Tag: world first

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Bathrooms Design Kitchens RENO ADDICT Shopping

Design your bathroom, kitchen or laundry using virtual reality!

The Blue Space is revolutionising bathroom, kitchen and laundry retail with world-first Virtual Reality technology.

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“We are changing the future of buying your bathroom, kitchen and laundry with our world-leading Situ Virtual Reality technology experience powered by HTC Vive,” says The Blue Space managing director, Josh Mammoliti.

The eCommerce retailer’s incredible Virtual Reality technology allows customers to design the space to replicate their own kitchen or bathroom, then see what an almost endless range of packages would actually look like.

It even shows real lighting and reflections, from the exact position of the sun as it moves through the day, to the accurate ambience of light fixtures. It is also dimensionally accurate, within 99.9 percent, to correctly display all the fixtures and fittings in your space.

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All hardware and surfaces are also rendered in stunning real-life accuracy. “It simply takes the hassle out of shopping for a kitchen, bathroom or laundry,” Josh says.

“You can really see what each choice you make will look like in your house. You can ‘live in it’ before you buy. It helps with choice, saves time and reduces the risk of buying something you don’t actually like. And experiencing VR is lots of fun! It’s hard not to jump out of the shower if you turn the virtual water on!”

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The Blue Space consultants can help you design your space in 3D and buy what you see online. Every premium bathroom, kitchen and laundry featured on The Blue Space can be purchased as a package and delivered straight to your door.

You can experience your space in Virtual Reality at any of The Blue Space showrooms near you or with your own Virtual Reality equipment at home.

“The Blue Space is changing the future of shopping for your next kitchen, bathroom or laundry,” Josh says.

For more information click here.

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Art Homewares Styling

World ­first accommodation experience with Etsy at The Cullen

​Etsy.com, the online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods, has partnered with Melbourne hotel The Cullen (one of my personal favourites), to create an unforgettable curated accommodation experience. For two weeks in April, guests will have the opportunity stay in a one ­of ­a kind junior penthouse suite styled with products available on ​Etsy.

Brooke Holm (left) and Marsha Golemac
Brooke Holm (left) and Marsha Golemac

Stylist Marsha Golemac and ​photographer Brooke Holm are set to curate and style the suite, located in the trendy suburb of Prahran. ​The products, a mix of handmade and vintage homewares, have been sourced ​through Australia’s burgeoning Etsy community of makers and finders. The result will be a world ­first boutique hotel experience.

“Etsy at The Cullen is a unique collaboration,” says Marsha. “We see that bringing together retail, local design, art and luxury as a rare combination that makes for an exciting and challenging opportunity. We’ve sourced products from Etsy designers and artists across Australia to create a ‘home away from home’ hotel setting. We wanted to enhance the luxe and artistic elements of The Cullen with exceptional designs to create a space that is considered, tasteful and bursting with character.”

Bookings for the Etsy at The Cullen suite are now open at​ for stays between 13 and 29 April 2015.

Visitors will also get the chance to experience the suite first hand at an open day on Saturday 11 April. This free event will give visitors the opportunity to tour the curated room and learn about the latest trends in homewares. The products featured in the space will be available for purchase at Etsy.com

Helen Souness, Etsy’s managing director for Australia and Asia, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with such a truly innovative hotel as The Cullen. We have an incredible range of homewares for sale in our marketplace and it is wonderful to be able to present a carefully curated selection in a contemporary hotel space. It provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the work of Etsy’s Australian creative community.”

Beckie Mitchell, Art Series Hotel Group’s marketing manager, said: “Being big fans of the work ​of Etsy makers and creatives​around the world, we jumped at the chance to collaborate on such an exciting project.”

For more information.

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Furniture Homewares The Block

World’s first interconnecting Williams-Sonoma Inc stores open in Chadstone next week

This time next week, US retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc will open four stores in Chadstone Shopping Centre for iconic kitchen and home furnishings brands Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and West Elm. Just in time for Christmas, and we all know nobody makes as big of a deal of the holiday season as the Americans!

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They’ll be the first Melbourne-based stores for Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids, and the second for West Elm. The stores will sit side-by-side on the lower level in the west mall. In a global first, they will be interconnected, allowing shoppers to move easily between stores and shop across all four brands. An interiors addict’s dream!

Occupying a total of 2,505 square metres of retail space, this will be the company’s biggest retail footprint in Australia. The four stores will employ 140 full-time and part-time staff.

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“Melbourne’s vibrant culinary and design culture is globally recognised and we are excited to continue our global expansion by opening four stores in this thriving city in time for the Christmas season,” said Ron Young, senior vice president of Global, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. “We look forward to sharing our exceptional home furnishings, unique in-store experiences and outstanding customer service with local shoppers.”

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Williams-Sonoma, Inc. operates all four brands at Bondi Junction and Chatswood Chase in Sydney and Chadstone Shopping Centre, a standalone West Elm store on Chapel Street, Melbourne, and a multi-brand store in Canberra Outlet Centre. All four brands ship across Australia via eCommerce sites: williams-sonoma.com.au, potterybarn.com.au, potterybarnkids.com.au and westelm.com.au.

A variety of events will take place from 10am on opening day (18 November) with appearances by The Block’s Michael and Carlene, Chyka Keebaugh from Real Housewives of Melbourne and Sally Obermeder from The Daily Edition. From 6 to 10pm, all shoppers are invited to an opening day Christmas party with fare from the Williams-Sonoma kitchen including mulled wine and peppermint bark candy. Shoppers will receive an exclusive discount card for Christmas shopping valid between November 22 and December 31, 2014.

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The following weekend, the stores are teaming up with Gelato Messina to create a limited-edition gelato collection. The Home-Sweet-Home Signature Series features four bespoke creations designed to match the individual personalities of each iconic brand and celebrate the Christmas season. The individually handcrafted gelato will be offered between 12pm and 3pm on Saturday 22 November and Sunday 23 November to shoppers who sign up to receive special offers and information about new arrivals from the brands via email. The gelato will be distributed from the Williams-Sonoma Christmas Gelato Garden outside David Jones on the lower level while stocks last.