Say hello to Poppy. She’s the cherry on top, the bright, bold burst of colour in our rainbow.
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what’s inside
So much love has gone into launching Poppy. An absolutely massive thank you to... Kate Jansen, Shoot Location | Zoe Lonergan, Photographer | Mustard Team (Becca, Jess, Emily + Paris), Styling Niki Hennessy, Editor | Amy Lewis, Graphic Designer | And of course thank you to Poppy Gray. © Mustard Made 2022
introducing poppy Say hello to Poppy, a colour that truly ‘pops’ (see what we did there?). Meet the beautiful new red in the Mustard Made rainbow. The name? That was easy! We named it Poppy after co-founder Jess' daughter and just like its namesake, our red is confident, playful and adventurous. For those with a major colour crush, Poppy is a showstopper. She’s the bright, bold, burst of colour that brings the wow factor wherever she goes. An iconic shade of red with a retroinspired vibe, we have kept it super classic whilst finding the perfect tone to match the rest of our Mustard rainbow. We’d say she is a pretty perfect fit!
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Poppy adds the cherry on top to an already bold colour palette, adding to our vibrant, colourful aesthetic. She pairs perfectly with our pink tones, Blush and Berry, or can be matched with our rich, saturated hues, like Mustard, Navy and Olive. If you’re looking for a statement piece that brings you joy each time she catches your eye, then Poppy is your girl! Our Poppy colourway is launching as a limited edition locker collection, available exclusively through www.mustardmade.com Fall in love with lockers for home, work and play. Love Mustard
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Meet our brand new shade, Poppy. She can be warm and welcoming, fiery and bold, sophisticated and a little bit sassy. We’re in love.
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meet mustard made Founded by sisters Becca and Jess, Mustard Made creates colourful lockers for home, work and play. Mustard launched in Australia (where Becca lives) and the UK (where Jess lives) in 2018 and has been spreading the locker love ever since. We’re here to help you tidy up and look good while you’re at it. We've reimagined old-school lockers to make them pretty and practical. Our products are designed to be used anywhere, from a new baby’s nursery to a cool co-working space. With versatility and function at the core, our lockers bring colour and playfulness to any space. The spark for Mustard started when we were walking by the ocean and pondering a question: What is it that you love that is uniquely you? It brought us to Becca’s slightly peculiar love of vintage lockers. Becca had a few old lockers in her home and studio that she had found in antique shops and vintage markets over the years. There was something so satisfying about the classic locker look but they were never
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very functional. We could see the potential to reimagine them into something that was both beautiful and practical. That was really the inspiration that became Mustard. The possibility of creating something beautiful, that would last a lifetime, but that also worked as functional storage space. We set about creating the standout pieces we wanted for our own homes. Six months later we were in China diving deep into a world of locker manufacturing and six months after that we launched our first two products at a trade show in Sydney. Now we have a family of lockers and matching accessories, a rainbow of colourways and you’ll find our lockers in over 30 countries around the world. We like to joke that Mustard is just a way for us to hang out more often, but it’s more than that. We’re a family business, with a big heart, big dreams and a love for lockers in all shapes and sizes. Thank you for sharing the locker love. Becca + Jess
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quick questions with co-founder, jess Poppy is such a lovely name, why did you choose it for your little bundle of joy? When we were growing up our mum used to sing a funny little song to us about ‘Poppynoodle’. It was cute and silly, and something really special from our childhood. As soon as I found out I was pregnant I knew that if I had a girl I wanted to name her Poppy. Poppy joined the family in August 2021 and to say our lives have changed since then feels like a very clichéd understatement. Tell us about Poppy, the new Mustard colourway? Where did the idea come from? When you own a homewares brand known for its beautiful rainbow of colours, and you name your daughter Poppy there’s really only one thing you can do, right?! Haha! But in all seriousness, it was actually Becca who proposed the idea of launching a Poppy red and I’m pretty sure my first reaction was to burst into tears (I was a very new mum at the time). Needless to say, it was an idea I was immediately on-board with!
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When we were selecting our red we wanted to make sure it was a shade that complemented the Mustard rainbow and did justice to bright, bubbly Poppy herself. You never really realise how many different shades there are of any colour until you start trying to pick one! Luckily this is where I can defer to Becca’s expertise, she is the creative brains behind all our colourways and designs. Although I might be a little biased, I feel like our Poppy is the perfect shade of red. How do you manage a global business and being a new mum? It has been a learning experience that’s for sure! I just feel so grateful to have such an amazing and supportive partner in Marc, we are very lucky we get to work and parent together. Our amazing team have been so supportive which has really made all the juggling possible. One thing I have learnt is that I can’t work and parent at the same time! (Sounds obvious but it’s taken a while to figure it out!).
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Working alongside such brilliant people within our business makes me so endlessly proud. Checking emails while trying to feed, or trying to get Poppy to sleep while I’m in a meeting, means I’m not really doing justice to either of those things. It usually ends up with a very frazzled Jess! I’ve found that when I carve out time that is dedicated to working and taking the time to be fully in mum-mode means I enjoy Poppy and Mustard life so much more!
means we know our business inside and out! Becca and I both have very different career experience and expertise and that’s also been the case with Jono and Marc joining the business. We all have our clear roles and we all respect each other’s strengths to manage those areas. Plus we get on really well, which also helps!
Mustard is the epitome of a family business — launched by sisters, now employing both your partners… how do you make it work?
It’s been so nice to watch Mustard expand and to share the workload with people we love and trust. We never imagined at the start of this journey that Marc and Jono would join Mustard full time, but now we couldn’t imagine this business without them!
I think the fact that we all genuinely enjoy what we do is a really big factor! When we first launched Mustard, Becca and I did everything within the business, and that allowed us both to get a really clear idea of what we like to do, what we’re good at and also what we are best not doing ourselves! It also
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What is one of your proudest moments since launching Mustard? The moment I realised I could take a day off without feeling like the wheels would
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fall off was a big moment for me. Growing our team and attracting excellent talent has allowed us to scale and expand, despite a global pandemic being thrown into the mix. In August last year (when Poppy was just a few weeks old) we officially launched in the USA. When we first launched Mustard in 2018 the US market was one of those massive, longterm goals that was always part of the vision
but seemed a long way off. We were able to successfully pull off a launch in a massive new market, in a country that we had never even been to, during a pandemic, with a tiny baby! It all came down to the incredible team we’ve built. Working alongside such brilliant people within our business makes me so endlessly proud.
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five minutes with mustard creative director, becca As Creative Director at Mustard, what does a typical day at work look like?
out of baskets or creating a bespoke stop motion video.
A typical day for me is really varied, but always fun and inspiring. My day usually starts and ends with Facetimes with Jess and other members of the UK team; one of the necessities of having half your team asleep at any one time. Then throughout the day I’m working across any number of projects with my team here in Australia.
When you’re creating a new colourway for the Mustard rainbow, where do you start?
One of the things I love about my work is that I get to dream up exciting, creative, out-ofthe-box ideas and then work with my team to bring those to life. That might be travelling halfway across Australia to do a photoshoot at a customer’s gorgeous home (hello Kate Jansen’s amazing home featured in our Poppy photos), building a 6ft-high Christmas tree
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Often our inspiration for a new colourway comes either from trends we’re seeing in the home and interiors space, or feedback we receive from our Mustard community. From there, I will pull out my handy colour swatches and look at dozens of shades and tones, mixing and matching with our existing Mustard colours to find the perfect fit within our rainbow. Poppy was a little different, because as soon as I heard my new baby niece’s name I knew we had to do a Poppyinspired colour. Red was one of the colours missing from our rainbow, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to fill that gap!
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Red was one of the colours missing from our rainbow, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to fill that gap!
What has been the most challenging part of growing a global homewares brand? The scale of Mustard is something that I very quickly realised I needed to rethink. Mustard was never meant to be small, we launched with the intention of building a global brand, but the speed at which that growth happened was so far outside my wildest dreams. When we were preparing to launch I developed a two year business plan, within the first two days I realised very quickly I had to throw that out the window! I had to really challenge myself to think bigger in all our decision making from that point onwards so that we were establishing a business with the infrastructure to support ongoing, exponential growth. I’d say it’s one of those good problems to have!
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What do you love most about Mustard? Mustard is all about the people. Jess and I started this business as an excuse to spend more time together and now as our team has grown they’ve become an extension of our family. At the end of last year we asked everyone to share their highlights of the year, and across the board the feedback was that being back together, in the office as a team was one of the top moments. I consider it such an honour that people give so much of their time and their life to our business and in turn, that our business can support them in their lives too. It’s a beautiful journey that we are all on together and knowing that our team enjoy coming to work and that the team connection is so valuable to them is so important to me. It honestly makes me feel a bit teary just thinking about it.
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all things poppy
Top row L to R: Morrison Falyn Pullover in Lolly by Alainn Mae, Red Flower Glasses by The Lane and Co, Poppy Socks by Gorman Second row L to R: Kiki Dress in Red by Kowtow, Isa Jean in Sienna by Denimsmith, Organic Cotton Sleeveless Skivvy in Cherry by A.BCH Third row L to R: Scrunchie in Tomato Red by ARKET, Thingys in RougePaul by TWOOBS, Jacquard Knit Cardigan in Orange by Zara Fourth row L to R: Re-kånken in Red by Fjällräven, Unikko Bathrobe by Marimekko, All Star Classic High Top in Red by Converse
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Red is iconic. London buses. Postboxes. Cherries. Red velvet cupcakes. Now you can add our Poppy lockers to the list.
Previous page / Top row L to R: Unikko F/Q Duvet Set by Marimekko, Pansy Flower Bath Towel by Castle, Always Pan in Heat by Our Place Second row L to R: Poppy Vase by Sophie Lou Jacobsen, 4-stud Red Storage Brick in Red by Lego, Linnea Andersson Blanket in Red/Pink by ARKET This page / Top row L to R: Little Red Doggie by Castle, Flowerpot VP9 Portable Table Lamp by Cult, Super Fan Pack by Axiology Second row L to R: San Raphael Wild Flower Salad Bowl by Arket, Dinkum Doll Rainy Play Set in Red by Olli Ella, Flower Feeling by Claire Richie
PHOTOGRAPHER: Michelle Bolitho
styling wowhaus, at home with kate jansen With a flair for styling established during her time working for one of the UK’s most prestigious window display companies, artist Kate Jansen has translated her eye for colour into a beautiful, unique home in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. When the Mustard team started planning the launch campaign for Poppy, Kate (a longtime locker lover) and her incredible home came straight to mind. An 11-hour interstate drive and three days of shooting later and Kate’s house proved to be the perfect canvas to showcase Poppy in all her glory.
a white Citron 2CV, and I covered it in bright colourful vinyl flowers.” When it comes to interiors, Kate’s colour preferences have evolved over time. “I’ve always started with white floorboards and walls, which gives you the perfect blank canvas and from there I guess I’ve just started to experiment and explore with different colours.
Known as WowHaus (@wowhaus.au) Kate’s mid-century Mornington bungalow is a devotion to the joy of colour. “My love of colour began when I studied illustration at art college in the south of England,” said Kate.
When my family and I lived in our home in West London I had a soft spot for red. We had a really unusual retro spiral staircase and I had a bright red carpet laid on it. There was lots of pops of red throughout the house — red cushions, red doors and a red splash back in the kitchen. Then when we moved to Australia I started to broaden out into different colours and colour combinations.”
“I’d go to a lot of thrift shops and make clothes and cushions out of vintage fabric. I had my first car at the time, which was
But it wasn’t until she moved into her current home that she really started to embrace a truly bold and diverse colour palette.
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Ultimately, I try to make art that makes people happy. It’s colourful and fun with a sense of delight and nostalgia.
“The character of this house, with its unique ceilings and U-shaped layout has really given me permission to be more adventurous. It has a beachy vibe that lends itself to midcentury modern styling that I just love. It is very eclectic with a lot of old and new mixed together — nothing really matches, but everything works together. It’s an ongoing process. I’m very lucky that my husband is happy for me to keep changing things up, and that he doesn’t mind pink!” Kate shared with a laugh. Kate’s love of colour and her obsession with palm trees are what characterise her artworks. “I used to go to Palm Springs in the US with my parents on holiday as a child and it was one of the happiest times of my life. That’s where I draw my inspiration from, hence all the palm
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trees and swimming pools! It was a far cry from the south of England where I grew up — there was definitely no palm trees there. “Ultimately, I try to make art that makes people happy. It’s colourful and fun with a sense of delight and nostalgia. I think my home reflects that about me as well. It’s bright and happy, people walk in and the first response is usually ‘Wow!”, which is where the name WowHaus came from,” Kate said with a smile. When it comes to taking the leap to introducing bold colours into our home, Kate says start small and grow your confidence as you go. “Just gradually introduce something and see how it looks, feel comfortable with it and then
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build from there. A duvet cover or a cushion can be a good start. Plants are also a great way to make a house more homely — or in my case a cat or two! Colour is definitely more approachable and easier to use now than it perhaps was a few years ago and there are so many incredible brands and products now. Castle & Things is one of my favourite brands, I love everything
they do. Greenhouse Interiors, House of Orange, Sage and Clare, Jumbled and of course Mustard Made. I have seven Mustard lockers all in different colours, they’re a great statement and can be the perfect piece to start to build your palette around.” You can see more of Kate’s beautiful house, and discover her amazing artworks at @wowhaus.au on Instagram.
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how to style poppy Poppy has the power to complete your bold colour palette or stand strong as an eye-catching statement piece. Poppy is a versatile shade of red that can bring midcentury modern, Palm Springs or pop-art iconic vibes depending how you style her. Introducing red into your colour palette for the first time may feel like a bold step. But, trust us, you’re going to fall in love with Poppy too! The addition of red can accentuate other colours within your palette and really make them sing. No matter whether you’re fearless with colour or like to dabble with accessories, a pop of red can bring vibrancy and fun to almost any colour scheme.
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Poppy adds a splash of colour when paired with our pink tones, Berry and Blush. Together, these three will give you a soft, romantic look. We’re all *heart eyes* for this stunning combination! Add in Mustard to make it more floral, playful and a little bit brighter. Think of a big bunch of bursting poppies and all the joy they bring a space. Create a European modernist colour palette by matching Poppy with classic, muted primary colours. Mix it with Navy, Mustard and Olive for a confident, creative look. There’s so many ways to bring red into your space. Are you red-y *wink wink* for Poppy?
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01. Palm Springs style
on-trend colour combos
02. Pop art 03. Mid-century modern vibes 04. Retro glam
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the mustard rainbow Poppy
Berry
Blush
Lilac
Mustard
The Shortys
The Lowdown
The Skinny
The Midi
The Twinny
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Navy
Ocean
Olive
Sage
Slate
White
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more than ‘just’ lockers When we made the decision to start a business together, we did it with the intention of creating something that would transform our lives, align with our values and allow us to bring a little bit more joy into the world. From very early on we knew that giving back was something essential to Mustard’s DNA as a business so once we had things established, we started working with social impact startup, Beam.
order to Beam. In that time we’ve supported over 800 people to find housing, jobs and undertake training. In May 2022 Mustard hit a huge milestone, reaching over £100,000 donated to Beam. For us, that achievement is really what this business journey is all about, having a positive impact, giving back and making Mustard mean more than just ‘lockers’.
Beam crowdfunds career opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and supports them in the path to finding and keeping new jobs. Founded in 2017 by Alex Stephany, Beam utilises worldclass technology to support the most disadvantaged people in the UK.
We are so proud to be the largest corporate donor to support the amazing work Beam does. Beam is working to change negative stereotypes around homelessness through showing the talents and aspirations of people facing this problem. By reflecting the true diversity of the homeless population, Beam is helping to change lives and eliminate discrimination.
Since September 2019 Mustard has proudly donated £5 from every UK and European
To find out more about Beam and support the fantastic work they do head to www.beam.org
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