As building manager at The Works Glebe it is my pleasure to provide you, our fellow community members with a brief history of the inspiring building within which we are collectively creating the future with a solid respect for the past.

62 Glebe Point Road was built in 1870 on the traditional land of the `Eora' people in `The Glebe'; a 400 acre area of land given to the Anglican church by Captain Arthur Phillip in 1790. The heritage listed symmetrical frontage designed in a commercial Victorian style is simple yet timeless (shown below during the 1990's when Architectural Heritage occupied the building & the iconic centerpiece recreated as our instore chalkboard.)

A Mrs Neill originally owned the two-story street frontage until 1888 when it went on to become Raith's Bishopthorpe Bakery. Margaret & Christian Raith's bake house later became the single largest bakery in the Glebe area. The family lived in the 2-bedroom apartment upstairs. The original wooden staircase still leads us up to the first floor where we now hold our workshop classes and private dining events. (book tickets to upcoming events here...)

To the rear of the bakery were a number of stables housing local and race bred horses that raced at both Harold Park (opened in 1902) and Wentworth Park (opened in 1882). It is from this usage of the majority of the land that we derive the horse symbol that features in The Works Glebe logo… a.k.a The Workhorse.

In January 1959 an oil fill box was installed on the site and in 1963 brothers Christian Raith & August Raith (born in the building in 1905) changed the use of the premises from a bakery to a service station. Local council approved a massive extension to the building in 1964 to facilitate the servicing of cars on the busy Glebe Road (then joined to Glebe Island Bridge) and the awesome structure that is our first floor warehouse level was born.

The brothers Raith sold the service station in 1965 and it became Needham Automotive Co. Cars would drive in through the front of the current shopfront to refill and enter via Derwent Lane at the rear to be repaired & serviced.

After a decade as a service station the building was gutted and leased by an interior-decorating consortium in 1977 and reopened as Architectural Heritage.

Architectural Heritage was famous across the state for it's outlandish collection of enormous fountains, fireplaces and statues from estates of times gone by. Rumour has it that when sourcing pieces for his Hawkesbury River holiday house, Rene Rivkin placed a bet with the owners of Arcitectural Heritage over a particular fireplace worth $30 000. He presented a coin and said that heads would mean he got the fireplace for $15 000 and tails would see him pay $60 000. The owners agreed and Rene drove away with a new half price chimney.

2007 saw the building get sold to its current owner, a Hong Kong based property investor and former Chelsea football player who leased the property to a former Gowings Department store managing director. The building was reopened as the Junktique Emporium and housed 3 levels of second hand retail, a fully equipped photography studio in the 2nd floor and a variety of hireable event & function spaces.

Taking over the building in September 2012 we here at The Works are continuing on with the multipurpose usage of Junktique with an added emphasis on community and creativity. The Works project is the brainchild and `last hurrah' for local music and hotel industry legend David Milton. He has adored the The Works Glebe building for over two decades and jumped at the chance to inherit the lease. Together we aim to create a place inspired by warehouse uses in Berlin, London, New York and Melbourne with a fresh inner west Sydney twist. We think we're on the right track.

We aim to provide a place where creatives can design, create and on sell their ideas all from the one location. Being at the helm of realizing this vision has been the most interesting experience of my life. So far we have enlisted 20+ vendors to stock in our 2 level eclectic retail operation, moved in 15 tenants into a shared industrial office environment on the 3rd level, set up an upcycling and restoration workshop in our loading dock, a classroom for talks and workshops in the original apartment, contracted an architect to reimagine the flow of the space and installed a coffee machine downstairs to fuel the building's collective energy. Hey future, we're here FOREVER!

The Works Glebe would like to welcome Estu Gardens into its community as our latest vendor. Their take on vertical gardens and decoration is gaining a lot of attention at the entrance to the store.

Whether inside or out, at home or the workplace, green finger or not, you can create your own oasis using Estu Garden. Create a talking point and dress your space with fun, crafty and elegant pieces of all shapes and sizes.

Practically maintenance free using a combination of recycled timber, metal, vintage ceramics, glass and flora, we have redefined the modern garden with ageless beauty in a way that suits even the clumsiest of gardeners!

See them in-store today or see more photos here.

Ever wanted to learn how to create your own custom bottle lamp? Sit down and chat with the pro's for one lazy Sunday afternoon and learn how to assemble your own quirky light piece (RRP $110). You'll walk away with a new skillset and an excellent gift or fine addition to the home! Materials are supplied as well as some nibbles to keep you going throughout the afternoon. No experience necessary!

​Your lovely tutor for the afternoon will be Juan from the amazing industrial design label Mas Des Trefles and Dan from Mountain Boat Design. Juan is a stall holder in The Works Glebe, a qualified electrician, steampunk enthusiast and bespoke lighting afficianado. Dan is an employee of The Works Glebe and also a skilled graphic designer with a passion for upcycling and repurposing vintage finds.

The workshop will begin with a half hour introduction and overview on creating your own bespoke electrical items safely and skillfully.

You will then be split into two groups, one working with Juan to prepare the bottle and install the electrical components and the other working with Dan to recover the lampshade with a fabric of your choice.

Once participants have completed both components there'll be time for a photoshoot, final Q&A and a refreshing ale.

Expect a fun afternoon learning new skills, meeting new people and walking away with your own custom made lamp!

Reserve a place here

When a petite sojourn in Paris is not possible, come and visit our snug Salon corner upstairs, which has been beautifully adorned with the delights of French historical charm.

Comprising antique and reproduction furniture and home wares, and masterfully restored pieces done with much amour by the hand of a talented Mademoiselle. From commodes to secretaires, (consoles and desks), grand Regency chandeliers to iron candelabra, handmade brocade cushions and French linen armchairs to velvet loveseats...

Timber, noggins, veneer, board or batons - any form it comes our clever new delightful vendor has given new life to old wood.

Streetwood recycle and repurpose earths natural medium into delightful pieces that fit well into any décor.

Each piece is uniquely crafted and finished to an immaculate standard of workmanship.

Tic-toc tic-toc. When the clocks stop, it's time to wear a bit of history in the fabulous form of a quirky piece from our new design collection from Mas des trèfles.

Vintage watch movements have been repurposed into fantastic jewellery pieces; pendants, rings and the classic pair of cufflinks.

Some in brass, some in nickel and a couple of gold-plated treasures with original synthetic rubies still visible.

Find his amazing steam punk inspired items at The Works Glebe today.

While flapper girls were shimmying up Gatsby style in New York in the Days of Deco something else was lighting up, literally, on the other side of the pond. In Europe, The Iconic Table lamp was born from the bounty of Bauhaus brilliance...and since has been keeping students and workaholics burning the midnight oil …(well, AGL bills to be correct).

​Three of these such Iconic table turners:

Bestlite
Robert Dudley Best, an English designer, educated in Düsseldorf and Paris was a Brit-hipster of the the Bauhaus movement, He designed the lamp collection which subsequently became synonymous with his name, in 1928., the `Bestlite' (below) ... After an article in the renowned Architects' Journal, the English architectural community embraced the lamp, and declared it the first example of a Bauhaus- inspired product in the UK. Bestlite gained everlasting fame when Winston Churchill placed one on his desk in Whitehall. (while burning the night-cap of a Hanky Bannister- his single-malt of choice)

The Anglepoise Lamp
The most famous design, the 1227 (pictured below) was launched in 1935 as a three-spring domestic version of the original four-spring lamp, which was designed for industrial use by automotive designer George Carwardine between 1931 and 1934. Anglepoise lamps were mounted on table bases, trolleys, clamps, wall brackets and even onto ceilings. They were used in photography studios, dentist surgeries, hospital operating theaters and garages, and during the war.

​And since then...

Tolomeo lamp by Artemide.

The iconic Tolomeo lamp, designed in 1987 by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina, became an instant best-seller. It is produced by Artemide. The lamp received the highly recognized prize of Il Compasso d'Oro, an industrial design award created in Italy in 1954. It is a nod to the Bauhuas greats, but reinvented by the next generation of hipster designers; the Memphis group. (More on the Memphis Group Design ...another time)

​If you're after a little bit of iconic light in your life, The Works Glebe has a variety of original and reproduction desk lamps. We also have many American floor standards, French Provincial iron pendants, Rococo crystal chandeliers, Baroque teardrops, industrial medical lamps, world globes that light up (oooer!), a sconce here and a candlestick there...

Albeit many a written word, no one can ever really light up a room with their smile; save the smile for the light-hearted staff at The Works, who will happily consult with any lighting you require.

Mid-century furniture, always seems to pop up in some design journal weekly...and that which comes to mind in particular- the shapely, aquiline profile of a Scandinavian teak framed chair.

Though common in any good vintage furniture store, from Sydney to Seattle, it will never be just a `trend' item. It is an ubiquitous classic - an enduring icon..

Teak, being durable, weatherproof and easy to handcraft, despite its density, was the medium of choice by Dutch settlers in the early 19th century. Re-harvested from Southern Asian expeditions, they valued it's moisture-proof qualities in their Scandinavian climate.

In the 1920's to 30's, revolutionary designers such as Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, carved a niche and hence a movement. Embracing the Bauhaus rule of `form follows function' and coupling this with a study of ergonomics… classical furniture craftsmanship was reinvigorated. Shying away from the sharp line of the preceding early modernists, Danish furniture style spread internationally and mass production techniques expanded the movement to the USA. Though reproductions, and re-designs have emerged each decade since, an original, hand-crafted teak chair of this heritage, is one surely to be throned as the Great Dane of any room.

From rocking chairs, to recliners to organically restored 1950's parkers, if it's Danish furniture you're after, we have the answer.

Acapulco - like staccato serenading; the very mention of it conjures up a reverie of the glamour, bright colours and breezy insouciance of the 1950's blinging jet-set: Hollywood heartthrobs and heady-scented starlets who flocked to the 'it' holiday destination for the first Tequila sunsets. The rat pack vacationed there, Liz Taylor got married (again) there, and Jackie and John Kennedy honeymooned there. And at some point during that era, someone designed the Acapulco chair. Constructed from lightweight steel and plastic, many believe the chair is based on the Mayan hammock weaving but the design and its designer continues to remain anonymous to this day.

One fable is that it was a French tourist, afflicted by his heated discomfort in a solid-constructed chair in the Mexican sun, took immediate inspiration from said Mayan hammocks to design the ventilated masterpiece we know today. Of course a Frenchman would take such credit...but in Gallic gratitude, there were a hell lot less sweaty derrières lounging on Acapulco beach that summer...