Sisters Becca and Jess Stern live on opposite sides of the world – Becca in Newcastle, NSW
and Jess in London. When the duo launched Mustard
Made in 2018, the idea was to spend more time together and
make furniture fun again, with vibrantly coloured metal lockers that act as storage and display
units in your home and office.
“I had this strange obsession with rusty old vintage lockers and metal furniture,” co-founder and
creative director Becca tells Broadsheet of the inspiration behind the label. “I love the way that
metal furniture ages beautifully – there’s something about [it] that’s timeless and lasts forever.”
Finding pieces on the side of the road and others in second-hand furniture shops, Becca would
customise and refurbish lockers to use throughout her home and studio. “Not everybody
understood why I would have them in my home,” she explains. The idea of lockers being an
acquired taste prompted the brand’s name – not everybody loves mustard, but those who do
really go for it.
Inspired by those original vintage pieces, the sisters’ range features five styles – the
Shorty,
Skinny,
Lowdown,
Midi and
Twinny – all
available in 11 bold colours.
“The thing about having really colourful lockers is that it’s a bit of a juxtaposition,” Becca says.
“You’ve got this kind of classic, timeless, nostalgic piece of furniture, but then it comes in a
really fresh, modern colour.”
Sage green has proven popular with customers for its gender-neutral and all-ages appeal, she
says. Other options include mustard (naturally), blush, navy and lilac along with neutral offerings
like classic white and slate.
Mustard Made pieces are designed to be long-lasting and versatile, Becca says – as well as easy
to move, “going from a baby’s first wardrobe up until a workspace when they’re an adult”.
Compact silhouettes like the Shorty can double up as a playful bedside table or under-the-desk
office cabinet, while the wide Lowdown style functions as a TV unit, console table or storage
unit. Mustard Made’s largest locker, the Twinny, provides a classic wardrobe design that’s
suitable for hanging baby clothes or operating as a grown-up closet. Internal fit-out is easily
customisable, allowing you to adjust shelf heights and add and remove rails as needed.
All those colour options encourage customers to get creative with their styling, mixing and
matching the collection together. For those feeling confident with colour, Becca says to “add
individual lockers, like the Skinny, next to each other in different colours of the rainbow or in a
[tonal] cluster, like the blush, berry and poppy”.
With pink tones continuing to reign supreme, this combination is a fun way to inject a hint of
Barbiecore into your
own very Dreamhouse.
To help keep things neat and organised, Mustard Made also offers a range of wire baskets and
hangers – available in all colourways – designed to sit inside the lockers, as well as alphabet
magnets to decorate the exterior. Pick a matching colour or an unexpected contrast – the choice
is yours.
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