About Us
Hi there! Peta and Ellie here, the creative mother-daughter duo behind Brisbane’s local treasure trove: Bowerbird Collections.
Our Story
We opened Bowerbird Collections 14 years to showcase Peta’s beautiful handmade lamps. Overtime we expanded our team and our range of skills to include fabric and fashion design, lampshade making and workshops.
Our message is simple: Design with passion. Create with integrity. Collaborate with intention.
Each piece, whether it is a lamp, a pair of earrings, an oil painting, or a dress, is handcrafted in Brisbane to bring light and joy to those who treasure them.
Our ethos is clear : Quality not quantity. Find beauty in everyday life. And, celebrate the talent of those around us.
At Bowerbird Collections, we believe in supporting local creators and Australian industry. We therefore aim to have our pieces made here, mindfully and consciously. And, we thank you for supporting us to do just that!
The Bowerbird Dream Team
“A beautiful interior is a joy to live in, and the better we feel the happier and healthier we are.”
Peta Sweetman
Founder – Interior Designer – CeramicisT – Fashion Designer
Peta is Bowerbird’s creative soul. Her history as an Interior Designer married with her 20+ years’ experience in ceramic artistry is where it all began. Furthermore, her experience and love of sewing paved the way for Bowerbird’s fashion range. Peta is now passing on her ceramic skills in a range of workshops.
See the Gallery & Workshop tab for more details on our workshops.
“Art is a window; a portal to another possibility. It can change your state of mind, and I find that fascinating”
Ellie Sweetman
Co-founder – Artist – Textile Designer – Curator
Ellie is the artistic flair and textile designer at Bowerbird. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from QCA and exhibits her bold impressionistic oil paintings in store. Bowerbird’s fabric range for interiors and fashion often features Ellie’s artwork, translated into textile designs. Ellie now runs a variety of oil painting workshops.
See the Gallery & Workshop tab for more details on our workshops.
“I love that all of Bowerbird’s handmade products combine beauty with practicality.”
Sue Robinson
Bookkeeper – Sewist – Lampshade Maker
Sue is the wonder that keeps Bowerbird rolling smoothly. She’s a wiz at bookkeeping and is also the creative heart that hand makes our beautiful range of lampshades and cushions. Sue is now teaching her skills in our lampshade making workshops.
See the Gallery & Workshop tab for more details on our workshops.
“Forming meaningful and lasting connections is something I cherish, and getting the chance to spread the word about Bowerbird and share my love for you all from afar is one of my favourite things. It brings me closer to this magical place .”
Rachel Sweetman
Event coordinator – pr & marketing consultant – instagram
Rachel is our PR & Marketing overseas consultant. Living in Los Angeles as a Special Events Manager, she helps spread the word about Bowerbird, and challenges the team to network and meet more friendly folks like yourselves. She’s also in charge of the shop’s Instagram, sharing Bowerbird’s love. We’ll see you at the next fashion show, Rach!
About Our Products
The Bowerbird Ceramics story begins with Peta, an intuitive and self-taught potter. After 17 years of devoted glaze exploration with tiles, Peta perfected her unique recipes for our signature Bowerbird glaze range. Our glazes, with their rich jewel colours and beautiful crazed finish are what sets Bowerbird Ceramics apart from the rest.
What is the crazing finish? We’re glad you asked! It is the perfect and incredibly fine cracking in the glaze that has been stained to enhance the beauty. Because every piece is painted by hand this finish is as unique as you are!
In the beginning, Peta did every step in the production process. From making the clay, moulds and glazes to assembling the finished product, she worked 7 days a week to accomplish this. As demand has grown, we’ve enlisted the help of some trusted local makers to keep every Bowerbird piece authentically Australian handmade.
Things are always growing and expanding in our ceramics range and every lamp, tissue box and trinket has its own personality. But even as the range changes, the ceramic treasures you take home will never change. Our ceramics are made to last so we hope you love them, because they’ll be around for a long time! (Like, pass it down to your kids – long time)
When you can’t find what you want, make it yourself! This about sums up Bowerbird’s leap into fashion design.
In the early days Peta and Ellie were constantly seeking locally made fashion to stock at Bowerbird. But their criteria of bright, bold prints on fabrics derived from natural fibres proved to be hard to find.
So, they waited for guidance; soon a series of synchronicities lead them in a new and exciting direction. Peta already had extensive knowledge of sewing, and was guided by a close friend Justine to create the fashion range herself! So, she got to work on pattern-making to produce the Bowerbird range we know and love today.
The secret behind the design of our clothes? It’s cross-generational! Nothing makes the cut without the nod of approval from both Peta and Ellie; ensuring that our fashion collection has wearable pieces for all age ranges.
Of course, our extensive range wouldn’t exist without the local sewists whose industry knowledge and eye for detail ensure the high quality of our garments. Most recently, we’ve expanded into belts, bags and jewellery as the result of meeting and collaborating with other local makers, untied by the passion for sustainable and ethical fashion.
We use only natural fibres and fibres made from natural materials, like wood pulp. Because natural fibres are better for our bodies and our waterways than plastic based polyesters.
Our fashion range is designed and manufactured in Brisbane. Not only does this support local families, ensuring that everyone is paid fairly for their work, it also reduces the carbon emissions from shipping.
We’re a slow fashion brand, with garments designed to last that are not based on current ‘trends’. We don’t cut corners on design and testing. Each piece is trialed before we go into production to ensure it will last and be loved.
No Waste! Our end of run garments are donated to local charities instead of adding to landfill.
When Peta & Ellie opened Bowerbird Collections 11 years ago our exclusive range was limited to ceramic lamps alone. Experience showed the growing movement of our wonderful customers to support everything locally handmade. And it was this support that pushed Peta and Ellie to spread their wings and expand the range to what it is today.
Peta expanded our ceramic range to include planters, trinket boxes, tissue boxes, key tassels and even jewellery!
And when beautiful fabrics were discontinued Ellie took up the reins and became a self taught textile designer. We now have her bold and artistic designs printed in Australia on fabric and wallpaper.
We now have Ellie’s paintings available as prints, notebooks and gift cards.