It’s hard to say whether it was the quirky name and neon sign, or the stunning glass frontage that caught my eye whilst wandering Newcastle’s West End. Whichever it was, Hstorie has a way of drawing you in for your viewing and purchasing pleasure. 

The working home of Interior Designer Stewart Horton, of Horton & Co. Design, Hstorie is Stewart’s lifetime of work brought together in a stunning retail space.

Making the smart move of purchasing the Hunter St building many years ago, the quaint cottage-like building was intended only to be Stewart’s Interior Design office space. However, following a whole lot of work which saw Stewart strip the building back to its raw self, it became evident just what a beautiful space it was and was destined for another purpose, as Stewart explained,

“The building has so much natural light and such great exposure so why not use it.”

“Normally I sit behind the scenes so it seemed like a natural progression to let people in and be able to shop everything that I love.” 

For those familiar with Stewart's work, it will be no surprise that Hstorie is not your ordinary homewares store, with Stewart explaining the history of Hstorie, 

“As a part of my interior design business I source homewares and furnishings and custom furnishings, but I also source a lot of vintage items, which I love. I love that mix of antique with new things.”

“The name Hstorie is trying to evoke that feeling of your new heirlooms, which are high quality, and merging them with antiques that have history and bring character, rather than everything being brand new which can get a little stale.” 

Browsing the store there are some stand outs including the homewares range from Greg Natale, 

“Greg’s a good friend of mine and he had been looking to stock his homewares range in Newcastle. At the time I was in two minds as to whether I should set up Hstorie, so it was Greg who was pretty much the catalyst for me to go ‘OMG just do it, if you’re going to do it just do it.'" (laughs Stewart)

“Aside from Greg’s collection I have a range from Byron Bay potter Craig Spencer, Spencer Ceramics, which are all handmade, but a lot of my pieces are vintage like American Designer John Adler. I love collecting weird things you can’t get anymore”. 

The artwork is also a major feature of Hstorie with the high ceilings, ample natural light and crisp white walls lending perfectly to showcasing local artists. 

On our visit, the award-winning Newcastle-based printmaker, Vera Zulumovski’s stunning work was hanging, and in some respects stealing the show. 

“It has been finding that mesh between homewares, home furnishings, and art,” Stewart added. “The whole idea was that I wanted to create this ever evolving gallery space so it’s not just the same old thing. I am an interior designer and I easily get bored of things and like to switch it up and bring new things into the mix.”

Whether you’re in need of a serious interior makeover, a show-stopping homewares piece, or you're wanting to take a moment out of your day to appreciate a whole lot of beauty, Hstorie is a must-visit when you’re next in Newcastle’s West End.