013 at 8:25 pm

    Like Yiran and Nicole I too have found the PBS and West Elm shipping to Aus disabled. I had linen in my PB cart and left it thinking I would look at more linen for another room that evening. When I went to buy the next day I was unable to. I wrote to PB and they confirmed they no longer deliver to Aus. I am so annoyed as the bed linen I wanted is not available here. My only option is to use a shipping service. I have given up and will start again. Furniture is definitely more expensive than the USbut then again there is a variety of goods which have not been seen here before. There was an article in the daily paper last week following a financial segment on TV which asked the question as to why we pay more for everything in Aus. The answer ….because we can. Seriously that was the answer by the economists.

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