Inside Scandi-emporium Arrival Hall

With the growth in e-commerce, savvy retailers know that potential customers need a compelling reason to leave the house, hence the rise of experiential retail. And for the design shopper, there’s no Perth business that does this better than the stylish Northbridge homewares and furniture emporium Arrival Hall.

Housed inside a heritage Northbridge space, the store features a warm series of spaces akin to a fabulously furnished and styled home as well as a café that serves some of the best food around. The business first opened its doors in 2015 with owners Lisa and Clement Tay keen to democratise the design shopping experience. “Starting completely new in this industry, we personally found that sourcing good design in Perth can feel exclusive and even intimidating. We are passionate about seeing people connect with thoughtfully designed pieces and spaces and understanding the importance of it in our lives,” says Lisa.

“We first opened in East Perth inside a charming four-level warehouse apartment that was zoned for residential and commercial use and thought it would be a great place to start. We opened the store on the ground level and lived upstairs,” says Lisa of the first incarnation of the business. Before long, the store expanded upstairs, and the range grew to include furniture and lighting as well as home accessories. And while Clement was still employed in a full-time finance role, he would join Lisa on the weekend, making coffees for customers in exchange for a gold coin, charitable donation.

“The customers loved being able to sit around for a chat and we loved this idea of Arrival Hall being a place where people could take their time to enjoy connecting with each other while immersing themselves in our space and amongst our wares. We also understood the importance of food in bringing people together and so when we started looking for a bigger location, we agreed that a cafe would be the perfect addition,” says Lisa of the thought process that led to the store’s current Northbridge locale.

“We introduced the cafe Dine by Arrival Hall when we moved to our current location, and it quickly became the heart of the showroom. When you dine in the cafe, you’re surrounded by all the products we offer from the coffee cups and plates, right through to the tables and lights that hang above. It’s helped bring a lot of customers into the showroom that wouldn’t typically have visited us in the past,” says Lisa.

It’s a fabulous, immersive concept that caught the eye of chef Jack Higginbottom who went from enthusiastic customer to head chef, such was his affection for the store. “Jake loved what we were doing and asked if he could come and work with us,” says Lisa of Jake who boasts an impressive hospitality pedigree. He spent his formative years training with the Crown group and had a stint in Thailand before returning home to Perth to take up positions at Long Chim and, more recently, Petition Kitchen.

Fabulous food aside, the store also packs a massive design punch and is home to an array of brands including design heavyweights Muuto, Bolia, Ferm Living, String, HAY, Menu and Fermob. Customers can now find the iconic George Nelson bubble lamps from Herman Miller in store too. “We have a proclivity toward brands that carry that Scandinavian design sensibility,” says Lisa.

And as for any COVID-generated business impacts, Lisa and Clement have found the pandemic has only increased interest in their wares. “COVID restrictions have helped people realise the importance of creating a haven in their own homes and investing in well designed, quality pieces.”

Story by Amy Collins-Walker