Inside Mantel and Muse’s stylish and sustainable furniture store

Posted on 24 September, 2024

For Canberra local Sarah Busby, it was the joy and creativity she found in revitalising furniture that led her to the opening of Mantel and Muse.

From discovering and restoring quality vintage Chiswell dining chairs to a John Grimes sideboard, 1960s coffee tables, and a 1950s daybed, it’s a passion that goes beyond selling hand-selected vintage goods and sustainable products – it’s about keeping the stories connected to the furniture alive. 

“Our things tell stories. Stories of old, stories of new. Most importantly, stories of transformation; and there has never been a time more urgent than now to transform our furniture industry,” says Sarah. 

“I want people to get the same feeling in Mantel and Muse that they would get going into a new store…but when you buy something old, there’s a story attached.”

Combining the best of old and new to bring stylish and sustainable furniture to local homes, Sarah’s journey into business has been as unique as the items she sells. 

Starting her restoration business, Good as Old, during the pandemic, Sarah found happiness and a sense of control during the turbulent time, hunting down beautiful vintage furniture to fill her home. 

Sarah Busby.

Teaching herself how to restore 1970s cane furniture, Sarah soon discovered a love for upcycling. But then she found her true passion – wood – and her obsession with vintage furniture only grew. 

“The thrill of the grains, texture, and depth of life in each piece gave me a sense of purpose and fulfilment. Taking a piece of furniture that had such a life and history could have been sent to the tip, but through time and patience, stripping it back and revealing its charm provided a sense of fulfilment that’s hard to describe,” she says. 

“There is truly something profound about a vintage piece of furniture. Hidden in the grains of these pieces of wood lie the answers to the world and how things have become.”

Originally operating as a comprehensive online marketplace, the physical Mantel and Muse store opened its doors in June 2024 after Sarah quickly outgrew her garage. 

Seeing a demand for beautiful, stylish, and sustainable furniture that doesn’t break the bank, she says she is excited to see so many Canberrans embrace the concept of her store so far. 

“There’s so much fast furniture. 10 years ago, I had no idea that you could buy something that’s good quality for a reasonable price but is also good for the planet,” says Sarah. 

“I want to bring in and find as many suppliers as possible that provide sustainable products. I stock things from Canberra locals including cushions with inserts made from recycled plastic, and I’m also excited to be bringing in recycled glass from a very small business in India in all shapes, sizes and colours in the coming months.  But the big thing for me is that they’re also affordable. It’s so unfortunate that we think of sustainability and vintage as always being expensive.”

“I do believe some vintage truly deserves the price tag, but there are a lot of vintage manufacturers that are much more affordable. The problem is they are not as often sold to the public.”

“I want to change that…the idea is that you come into Mantel and Muse because it’s pretty and inspiring, but you stay because it’s sustainable, it’s high quality and it’s affordable.”

Outsourcing where needed to give items new life, there’s no denying the amount of love and time Sarah puts into each piece she restores and sells. And from electric blue glassware to deep red vinyl chairs, the Mantel and Muse storefront might physically be small compared to other furniture stores, but the offerings are grand – not only in their design but in their eco-consciousness. 

“My goal is to eventually provide the people of Canberra with a whole-of-home alternative to the fast-furniture option available to the masses,” says Sarah. 

“I’m calling it the ‘slow home movement’. Carefully curated things for your home that are affordable, sustainable, and bloody beautiful all at the same time.”

Photography: Erin East and Tomas Busby