It's onwards and upwards for much loved Sydney furntiture and homewares company, Koskela.

From soups to sofas. For a furniture company that prides itself on its Australian heritage and getting all the ingredients right, this new showroom - in an old Rosella canning factory - was the logical choice.

Koskela occupied an unassuming space up a flight of stairs in Sydney's Surry Hills for almost eight years, but now it has upped sticks to a new venue in Rosebery, in Sydney's south east. With about 2000 square metres of floor space, compared with just 400 square metres previously, the new premises signals the company's push into the retail sector and will give it more scope to explore new product lines, says Sasha Titchkosky, co-principal with Russel Koskela.

"We spent nine months trying to find the right space; one with a heritage and a history," says Titchkosky. "Nearly every old warehouse has been touched by developers, but this one, 100 years old next year, was original. With its brickwork and old beams, its high ceilings and light, we knew this was it."

After the couple stripped the painted brick walls, installed a kitchen, bathrooms and an upstairs office, the space was ready for the new Koskela.

The expansion has seen the introduction of a high-end range, Collection, and an affordable range, Studio, to complement its existing product lines.

In the Collection range are fabrics by Northern Territory indigenous artist Regina Wilson, woven Yuta Badayala pendants by Arnhem Land craftspeople and Shino ceramics by Malcolm Greenwood. Next, expect to see dining table and chairs, and later a sofa.

"Studio is an entry-level product that appeals to the more youthful, more mobile end of the market with tuck-away, easy-to-move pieces, sometimes with fluoro highlights," says Titchkosky. Hence, the Quadrant modular sofas and armchairs, the multi-purpose plywood milk crates, and the Bye Bye Birdy pendant lights, many in brilliant colours.

Meanwhile, Junior caters for children. "We wanted to create products that were tactile and worked their imaginations, their sense of fun and wonder, and were also quite tough," she says.

Food and design make good companions and the new premises connects to a 110-seat cafe, Kitchen by Mike, run by Mike McEnearney, formerly head chef at Sydney's Rockpool. The menu emphasises fresh, seasonal produce, some of which will soon be picked from a garden behind the building. McEnearney, a beekeeper, also intends setting up an apiary.

As if the new operation wasn't already a hive of activity, at the rear of the showroom space are The Propery, which stocks props for stylists, together with photographic studio, and The School, a design, craft and styling workshop for adults and children. All are run by stylist Megan Morton.

"We wanted to create somewhere with a connection with the community," says Titchkosky. The buzz is building.

Koskela; (02) 9280 0999.

Related video:
Kitchen By Mike is the brainchild of renowned chef Mike McEnearny in collaboration with Koskela. With a super unique set-up, they've established a new canteen style dining experience at their new Rosebery showroom in Sydney. Through this snapshot video of a 'match made in heaven', Koskela's creative force Sasha Titchkosky and Russel Koskela share the secrets of how this partnership with Mike came to life.