These two iconic Wickham-based venues have joined forces in this new collaborative space in the heart of Greenway Street. The newly-decked-out spaces features Dark Horse Wickham situated at the entry to the venue, with House of Lita and their retail offering situated at the back. 

Lauren Steel of House of Lita, and her husband, Mitch, purchased the warehouse as an investment, originally using the space for pop-up market events before deciding to move forward in creating a cafe-meets-retail commercial concept space inside it. 

“It obviously made complete sense of our business, House of Lita, to move into it and it was just as obvious to ask our neighbours, Dark Horse Wickham if they'd like to join us to create and complete the space,” Lauren said.

Working with the industrial design mastermind of Newcastle, Adrian De Boucherville of After Dark Design, the collaborative space melds together seamlessly through thoughtful design and style. With House of Lita standing out with its crisp white and bright aesthetic, and Dark Horse Wickham with its moody, dark, and edgy themes, After Dark Design, has truly worked its magic once more. 

“Having previously worked with the After Dark Design team, working with them again for this fit-out team was a must for us. They are the masters when it comes to creative and custom commercial fit-outs, so we felt very lucky they were available and happy to work with us on this. We couldn’t be happier with the result.”

The two local businesses really complement one another and creates a dynamic space with lots of atmosphere and potential to grow together. Since opening the collective space in October last year, the two businesses have moved into 2022 with plenty of exciting plans in the works. 

Dark Horse Wickham, brought to us by Stacey Oreo, continues their food and beverage offering but now with plenty more dine-in space. The menu features all your Aussie brunch favourites like smashed avocado, eggs your way, pancakes, a huge toastie range which they are well known for, along with plenty of pastry and sweet favourites including cinnamon scrolls, banana bread, almond croissants, and more!

“We offer all our usual coffee and we use Darks Coffee Roasters U47 Blend, which we believe is the best in the business. Plus, we also have cold brew, iced lattes, smoothies, protein smoothies, frappes, and much more,” Stacey said.

House of Lita also continues its journey on becoming one of Newcastle's go-to retail experiences, now stocking an expanded curated collection of Australian lifestyle brands covering fashion, homewares, furniture, and childrenswear.

“Plus, we also source a selection of homewares from international suppliers in both Morocco and Turkey. We aim to bring brands and products we love to the Newcastle community that simply bring moments of joy to people's homes, wardrobes, and everyday lives.”

With 2022 seeing House of Lita work towards growing their homewares and furniture collection, the team are also planning on launching their very own homewares collection; watch this space for more information!

In addition to their growing collection, House of Lita also recently launched their interior styling and design services, with the aim to create inspiring spaces for clients' homes and office spaces. 

“Here at House of Lita, we love to create beautiful spaces. we believe that an inspiring space, whether in your home or office, can positively impact the way you live.

“We're here to help you create spaces you feel at home in and to be inspired in. Whether you need help sourcing the perfect product or are looking to decorate your entire home, we would love to work with you.”  

Next time you're planning a day out to explore some of the incredible pockets of businesses here in Newcastle, head out to Greenway St in Wickham and make sure to call into this one-of-a-kind collaborative space.