The Boutiques We Love

A shopping guide through the towns we build in

Part of building in a place is getting to know it. There’s no faster way to feel a town’s character than wandering the main street. Over the years, The Rural Building Co. team has picked up a few favourite regional stops along the way. Here are six boutiques in six of the towns where we build that we always make a point of ducking into.

Albany | Stamms Emporium
100 York St, Albany

Stamms Emporium sits right on Albany’s main strip, run by a mother-and-daughter team who’ve filled the shelves with bright ceramics, coloured glassware and flowing fashion from small Australian labels, alongside homewares from Bison, Angus and Celeste, and from Myrtle and Moss. It’s the kind of shop that gives York Street its energy, and a browse through the colour on offer is a good reminder that a home doesn’t have to play it safe.

Bridgetown | Slow Grow Project
87 Hampton St, Bridgetown

Slow Grow Project is part working studio, part retail store, tucked into the Blackwood River Valley and filled with European linen, handcrafted ceramics, artisan soaps and rustic vintage finds, all set against walls of dried blooms grown just down the road. There’s a workshop space next door, running everything from wreath-making classes to community craft sessions. It’s slow and considered, in a way that feels true to Bridgetown itself, built on raw, honest materials.

Denmark | Found Co.
23 South Coast Highway, Denmark

Found Co. is where Denmark’s laid-back, forest-meets-coast character comes through loud and clear, with curated vintage pieces, kitchen and homeware, and linen and hand-printed textiles, each with a bit of history. Nothing in there feels overly styled, and mixing old finds with new textiles is a clever trick to make your newly built home feel lived-in from day one.

Dunsborough | The LemonTree
Shop 12 & 13, Dunsborough Centrepoint, 55 Dunn Bay Rd, Dunsborough

The LemonTree has been trading in Dunsborough since December 2003. It was started by a former retail buyer who spent years sourcing pieces for other people’s homes before deciding to open her own. These days it’s stocked with considered kitchen and tableware brands such as Bodum, Maxwell & Williams, Krosno and Luigi Bormioli. More than two decades in the same spot have made it a genuine local fixture rather than a passing trend.

Margaret River | Drapery Co
126 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River

Drapery Co is one of the newer additions to Margaret River’s main street, spanning women’s, men’s and kids’ fashion alongside accessories, homewares and gifts in a considered fit-out. It’s current without losing the town’s relaxed, unpretentious feel, with fashion and homewares sharing the one space without feeling crowded.

Geraldton | Roma Gifts
166 Marine Tce, Geraldton

Family-run since 2008 and now carried on by the founder’s daughter, Roma Gifts is a Marine Terrace favourite for bright, considered homewares, gifts and jewellery. It’s the sort of multi-generational business we understand well, having built across the Mid West for years, and its confident use of colour suits Geraldton’s coastal light perfectly.

From the coast at Albany to the Mid West in Geraldton, these are just a handful of the shops that make the towns we build in feel like home. Next time you’re passing through, it’s worth pulling over.