Overview
If you're a fan of IKEA, but think those huge, daunting warehouses are the stuff of panic attacks, here's some news to make you very happy indeed — the Swedish furniture giant is launching a new kind of retail offering and its size and style is looking a whole lot easier to manage.
The brand's Australian arm is set to unveil its first Home Planning Studio, a small-format store that'll make its home at Sydney's Westfield Warringah Mall from next month. A departure from the standard IKEA caper, the new offering's focused only on kitchen and bedroom planning, with a bevvy of staff on hand to coach you through the experience via one-on-one consultations and nifty tablets.
Yep, if you're just whipping your loo into shape or sprucing up that kitchen, you can forego the mammoth Tempe or Rhodes adventure and breeze through here instead.
A render of the Home Planning Studio's layout.
As an added bonus, the space itself reads like a bubble of serenity (supposedly). The bedroom zone is complete with wafting floral scents and a plethora of wardrobe storage solutions. Meanwhile, the kitchen planning section apparently takes the form of a "wellness sanctuary", offering a raft of storage options aimed at the eco-friendly home chef and entertainer.
There's no word yet on exactly what products the store will stock — from the renders we're guessing some kitchen appliances, coat hangers, pillows and plants — but we're hoping we'll be able to pick up those essential tealight candles and lint rollers (looking at you, pet owners).
The IKEA Home Planning Studio is slated to open in Westfield Warringah Mall, Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale, at the start of May. If it proves a hit, the concept will be rolled out to more locations across the country.