A Visit To Weylandts, Melbourne • The Hounds

We visit the South African furniture emporium, Weylandts in Melbourne.

Nestled behind rows of Californian bungalow-styled homes and around the corner from the Yarra River, the South African furniture emporium Weylandts has called Melbourne home for the last two years. The Abbotsford store is a sight to behold: the showroom is an obscure pantheon for curated living, spanning 3000 sq meters and boasting eclectic pieces sourced from around the world. And if you do become peckish, after struggling to decide between the Champher Trunk coffee table or the black marble table, their in-house café The Kitchen can whip up a Cape-Malay Seared Rump Steak burger or an Arabian styled Bircher Muesli to appease any appetite.

We chat with Beverley Johnson, the Marketing Manager of Weylandts Melbourne.

What inspired you to come work at The Kitchen Weylandts?

The opportunity to work for such an amazing brand. I love working with lifestyle brands so it’s not difficult for me to really understand the brand. To be able to work with such beautiful products is extremely appealing, because you need to love what it is that you’re marketing.

How would you describe the philosophy behind Weylandts?

It’s very much known for its distinctive style and merging of clean minimalism with a raw, earthy spirit. We aim to presenting really rare, beautiful and handcrafted pieces. Everything is curated and we think that’s what makes Weylandts’ collections very unique.

How would you describe the way the showroom is set up?

It’s broken up in 5 different lifestyle zones. When you’re in each space, you can understand the space that you’re in and the lifestyle it is catering to.

Who do you find normally visiting Weylandts?

It’s very mixed and we consider our customers to have a certain attitude that attracts them to Weylandts – so not about age. They are people who love their home, and are into making a strong statement. We also have other customers who may come in and buy some of our homewares like lighting, and then eventually move into buying some of our more premium pieces.

How does Weylandts showcase the stories behind the pieces?

Social media provides with a valuable tool to talk more about the stories behind our products as all of our pieces have a story to tell. It also provides a great platform to give design tips onhow you could use the products in your own home and get the looks we have created in our store.

What is your favourite item in the store?

My favourite item is the Organic Mungurr Table with Hoop Legs at the front of the store. It’s a huge dining table with an amazing piece of wood as the tabletop. For me the kitchen is at the heart of the family so that is why I love it.

What do you enjoy most about working at Weylandts?

I come in everyday and I’m constantly inspired by what surrounds me. I think to have an office that’s right in the middle of the showroom is fantastic – I get to see what’s going on whilst I am working, and when I get the chance I can chat to the customers. This means I’m very involved in really understanding who is shopping with us and why they’ve come in today.

Where do you hope to see Weylandts in the near future?

We would love to see Weylandts expand. We would love to see some other stores in Melbourne, but we would also love to expand to Sydney. A lot of that is going to be about finding the right space, but definitely expansion is what we see happening.

Weylandts