In a Room is a conversation series where we ask our friends to share their favourite domestic spaces. For this edition we’re joined by Shelley Simpson, founder and creative director of Mud Australia.
Since 1994, Mud Australia has created elegant and timeless porcelain homewares. Founded and designed by Shelley Simpson, the Mud collection — available in 19 shades — is as much about self-expression as it is about functionality. Shelley's design ethos is to produce work with minimalist aesthetic that lives happily in any creative space or interior. Single pieces that are as happy hosting toast with butter as they are a Michelin star meal. One plate or a whole set.
Mud is driven by a desire to elevate everyday experiences, every day, with a commitment to global values of craft and community and bringing those things to everything they make. From their studio in Sydney, Mud handmake every porcelain piece, actively building relationships with the people who buy and love their products across the world. Mud Australia is a proudly climate neutral business. Certified through South Pole since 2020, they fund offset projects that they believe in to play our part in sustainable practices.
In this edition, Shelley brings us into her own personal domestic space, which is in direct conversation with the design and business ethos of Mud — a celebration of art, culture, and creativity that infuses the simple acts of everyday life.
Mud Australia founder and Creative Director Shelly Simpson
Which room are you in today?
I’m currently in my studio space, which is part of the larger studio where all of Mud Australia’s products are made, located in Marrickville, Sydney. Today, I’m focused on mending broken pieces from our production, drawing inspiration and skills from a Kintsugi course I took in Kyoto, Japan last year. I’ve been experimenting with this method to restore some of our pieces. It’s a perfect fit with our zero-waste ethos.
Which room is the most active in your house?
The kitchen is undoubtedly the most active room in our home, as it’s the heart of everything. We’re currently living at our studio (while we renovate our new house). The studio kitchen features a 12-metre island, and during the day, our team uses the space to prepare lunches and hold meetings. In the evenings, it transitions into our home, where we enjoy family dinners and host friends. Whether it's meetings during the day or cooking and baking at weekends, the kitchen certainly gets a lot of love.
Which room gets the least amount of use?
The attic is the least used room. Even though we have set it up properly now as a study and library with a nice desk, armchair, rugs and lamps, the necessity of using the attic ladder to get up there makes it too much of a hassle.
Which is your work-from-home room of choice?
I work best in my front room because it is quiet and removed, but interestingly some people prefer to work in the middle of all the action, like in the kitchen or living room. And, more often than not, especially during the pandemic, WFH was whatever you could manage, whether you liked it or not. Back in my front room, I like having my bookshelf next to me as I work with all my favourite design, architecture, art and non-fiction books nicely arranged. I also have a plant on my desk that my brother got me for my birthday last year – it seems happy here.
Mud Australia ceramics in the studio
Mud Australia ceramics on display
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Mud Australia ceramics on display
What defines a great room?
A great room is defined by light, high ceilings, and large windows. The studio, an early 20th-century warehouse with a saw-tooth ceiling, big windows, and an iron structure, is a perfect example of space and materials that make it an incredibly inspiring space to work in.
What is your favourite type of room?
I’m especially drawn to studios. There’s a potting shed in Cornwall that I’ve always admired, and I love the idea of recreating something similar—rustic, full of character, and with a real sense of purpose.
What is your all time favourite room?
One of my most memorable rooms was in Venice. I fell ill during a trip and spent 48 hours in a corner room of a 15th-century Palazzo. With windows all around and high ceilings, I could hear the gondoliers serenading people along the canal. Though I was unwell, the room was a peaceful retreat, filled with light and an incredible atmosphere. It remains one of my favourite places, despite the circumstances.
