Koala are continuing to expand their offering beyond mattresses by branching into homewares. The collection of over 30 pieces spans cushions, throws, and the first wool rug range in Australia to use certified Responsible Wool.
Founder and CEO Mitch Taylor says the expansion is one of their most exciting yet. “Homewares as a category is traditionally the pinnacle of “fast furniture” so the challenge of revolutionising the industry excited us. Koala first disrupted the mattress industry by cutting out the middleman, and then the furniture industry by creating furniture built to last, and now we’ve done it again with homewares.”
Koala’s in-house designers work on every single piece from scratch, before turning the pieces over to master craftsmen and women in India. “With homewares, we want to celebrate Koala’s uniqueness whilst doing something meaningful and timeless for the brand. We’ve created a real sense of something special you can’t get anywhere else, with all colours and material finishes inspired by the Australian landscape, from outback red dirt to beautiful coral reefs,” said design director Alexandra Owen.
Koala’s new collection was created with sustainability in mind. The wool rugs are made with Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) wool, sustainably sourced from New Zealand. Additionally, rugs such as the Bottlebrush Rug are made with 100% PET recycled plastic bottles, reducing waste in landfills or the ocean.
Jen’s loving the Beach Bum Throw, inspired by native flora and fauna and made from certified organic cotton
There’s not a stitch nor seam that hasn’t passed Koala’s rigorous sustainable standards. This includes using blended or 100% OCS Organic Cotton, responsibly sourced wool and fabrics made of recycled plastic bottles. Plus the brand worked with suppliers who prioritise fair work practices.
When Koala hit the Australian furniture scene in 2015, it made waves due to its unique ‘mattress in a box’ offering. Coupled with the brand’s fabulous 120-night trial policy, commitment to solid eco-friendly practices and reasonable prices, Koala has gone on to become one of our most successful furniture start-ups. Today we catch up with the brand’s Vice President of product and design, James Whitta, to hear all about the brand’s ethos and expansion.
The mattress that put the brand on the map
“Koala’s philosophy is all about creating products that suit the laidback Aussie lifestyle while also doing wonders for the planet. Sustainability is at the core of Koala’s identity; we always ensure we are taking care of the planet and its people every step of the way. We also want our customers to find buying furniture from us a breeze, by ensuring all our products are easy to buy, try and return,” says James.
Koala Highback armchair
After launching with one mattress style in 2015, and experiencing great success, Koala added a variety of others to the mix, designed to service every type of sleeper. The line-up soon became Australia’s most awarded mattress range and it encouraged Koala to look at other ways to permeate our homes. Consequently, in 2018, Koala launched the Lounging Sofa and continued to add furniture lines.
The Koala Lounging sofa
“While sleep will always be a core part of Koala, it was a natural progression for us to explore how we could continue to develop products that Aussies will become die-hard fans of,” says James in explaining the current Koala range which includes beds, bed linen, pillows, desks, chairs, tables, storage options and sofas. Continuing the award-winning success of the brand’s mattresses, the Koala Cushy sofa bed was voted Product of the Year in 2022 (in the sofa bed category), and the WFH Desk won a Good Design Award in 2021.
The Koala Cushy sofa bedThe award winning WFH Desk alongside other Koala items
Simple, stylish designs aside, the brand’s risk-free 120-night trial period is surely a solid consumer drawcard. “If customers aren’t in love with their new purchase, you can simply let us know, ship it back and receive a full refund. This applies across our entire range, not just our famous mattresses,” says James who explains that returned goods are given a second life through one of 68 charity partners.
Koala vice president of product and design, James Whitta
Koala Curved Back dining chair
Koala’s commitment to sustainability is no doubt another enticement for consumers with the brand committed to designing furniture that is well-loved and kept for years. “It’s part of our bid to take a stance against the fast furniture industry. All of Koala’s products are designed with their life cycles in mind, to ensure they are as recyclable as possible and that they don’t end up in landfill at the end of their days,” says James.
In addition, Koala sources timber from environmentally and socially managed forests through its work with the Forest Stewardship Council. “Our customers can feel great knowing they’ve chosen a product that takes care of forests, and the people and animals who call them home.”
Koala Round Coaster coffee table
And while the brand currently boasts 230 employees and has expanded into Japan and South Korea, there’s plenty of exciting news to come yet. In response to consumer demand, Koala is about to enter another sphere of the furniture market. “We had overwhelming demand from our customers to launch these new products, so we can’t wait to share the good news. All will be revealed in June but for now, it’s a secret!”
There is so much buzz out there about mattress-in-a-box brand Koala that I couldn’t resist trying one for myself when a very well-timed offer came my way. We are just turning my home office into a guest bedroom because I’ve found I just don’t work in there anymore. With a baby at home and doing a lot of juggling, it just makes sense for me and my laptop to hang out in the middle of the house. And the natural light’s way better there anyway!
So, my desk was swapped for a new queen bed and I was considering my mattress options when Koala asked me if I’d like to try one. You bet I would! And if you would too, I have a $150 off code for you. More on that later…
Sebastian loved the new mattress too!
I was sceptical though. How can one kind of mattress suit everyone? For the purposes of this review, both my husband Damian and I have spent two nights sleeping on the mattress. And we both loved it. Loved it! This review isn’t paid (although the product was gifted) so I’m free to say whatever I like. If I don’t like something I’d usually rather say nothing rather than be negative. But I genuinely think this is a very comfortable mattress.
Koala’s not just about mattresses now. They’ve expanded into bed bases, pillows, sheet sets and even sofas (you can get $150 off one of those with my code too). We tried the eucalyptus fibre sheets (they feel really silky and lovely!) and the memory foam pillows (also one size fits all) too. I love love love my pillow and find it super comfortable. My neck feels very supported. Damian ditched his after two goes because it just wasn’t working for him. That said, he has back and shoulder issues and is very fussy about pillows. He almost always has a headache if he forgets to take his own pillow to a hotel, for example. The reason these pillows do work for a lot of people (if not my husband!) is that they have a high side and a low side, so you can flip them depending on your preference; for me that’s the low side, especially as I always sleep with my arm under my pillow. From an aesthetic point of view, I have to mention that this pillow, despite being memory foam, looks like a regular pillow and isn’t that clunky, rectangular shape of many contour pillows. And yes that is important when you want your bed to look fabulous!
Now, I could talk about their amazing branding and all the cool little surprises when you open the boxes but that would, well, ruin the surprise! I also love how they make a donation to the WWF and other koala charities for every mattress bought. And in many areas, they will (in partnership with mattress recycling charity Soft Landing) collect and take away your old mattress for free (and they are hard things to get rid of, let me tell you!).
I think the Koala mattress (from $750) and pillow ($150) are fantastic, and I’m sure our relatives visiting from the UK soon will agree! The sheets are nice but I personally like nice cotton or linen sheets just as much and these give me many more choices of colour, so I wouldn’t spend the money on them.
If you’d like to try the Koala mattress or sofa (both can be delivered within four hours in metro areas!), use my code INTERIORSADDICTKOALA for $150 off either.
You get 120 days to try them out and, if you don’t like them, you can return them. Or, rather, they’ll come and pick them up. Can’t say fairer than that.
I have to admit, this innovative brand have seriously impressed me with their product and customer experience.
This week, I happen to have seen a lot of cute kid’s stuff, so I thought I’d do a roundup of great looking things for the little people in your home.
How gorgeous are these bamboo plates from Emondo Kids?! A platypus and a a frill-necked lizard are among the other designs. Also a great gift idea if you’re wanting to buy something Aussie as for a friend overseas without it being tacky or garish! $42 each.
And my top tip for catching all the mess that ends up under the highchair is to buy a metre of oilcloth from Me Too Please for $14.95. It makes a stylish and cheap splash mat and wipe-ups are a breeze! All sorts of lovely designs available from florals and gingham to polkadots and fruit!
There are decals and there are decals and Love Mae’s fabric wall stickers are definitely the acceptable kind! Say no more… I love these whales. $79.95.
We recently made over Seb’s room with Pottery Barn Kids (and we’ll be revealing it later this month). While I was browsing their site this week, I fell for this cool cushion, part of their latest collaboration with fashion designers Emily Current & Meritt Elliot. $59.
I’m completely in love with these jumbo vintage stamp posters from Quercus & Co. They’re so unique and make a great impact at a low price, with low commitment as they’re self adhesive (like regular stamps!) and removable (so perfect for renters too). I also love how Aussie they are, in a non-tacky way!
Printed onto fine fabric, the Wall Stamps have perforated edges for the authentic postage stamp effect.
They can be removed, repositioned and reused over and over. No need for wallpaper paste, nails or even 3M hooks! Ridiculously simple but with maximum impact.
The first (of many, we hope) collection features four nostalgic Australian wildlife designs from the 1930s. The engravings have been redrawn in crayon. All available in three different sizes from little ($45) through to jumbo ($245).
Frankly, who wouldn’t want a giant pink koala stamp on their wall?! Definitely a great idea for expat relatives overseas too.
