We first set foot (or rather footprint) in Australia two years ago. The Bowral store was our first retail bricks and mortar outside of New Zealand. Two years later, in our new location, we've made a permanent home for Wilson & Dorset, designing a store that feels as purposeful and comforting as our sheepskin itself.
Our new location felt like an invitation to get creative. We called Melbourne interior designer, Max Copolov, and asked for something we couldn't have built the first time around – a space that felt less like a shop, and more like somewhere you'd want to spend an afternoon.
Amanda put it simply when she first briefed Max: "a space to feel, gather, and live, not just to shop." She wanted the store to feel like our products, warm, honest, a little worn in, in the best way.
In true Bowral style, we embraced vintage pieces next to contemporary ones, with sheepskin feeling as home on an old sofa a modern shiny one.
Walk in and the first thing you'll find isn't a shelf of product, it's a gathering space. A big shaggy rug on the floor, sheepskin bean bags you're meant to actually sit in, a vintage leather sofa, and a hospitality corner. If you want a coffee or a glass of wine while you're here, go for it, make yourself at home.
The part we're proudest of is the locals who helped us bring it all together. Our cabinetry was built by Jacob at Waratah Woodworks, a young local joiner, and every single tradesman on this project came from the Highlands.
Come find us at Shop 4, 310–312 Bong Bong Street, Bowral. There'll be a cuppa waiting for you.
