Hope & Co. first had its first beginnings as a bricks and mortar homewares store and art gallery in Western Victoria in 2011.
Our Story
Hope & Co. is a creative brand founded by Sarah Hope, which originally had its beginnings as a bricks and mortar homewares store and art gallery in country Victoria, Australia in 2011.
The shop closed its doors in 2014 when Sarah and her family moved interstate to Queensland. During her time away, Sarah penned her debut novel and rediscovered her love for pottery. When the family returned to Victoria in 2016, we laid down roots in Hamilton again, as Sarah worked towards publishing ‘Canvas’ in 2018.
After a mini ‘adult gap year’ to the UK in 2019, Sarah came home to re-launch Hope & Co. with a new perspective and fresh approach. We decided to focus on our own artwork; hand-crafted small batch ceramics; prints; and a curated selection of homewares. In culmination with the purchase of our industrial studio, our brand has continued to expand and evolve ever since.
During the initial throes of the pandemic in 2020, Georgie left her 9-5 to work 24/7 for Hope & Co. (we kid!). In Spring of that year, we were featured in Graziher magazine and overwhelmed by the lovely support and growth in our little community. By October, we opened for wholesale stockists – with 40 stores across Australia stocking our wares.
By 2022, things began to shift – after enormous output in the pandemic, our designs were heartbreakingly copied by a couple of businesses/companies, and produced in China on a mass scale that we couldn’t compete with as a small-production, family-owned business. In the midst of moving studios, shifting professional priorities, and an uncertain future for Hope & Co., we made the hard decision to press pause.
Sarah continued to paint and work on publishing projects, while Georgie grew a thriving photography business. Our sister brand, Australian Country House, brought in a new era for editorial, styling and travel projects together.
In 2024, we commenced more intensive renovations of our Fenton Street studio, and slowly moved back in. By 2025, we began reshaping a different future for Hope & Co.: still a studio and atelier in some respects, but more so a creative house for all the sub-branches of businesses and creative projects that exist within it. In 2026, Hope & Co. will serve as the base for more fine art, a book launch, and a new online education era.
Throughout all we’ve experienced, and our continual growth as Creatives, our expression, forward design and passion for adding beauty to world through our work is at the heart and constancy of all we do. We love meeting fellow creatives, aesthetes, and collectors with a keen eye – please don’t hesitate to reach out and connect with us!
Sarah & Georgie x