It’s no accident that a stroll around Precinct 75 in Sydney’s St Peters feels like you’ve stepped into Brooklyn – developers and local councillors took their cues from the New York suburb when they revitalised this group of historic buildings, located between Edith and Mary Streets. Formerly reserved for manufacturing, a different kind of industry is now thriving here – and it’s contagious. Buzzing new businesses nestle beside established traders, offering a plethora of homewares, art, recreation and creativity – all ready to be explored.
STOP 1: Inartisan & Atolyia
Owners and sisters Emily Heysen and Verity Kizek fill their showroom with their own twist on the best of Turkish and Australian artisanal wares. Verity’s ties to her husband’s native Turkey remain strong – their business partners are based there and work with the sisters to source new items. “Australians appreciate the quality and craftsmanship of the cotton blankets and towels,” says Verity. “Washed cottons soften the texture and provide those lovely colours, which are only achieved through the ageing process.” The textural delights don’t end there – luscious goat kilims in subtle creams and gentle greys are stacked beneath artworks created by the sisters.
Open: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun, 10am-4pm.
Visit: Warehouse 3.01, 75 Mary Street, 0401 818 157.
Bookmark: atolyia.com, inartisan.myshopify.com
STOP 2: The Society Inc
Sibella Court’s unique style and creativity is truly evident in this rambling space. Explore her cabinet of curiosities, where she displays a mind-boggling collection of props collected during her 20 years as a stylist which are for sale. Or stop by the vintage shop counter and choose your wall colour from one of Sibella’s custom Murobond paint ranges. Homewares by Australian makers and designers feature among the curios – Takeawei ceramics sit alongside porcelain fortune cookies, shibori dog leashes and heart-shaped brass padlocks. With her stylist’s gift, Sibella arranges vignettes in every available nook, making this treasure trove abundant with possibilities.
Open: Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm
Visit: Warehouse 3.02, 75 Mary Street, (02) 9516 5643
Bookmark: thesocietyinc.com.au
Quercus & Co
John Mangila
Quercus & Co
John Mangila
Quercus & Co
John Mangila
STOP 3: Quercus & Co
“I’m mad about colour,” says Adam Jones, founder of design and printing company Quercus & Co, who imbues his fabrics, wallpapers and custom wall decals with a wash of age to create an ever-evolving range of interior decor. Adam fell in love with this converted mechanical workshop, with its soaring, steel-beamed ceilings and abundant natural light, as soon as he pushed open the enormous timber barn-like doors. “I needed the extra space to spread out and create,” he explains, “but it’s the history that gives this whole complex its beauty; all the activity that has gone on in this space gives me a creative buzz.”
Open: Tue-Sat, 10am-4pm
Visit: Studio 3.04, 75 Mary Street, (02) 8542 2936
Bookmark: quercusandco.com
With a monthly market on the cards and more than one café to choose from, enjoy the bounty of over 70 creative businesses
Design Twins
John Mangila
John Mangila
John Mangila
STOP 4: Design Twins
Design Twins’ flagship store offers a commercial-style bar for customers to sit at and choose from a menu of colour and design options to customise their signature plant pots. “We want it to be an interactive experience,” says Crystal Bailey, half of the partnership with Mitch Lindsay, who handpaints fibre-clay pots to order in the nearby studio, for shipping worldwide. The pair’s new, polished-concrete range takes them back to their roots as it’s the medium they first used creatively, inspiring their philosophy of making simple, accessible design available to everyone. There’s also a selection of Australian homewares; original wall art, ceramics, bedlinen and fresh furniture pieces to inject your home with a hip aesthetic.
Open: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun, 10am-4pm
Visit: Suite 1.04, 75 Mary Street, [email protected]
Bookmark: designtwins.com
“We want it to be an interactive experience”, Crystal Bailey, The Design Twins
Buttercream Bakery
John Mangila
John Mangila
John Mangila
STOP 5: Buttercream Bakery
Kat Logan and her family have created a much-needed haven to recharge. Enjoy a house-baked bagel, served warm and filled to order on-site in the cosy, leafy oasis by Kat’s husband, James, who joins Kat and her brother, Dustin, in the business. “We were initially after space to create a proper bakery for our growing handpainted cake business,” says Kat. “But the St Peters community welcomed us with open arms and encouraged us to open a cafe and shopfront, too.” They now sell a mouth-watering range of cupcakes, “brookies” – a cross between a brownie and a cookie – and Kat’s incredible handpainted buttercream cakes, made to order and inspired by artworks she encounters.
Open: Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm; Sat, 9am-2pm
Visit: Suite 7.03, 75 Mary Street, (02) 8678 2242
Bookmark: buttercream.com.au
While you’re there…
Take a tour and tasting at the Willie The Boatman brewery, or experience Australia’s first urban winery with the established A.Retief Winery, or perk up with another coffee and giant choc-chip cookie from the Sample Coffee Roasters on Mary Street.
Plan your next event with the cool and creative assistance of The Drink Cabinet and Usfin Atelier’s florists and hair stylists, or find a sustainable gift or piece for your home at Upcycle Studio. Suffering from industrial antiques overload? Take a trip to Palm Springs via McKean Studio, who create jewellery and objects in this iconic American style.
Take a closer look around Sibella Court’s The Society Inc here and for more shopping inspiration, take a look at our picks of Red Hill in Victoria, Wahroonga in NSW and Albion and Cooparoo in QLD.
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