The Top 6: Sydney Furniture Stores and Homewares Havens

Sydney furniture stores and homewares havens; there’s certainly no shortage of them across the city and its neighbouring suburbs. But if you’re not keen on sorting through the haystack of shops to find the true gems, TLC has done it for you.

This is the unbeatable top six stores you need to see across Sydney.

An excerpt from my new book, Sydney Precincts (available here), it combines stores that sell vintage and contemporary wares, indoor and outdoor furniture as well as local and international homewares brands. It’s an eclectic mix and it doesn’t get better than this!

The Top 6 Sydney Furniture Stores & Homewares Havens

KOSKELA

1/85 Dunning Ave, Rosebery
koskela.com.au

Set in a mammoth warehouse space flooded with natural light, furniture-and-decor store Koskela is more than a showroom – it’s a revelation! The focus is on furniture that’s ethically produced and designed to last. You won’t find pieces like this elsewhere; take the stunning PAMPA rugs, for example, or the Polska stools made from recyclable polyethylene.

Koskela has been going strong for 16 years and runs regular workshops on topics like ceramics, origami, carving and fabric dyeing. There’s also an on-site cafe, which is a great spot for a pre‑shopping breakfast.

THE DESIGN HUNTER

316 Bronte Rd, Waverley
thedesignhunter.com.au

With a retail shop, design service and online store, it’s safe to say that the Design Hunter is the go-to style destination in this area. Its sun-filled bricks-and-mortar store feels distinctly global, with all the latest interior trends showcased inside. The style of the products would be best described as coastal with a generous nod to a rustic, tribal aesthetic, with every corner of the store carefully curated by its talented showroom consultants.

Find Armadillo & Co rugs mixed in with travel candles, ceramic jugs, leather journals and Icelandic sheepskin throws. It’s a hard store to pigeon-hole, which is probably why it’s so popular with locals.

LIVED IN COOGEE

263 Arden St, Coogee
livedincoogee.com.au

If you’ve never been a fan of the subdued colour palette when it comes to interiors, it will take you about four seconds in this store to become a convert. Lived in Coogee is a light-filled furniture and homewares oasis that blends coastal-, organic- and tribal-inspired pieces to perfection, things that feel global and rare.

Most items are on the beige/ brown/white scale and their earthiness and calming nature will have you ditching your red leather sofa in a flash. See if you can stop yourself from going home with a piece of jewellery, coasters, candles or coral. The store’s tagline is ‘be inspired’ and you’ll come away with grand visions to transform your home.

TERRACE

47 Queen Street, Woollahra
terraceoutdoorliving.com.au

Everyone in Sydney (or at least the Eastern Suburbs) knows Terrace. It’s the colourful beacon of Queen Street and a destination for all things outdoors.

Friends Paul Joseph Hopper and Bianca Moore are the creative duo behind the retail store and have a combined background in horticulture, fashion and styling (and their experience in the on-trend store). And it’s not all plants and furniture, either. Expect to find a loot of suitcase-friendly goodies like pots, candles, mats, macramé hangers, glassware, fabric and more.

COLLECTIKA

Shop 2, 82–84 Enmore Road, Enmore
collectika.com.au

There’s a tonne of retro, second-hand furniture stores in Sydney’s Inner West. And then there’s Collectika. A few minutes in this shop is all it takes to realise the difference.

What makes this store stand out is the quality and rarity of the pieces on sale. This isn’t salvage yard chic; it’s high-end designer pieces your grandmother would have never thrown away. And there’s far more on offer than just furniture. Towards the back of the store you can get lost among vinyl records, art and design books, cushions, vintage music players and even some naughty erotic literature. Expect the unexpected here.

THE SOCIETY INC

Warehouse 3.02 75 Mary Street, St Peters
thesocietyinc.com.au

It’s really hard not to fall in love with stylist and author Sibella Court’s design store. Even as you approach the warehouse she set up in 2014 in St Peters, you’ll find yourself swept away by its effortless beauty. Once inside, the adoration begins.

This is a destination for lovers of homewares, haberdashery, furniture and a host of other curiosities – all with a rustic, boho and seaside edge. Surfboards sit alongside scissors, scullery brushes next to bedding and everything else randomly and wonderfully awaiting your gaze. You won’t find anything else like it in Sydney, which is why travelling to find it is worth the effort.