Canberra’s first 'shoppable' home opens its doors in Griffith

When you walk into a styled open home, you imagine how different spaces could be used. You look at the tiny details like how the items on a coffee table are placed or how a painting is positioned on the wall.

But you’re not buying the furniture, you’re buying the building.

For Jane Goodall and Isabel Smith of Bijoux Home, a Canberra boutique female-run development and styling business, this was always the case until they decided to turn the tables. 

On Saturday, Bijoux Home is launching a new concept dubbed Bijoux Open, Canberra’s first “shoppable” house, at 4 La Perouse Street in Griffith. 

So, what’s a shoppable home, you ask? It’s when every item in the house is available to purchase. 

The heritage-listed cottage is owned by a mutual friend who suggested the pair revamp the three-bedroom property.

According to Pricefinder, the charming cottage was purchased in 2018 – listed on the market for the first time since it was built in 1933.

“We fell in love with the character of the home and when the opportunity came to style it, we couldn’t resist,” Goodall said.

“Normally we would do a full renovation but because this space was available and because of the quality of the home, we wanted to try the concept of a shoppable home.”

Bijoux Home plans to launch a new collection this weekend as part of the open home.

“We customised pieces for this house including some coffee and marble tables and selected the furniture for the bedrooms. Other items in the house are also one-off or limited edition pieces ” Goodall said.

“For each [shoppable] home going forward, we will do a fresh collection with completely new artworks, furniture and objects.

“We are offering something new each time in a completely different setting, with a different colour palette, theme and perhaps reach different demographics.”

Bijoux Open will swing open the doors to the public from Saturday, March 14 to until Monday, April 13. During that period, people can purchase items from the house but they can only pick up the pieces after April 13, so others can still visit and admire the home fully adorned.

Goodall added that the items would also be available to buy on its website.

The duo said the next shoppable home was yet to be determined, but “could be anything from an architect-designed new build to maybe The Lodge”.

According to the pair’s Instagram page, their passion for styling and renovating started when they both worked as public servants in the federal Department of Health a decade ago.

“We quickly bonded over our love for renovating and design, spending our lunchtimes pouring over the latest property listings on Allhomes and imagining how we might improve the layout or what kind of kitchen we’d create,” the Instagram post said.

“Everything we do is driven by the belief that good design should be more accessible in Canberra,” Goodall added.

Bijoux Home will be open on Saturday, March 14 from 9.30am to 11.30am and Friday to Monday thereafter from 9am to 4pm until Monday, April 13.