They have welcomed the likes of Billie Eilish and Elsa Pataky, Vogue Australia, and Chanel – now Brisbane creative hub Newstead Studios has opened a café and retail store called Sunroom in its architecturally converted warehouse.

Off the back of its most challenging period since opening in 2017, Newstead Studios owners Cass and Sam Thies decided to back themselves and bolster the creative industry with a café and store that supports local makers and Australian brands.

“COVID-19 threw a huge spanner in the works for the whole creative industry, including spaces like ours that revolve around community, coming together and collaborating – which were all made impossible when COVID restrictions set in,” Cass said. “We had previously leased out the café space but when COVID hit and our tenant couldn’t hold on, we knew we had to step up to the challenge to keep the heart of our space ticking.”

Cass and Sam saw an opportunity to embrace and support the creative community by adding a retail offering to the café space. Sunroom will stock a carefully curated selection of books, fragrance, homewares and prints.

“All the brands we’re stocking are Australian and about half of them have been part of the Newstead Studios journey in some way – either they’ve shot their products in our studio, launched their brand in our event space, or headlined one of the many creative workshops we’ve hosted over the years. It feels incredible to give these local makers bricks and mortar platform in Brisbane, and reciprocate the support they’ve shown us for all these years.”

The space has undergone a stunning refurbishment, with natural light drenching a central communal table and works by some of Newstead Studios’ resident photographers adorning the walls. Sunroom will serve specialty coffee Blacklab as well as a selection of daily fresh pastries, gourmet sandwiches, and bagels. Sunroom opened on Wednesday 11 November.