WE HAVE AWOKEN | WESTGATE LIFESTYLE

“I’m off to the mall.”

Who would ever have guessed – in a pre-Covid world – that such words could just sound so darned good?

Last week Westgate Lifestyle got to wake from a lockdown-imposed slumber. How good it was to see those store doors open, the welcome mats out, and customers (masked, spaced, and QR code scanning) out and about. It’s not quite shopping as we used to know it pre- Covid days, but it is still a very welcome step forward to some degree of retail normalcy.

Yes, on-line and click and collect shopping opportunities have been fantastic and we appreciate how retailers made this work and how customers supported this. But that can’t quite emulate being able to touch and enjoy the feel of products (the crispness, the warmth – the general tactile thrill), the ability to see the real thing, and maybe even smell it. It is also fabulous to be able to mix and match items without any online guesswork, and what price do you put on receiving amazing face-to-face (albeit incorporating mask-to-mask) customer service?

Funnily enough the first store I headed to was Freedom Furniture. The word “freedom” just so appealed! And there I fixated on a piece of art carrying the message Live A Little. I felt I was doing that, by actually being out living a taste of normal life. Other items I have included feature simply because I know they smell or feel or look good, or because over lockdown I figured they would be good to own – like an air fryer, a Swiss ball, and a coffee machine (seeing as many of us have been fine-tuning our barista skills during lockdown. Check out the coffee credit when you purchase a Nespresso machine). Random, yes, but I was out looking for the sheer fun of being able to be out looking before buying.

Our retailers have plenty of goodies in store. Now is a great time to get out and support them and many have sales on offer (like The Importer, for example, with a Spring Lockdown Sale. And the significantly reduced cow hide I found at Rugsandmore, the chair from Lifestyle Furniture, the driftwood mirror from ifurniture, the candle from Bed Bath & Beyond, the air fryer from Briscoes… you get the picture). I can assure you it won’t feel like a chore, or an obligation. It’s just so good to be out back in the mall!

|1.Natural Brazilian cow hide Hereford rug, $759, from Rugs and More |2. Live a Little multi-coloured framed print, $209, from Freedom Furniture |3. Nespresso Breville Essenza Mini Solo espresso machine, $149.00, from Harvey Norman |4. Aromabotanical Luxe 390G candle, $29.90, from Bed Bath & Beyond |5. Arther sun mirror, driftwood, $199, from ifurniture |6. Gaiam performance balance ball, 75cm, $54.99, from Rebel Sport |7.Three-tone basket (two sizes), from $75, from The Importer |8. Sunbeam Halo+DyraCeramic air fryer, $269.99, from Briscoes |9.Forge V2 nest table – old gold, 2pc, $599, from NOOD |10. Adana single seater (grey), $299, from Lifestyle Furniture.

Note: Prices mentioned, and availability of products featured are subject to change. If you love the look, we recommend you head in store to find out more.