Canberra Business Owner Spotlight Hub
Creating a Sustainable Design Business Around Story, Craftsmanship, and Character
Canberra business Mantel and Muse specialises in vintage furniture, sustainable homewares, and restoration with a focus on timeless design.
Business Snapshot
Business Name: Mantel and Muse
Owner: Sarah Busby
Industry: Vintage Furniture & Homewares Retail
Location: Canberra
Who They Help: People looking for sustainable, character-filled furniture and unique home styling pieces
Website: https://www.mantelandmuse.com.au/
For Sarah Busby, vintage furniture was never supposed to become a full-scale business.
What began as a personal interest while furnishing a home gradually evolved into Mantel and Muse — a Canberra business focused on vintage furniture, sustainable homewares, restoration, and thoughtful interior styling. Over the past six years, the business has steadily expanded from a side hobby into a growing retail and design operation with a dedicated team and a clear long-term vision.
At the centre of it all is a belief that homes should feel personal, layered, and connected to quality craftsmanship rather than disposable trends.
About The Business
Mantel and Muse specialises in mid-century and vintage furniture, restoration services, homewares, and carefully curated pieces that combine design, sustainability, and individuality.
Sarah originally started the business after returning to Canberra from Sydney during the devastating bushfire period. At the time, concerns around climate change, sustainability, and the future weighed heavily on her while preparing to start a family.
Furnishing a new home led her into estate sales, auctions, and second-hand furniture markets, where she quickly noticed something surprising: beautifully made furniture with history, craftsmanship, and character was often overlooked.
That discovery eventually became the foundation for Mantel and Muse.
“People don’t just want furniture anymore... they want pieces that feel personal, meaningful, and built to last.”
What began casually soon evolved through a series of small but important steps. First came online sales through social media, followed by a space at Dirty Janes, then a small showroom, and now a significantly larger warehouse-style retail space designed to support both customer experience and operational growth.
Alongside the retail side of the business, Sarah has built a multidisciplinary team that now includes restoration specialists, design support, and creative branding expertise — something she says has become one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.
What stood out most in this conversation was how intentionally the business has evolved. Rather than chasing rapid expansion, Mantel and Muse has grown through calculated risks, strong market awareness, and a very clear understanding of the customer it serves.
Today, the business sits at the intersection of sustainability, interior design, and vintage retail — a space Sarah believes will only continue growing as more people move away from disposable furniture and towards long-term quality pieces with history and personality.
Q&A with Sarah
What inspired you to start Mantel and Muse?
We had just moved back from Sydney during the bushfires, and I became really focused on sustainability and the future. I started buying vintage furniture for our own home and completely fell in love with it.
How did the business first begin growing?
It started very casually. I’d restore pieces, put them online, and people started buying them. Then it was one small leap after another.
What are you most proud of?
Honestly, probably the resilience. Every step of business is hard, and you’ve just got to stay true to your values.
What has been one of the biggest challenges?
Retail is hard. You constantly have to evolve and stay connected to your customers.
What decision helped the business grow the most?
Taking calculated risks. Early on I was too cautious, but growth came once I was more willing to back myself.
What role has social media played?
It’s incredibly important. It’s not just posting — it’s understanding your audience and building genuine connection.
What does success look like over the next few years?
We want to help lead the shift towards sustainable living for the home.
One thing that stood out
One thing that stood out here was how strongly customers are responding to businesses that combine sustainability with emotional connection.
Across many Canberra businesses, there’s a growing shift away from purely transactional buying behaviour. Customers increasingly want products that feel considered, personal, and aligned with their values. Businesses that understand how to combine quality, story, and authenticity are often building much deeper long-term customer loyalty as a result.
If you love timeless interiors, sustainable design, and beautifully restored furniture with character, Mantel and Muse is well worth exploring.
Let’s Put Your Business in the Spotlight
Canberra Business Accelerators is a Fyshwick-based business coaching and advisory practice led by Natalie Sammons. It helps established Canberra business owners improve profit, reclaim time, strengthen teams, build leadership capability, and create scalable systems through one-to-one coaching, planning days, team development, and practical business workshops.
Canberra Business Accelerators is a Canberra-based business coaching and advisory practice led by Natalie Sammons. It helps established Canberra business owners improve profit, reclaim time, strengthen teams, build leadership capability, and create scalable systems through one-to-one coaching, planning days, team development, and practical business workshops.
2026 Canberra Business Accelerators. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
Site Powered By Stand Out From The Pack™