Why We Love Co-Founder Becca Stern and Mustards' Funky Lockers!

Our very first Collaborator Series! Whoo Hoo! I couldn't think of anyone better to start off our series with, other than Mustard.  Since I took over Cranmore Home & Co these guys have been super supportive and their products are our customer favourites! So for a bit of fun we thought we would start to ask our brand partners a few fun questions to get to know them a little better, and who better to start the chat with, than Co-Founder of Mustard, Becca Stern!

Introducing Mustard ...(not that they really need an introduction as many of you know them already!)

This sister duo are just fabulous, so we decided to find out a bit more about Becca, who is based in Newcastle, Australia, whilst her sister Jess is in the UK.  To be honest I have a bit of a Fan Crush on these two and I think their story is just inspirational.  I was lucky enough to meet them both at a trade show called Life in Style in 2019, not long after I had taken over Cranmore Home & Co, and I can tell you they are pocket rockets and have so much energy! You can clearly see why Mustard has taken off and everyone loves Becca and Jess as much as their lockers!

As you will see, Becca has the same fun personality that their gorgeous, funky lockers do! 

Why Mustard?

The truth is we started Mustard because we wanted to spend more time together. I’ve always loved vintage furniture and imagined having lockers in my kids rooms but found that the vintage ones weren’t very practical. I pitched the idea to Jess and we made our dream to start a business come true launching in 2018! Our lockers are designed to be flexible, beautiful and fun!

10 Fun Facts About Becca.

What is your favourite colour and size locker– no pressure 😊?

Easy, the Olive Skinny for me and the Midi in Blush for Jess.

How do you handle working with your sister, do any other members of the family work with you?

We love it! Probably in part because we don’t live near each other so although we talk most days there’s also a lot of space between us! As sisters we’re able to communicate openly and have a deep level of trust. We’ve learnt to play to our strengths, we are so different in many ways which has meant our roles have naturally evolved around what we are better at and that we compliment each other.

What are some of your other favourite furniture and homewares brands?

We’re big fans of Kip & Co for their bold, creative choices. McMullin & Co has a gorgeous range and Capra Designs sell our favourite resin planters. There’s so many beautiful independent brands here in Australia that have inspired us and supported us along the way.

If you could live anywhere, describe where and your ideal house/home?

It sounds corny but I truly love my home. It’s the place where years of memories have been made. We’ve been thinking of extending the house into the loft so that would make it my dream home because then I could have a spare room for Jess when she comes to stay and she wouldn’t have to share a room with my son! On the flip side I always long to go back to India and spend a few years living a completely different life there so you never know!

What is your favourite Netflix/stan/binge watch programme and why?

Currently loving these: Sex Education, Fleabag and The End of the F*cking World. Watching shows set in England gives me a warm fuzzy sense of familiarity so I definitely gravitate to them!  Also have a thing for British crime dramas too though I have to ration them out as I get a bit freaked out if I watch them too much in a row!

What is your favourite book and why?

My bookshelf mostly falls into the ‘self-help’ or ‘business’ category and my eldest son Dylan is always telling me I need to read more novels just for fun, he’s probably right! I recently read Shoe Dog about the story of Nike and it made me feel so much more confident about our business journey. The founder was really just making it up as he went along which makes me feel better!

Favourite meal and why?

My husband Jono is a massive foodie so I’m always spoilt with delicious food but my favourite would be a big Indian feast with loads of different dishes to eat with my hands!

If you could invite anyone to dinner to have your favourite meal who would be around your table and why (you have 5 seats)?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jacinda Ardern because they make me feel better about the future of the world. The Dalai Lama, I once saw him talk and he was genuinely hilarious! Michael McIntyre, my favourite comedian and Sheryl Sandberg, the badass COO of Facebook. A healthy mix of politics, spirituality, comedy and business should make for a good night!

What is something that not many people know about you (that you are happy to share 😊)?

I go to a really fun gym where we do a lot of handstands and they always make us do strange things like carrying each other on our backs, cartwheels on your ‘wrong’ side or rolling around on the floor! It’s challenging and always makes me feel lighter and happier after class! Also, bonus one, I still have a baby tooth that’s never fallen out ;)

What wise words would you give a younger version of yourself?

I’d give younger Becca a big cuddle and tell her to be kinder to yourself. I tend to be really hard on myself, in some ways it pushes me forward but I’m learning to let go of a lot of guilt and to treat myself more like the way I treat my kids… with patience and love.

Thanks so much Becca for your time in completing this, we really appreciate it! We love you and Jess and of course your fabulous lockers! 

For more information about Mustard and their products check out Mustard in our Brand Spotlight Blog.

Images Supplied by Mustard Made with credit to Zoe Lonegran and Bronte Godden.