There’s intention from the outset – windows full of colour, form, and intrigue, a foyer that eases you in. Then comes the reveal: a layered world of story-rich design, filled with unexpected treasures. Step in once, and chances are you’ll want to stay awhile.
Sprawled across two levels in the heart of Sydney’s Inner West, Orient House has been many things over the years: a destination, a trove, a secret, a source. But most of all, it’s a living showroom; a story told through objects, shaped by many hands, cultures, and traditions. Since 1997, we’ve been among Australia’s longest-standing importers and retailers of antique, vintage, and handcrafted pieces from around the globe. What started as a fascination with craftsmanship and culture has become a life’s work – a home for objects with soul.
We source directly from the makers and the markets, the workshops and the warehouses. From southern and central Africa to the villages of China, the studios of India, the workshops of Bali and the bazaars of Turkey, our collections are hand-selected in person and shipped home in 40-foot containers every few months. Each new arrival transforms the space, and with the help of our in-house stylist, the showroom takes on a new rhythm and personality every time. It's part gallery, part treasure hunt - always evolving.
We don’t follow trends, but we do follow stories. The ones etched into an antique elm table. Handwoven into a Makenge basket. Carved into the iron-strapped teak of a century-old pitara chest. We work with artisans, family businesses, and craftspeople whose skills have often been passed down through generations. Many have become close friends along the way; a natural extension of the care, conversation, and curiosity that shape every part of this journey.
That ethos extends to everything we do. Our pieces are made to last – not just physically, but emotionally. They’re built from natural materials, using traditional methods, and they carry the weight and texture of time. You won’t find much plastic here, and most of what you do is salvaged packaging from previous shipments or repurposed wherever possible.
And while you can browse a selection of our collection online, Orient House is best experienced in person. The scale, the patina, the density of detail – it’s something that doesn’t quite translate until you’re standing between a hand-carved almirah and a hand-painted Chinese cabinet, running your hand over a fossilised wood stool, or craning upward at a stack of baskets taller than you.
Visit our Glebe showroom and experience the space for yourself. The stories here shift with every shipment, but they always begin the same way: with a sense of wonder and deep respect for the the hands that made each piece, and the long, layered histories that brought them here.
