Bunnings is trying a new look, and it’s less warehouse and more showroom — but you can still bring in a bite to eat from the sausage sizzle out front.
Bunnings is set to get a new look with a Port Melbourne store to become the first in the country to open a reimagined Building Solutions Studio.
But even as it goes to more of a high-end showroom feel and requiring punters to book in advance, they’re still expecting you to come through the door eating something off the sausage sizzle out front.
A star-studded opening yesterday included sneak peaks for influencer and retired WAG Emma Hawkins, married to Cats great Tom Hawkins, sports broadcaster Abbey Gelmi, and TV and radio personality Ash Pollard.
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All three are actively planning their own home renovations or new build.
Ms Hawkins said she “couldn’t believe this was Bunnings when I walked in”, and that there had been “inspiration everywhere you look”.
“It’s like a dream playround for anyone building or renovating,” she said.
“I love that you can explore all the different finishes, colours and products in one place — it makes the whole process feel a lot less overwhelming and so much more fun.”
Billed as an up-market showroom rethink of its traditional warehouse approach, the studio will be used to help families plan out and manage home renovation projects.
Fully fitted displays will let people see exactly how the items could look at their place.
Style influencer Emma Hawkins, wife to Geelong Football Club great Tom Hawkins, at the new look Bunnings in Port Melbourne.
Part of the show room set up for punters to begin exploring.
It will cover those working on kitchens, bathrooms, lighting, flooring, cladding and even home customisation for specialty needs from the differently abled to those wanting to age in place.
With a new emphasis on home automation, and electrification from solar panels and batteries to electric vehicle integration, Building Solutions Studio leader Michelle Caust said Bunnings were also “definitely looking” at adding electric vehicles to their fleet of rentable utes and vans for weekend warriors working on a reno.
Ms Caust said with 28 categories covered in the studio, they were aiming to save homeowners and the trades, architects and builders they were working with from hours of showroom hopping by putting as much in one place as possible.
The idea is to bring everything you need to one venue so you can plot your renovation without visiting multiple separate showrooms.
Abbey Gelmi checks out the new concept as she scouts ideas for her own home.
“A lot of the projects that they are doing in the home would require a qualified trade, so we would be welcoming them in with the trade professionals so they can get expert advice,” she said.
“And the sausage sizzle won’t be going anywhere. Customers are still welcome to come through with their sausage sizzle.”
She added that their celebrity guests on Wednesday, including Ms Gelmi, Pollard and Hawkins, had been “wowed” by the new space.
Ms Caust said most people using it would book in for a one hour initial consultation, before returning to finalise selections in subsequent sessions — depending on how big their project is.
Lighting will have its own dedicated space within the showroom.
This might be the only place in Melbourne where you’re encouraged to have your lunch while looking at a bathroom.
There is no fee for using the studio, and it is expected that in some instances they will be able to align specialists needed for an appointment the same day as you book it.
It is replacing an existing studio in Port Melbourne, and is the first in the country to get the refresh and expansion.
Other existing studios are present in NSW and Queensland.
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