Baptiste Ltd is about to undergo a major renovation so it can expand into the housewares and home decor market at its Warwick location.The building supply and home improvement store said it is emptying its warehouse to make way for the expansion.Owner Sacha Bearden said the company decided to change direction because of the downturn in the economy and demand for building supplies.She added: “About half my customers are female so I want to sell them what they want. Also about 40 percent of the population is West of me, and they are driving past us to get what they need in Hamilton.”She said it may even be easier for people who live in Devonshire to come to Baptiste instead of going into Hamilton for their home goods.Ms Baptiste added the head of the AL Thompson’s home goods chain in the Cayman Islands had actually suggested the expansion and remodel during a recent visit to Bermuda - and her store.“He gave me some great advice,” she said. “His store is one of the largest in the Caribbean, really well laid out, has great product and I would love to one day have a store like his.“We did a bit of research and found out that Cayman’s economy and population looks a lot like Bermuda, so his business plan seems like a good one for us.”AL Thompson’s huge stores in the Caymans feature appliance, bath & kitchen galleries, paint, small appliances, lighting, utensils, bath and bedding lines, rugs and more.Ms Bearden said the renovation of Baptiste should be complete by November.Baptiste is holding a sale now through September 24 to make way for the remodel and the new product lines.The company, suffering from the lack of new building projects due to the recession, has also been creative in other ways- recently embarking on a campaign to advertise on an empty building in one of Hamilton’s main thoroughfares.The bright orange adverts on the building at the corner of Reid and Court Streets have certainly been turning heads, Ms Baptiste said.