Coco Republic
Coco Republic is an Australian furniture and homewares retailer with interior design, property styling, design education, commercial furnishings and hospitality operations.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Coco Republic is an Australian furniture and homewares company whose activities extend beyond conventional retail into interior design, property styling, design education, commercial supply and hospitality. The business traces its origins to 1979, when Paul Spon-Smith established Mr Smith Interiors in Pymble, Sydney. It later operated as Town & Country Living after opening a showroom in Crows Nest in 1984, before adopting the Coco Republic name in 2002 when Spon-Smith's son Anthony joined the company alongside Jeremy Byrne. The Coco Republic retail division serves consumers and trade customers with furniture, homewares and related interior products. Its broader operating model combines product retail with project-based services. Coco Republic Interior Design, established in 2006, provides residential and commercial design services from offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with work extending across Australia and New Zealand. Coco Republic Property Styling supports the presentation of residential property for sale or marketing. Coco Republic Design School, established in 2009, offers short-form design education through online and campus-based programs in Sydney and Melbourne, including a partnership with TAFE NSW's Design Centre Enmore. The brand has also developed a commercial and hospitality presence. Coco Republic Contract supplies furniture for large-scale commercial projects and offers a range of more than 550 products for customers in Australia, New Zealand and international markets. The company owns or operates three hospitality venues under the L'Americano Espresso Bar name. These activities position Coco Republic as a design-led lifestyle platform rather than solely a furniture shop. International expansion accelerated in 2019. The company entered the United States through Californian retailer HD Buttercup and expanded into New Zealand in August of that year with a showroom at Westfield Newmarket in Auckland. The Auckland location subsequently received several New Zealand Red Awards for commercial design. Coco Republic later launched a US online store in July 2023, complementing its physical showrooms in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. The group has also maintained a presence in Australia and New Zealand through showrooms in cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Canberra, Perth and Auckland. The company remains family-founded and privately held, although private-equity firm Story3 Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in October 2021. Anthony Spon-Smith has also developed a designer profile through work associated with Restoration Hardware, including the Capri, Portofino and Sylvain collections. Coco Republic's public-facing identity is built around contemporary interiors, coordinated furniture and homewares, professional design expertise and a premium design-led customer experience. Its current operations span consumer retail, trade and contract sales, design consultancy, property presentation, education, digital commerce and hospitality.
History
Coco Republic developed from a Sydney interiors business founded by Paul Spon-Smith in 1979. The original operation, Mr Smith Interiors, began in Pymble and focused on interior furnishings. In 1984, the business opened a showroom in Crows Nest under the Town & Country Living name, establishing a more identifiable retail platform. A major transition occurred in 2002, when the company was rebranded Coco Republic. The change coincided with Anthony Spon-Smith joining the family business and Jeremy Byrne becoming involved in its development. The new identity supported an ambition to present furniture, homewares and interiors as part of a unified contemporary lifestyle proposition rather than as separate product categories. The company broadened its services in 2006 by establishing Coco Republic Interior Design. With offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the division provided residential and commercial design services in Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, Coco Republic Design School was founded to provide short design courses online and at campuses in Sydney and Melbourne. Its educational activities included a partnership with TAFE NSW's Design Centre Enmore, giving the company a role in design training as well as retail and consultancy. Coco Republic also expanded into property styling and hospitality. Property styling became a distinct service for presenting homes and other properties, while the L'Americano Espresso Bar name was used for three hospitality venues owned or operated by the company. In parallel, Coco Republic Contract developed a wholesale offering for commercial projects, with more than 550 products available to large-scale customers in Australia, New Zealand and international markets. International growth became more visible in 2019. Coco Republic entered the US through Californian retailer HD Buttercup and opened its first New Zealand store at Westfield Newmarket in Auckland in August. The Auckland showroom received Supreme Winner, Big Box Group Winner and GDM Craftsmanship Excellence Award recognition at the New Zealand Red Awards for commercial design. The company's design profile also became associated with Anthony Spon-Smith's work for Restoration Hardware. In 2020, he was identified as an RH Artisan, and Restoration Hardware sold outdoor collections named Capri and Portofino as well as the indoor Sylvain sofa and chair collection associated with his design work. The business continued to operate as a family-founded company until October 2021, when Story3 Capital Partners acquired a majority stake. This changed the ownership structure while leaving Coco Republic's multi-division model intact. The company subsequently expanded its US digital activities with an online store launched in July 2023. Its showroom network has included locations across Australia's major cities and Auckland, as well as US locations in Los Angeles and Orange County. Today, Coco Republic is best understood as a design and interiors group. Its activities cover consumer and trade furniture retail, contract supply, interior design consultancy, property styling, design education, digital commerce and hospitality. The company operates under the legal trading entity Saveba Pty Ltd according to the referenced account, while the customer-facing Coco Republic identity remains the central brand across its main activities.
- 2023
US online store launches
[1]Coco Republic adds a dedicated US online retail channel.
- 2021
Story3 Capital Partners takes a majority stake
[1]The private-equity firm acquires majority ownership of the company.
- 2019
Expansion into the United States and New Zealand
[1]Coco Republic enters the US through HD Buttercup and opens its first New Zealand showroom in Auckland.
- 2009
Coco Republic Design School is founded
[1]The company begins offering short design courses online and on campus in Sydney and Melbourne.
- 2006
Coco Republic Interior Design is established
[1]The company adds a dedicated interior design division with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
- 2002
Business is rebranded as Coco Republic
[1]The retail business adopts the Coco Republic name as Anthony Spon-Smith joins alongside Jeremy Byrne.
- 1984
First Town & Country Living showroom opens
[1]The company opens its first showroom in Crows Nest under the Town & Country Living name.
- 1979
Mr Smith Interiors is founded
[1]Paul Spon-Smith establishes Mr Smith Interiors in Pymble, Sydney, creating the business that later becomes Coco Republic.
Products and positioning
A premium, design-led furniture and interiors group combining retail, professional design services, commercial supply, education and hospitality.
Retail · 2002
Furniture and homewares
The core Coco Republic retail offer includes indoor and outdoor furniture, homewares and decorative products for residential interiors. The brand presents these products within coordinated room and lifestyle settings through showrooms and digital channels, serving both consumers and trade customers. Its retail proposition is supported by the company's design expertise and related interior services.
Commercial furniture
Coco Republic Contract
Coco Republic Contract is the company's wholesale and project-focused furniture offering. It is intended for large commercial projects and makes more than 550 products available to customers in Australia, New Zealand and international markets. The division extends the brand from residential retail into hospitality, commercial interiors and other design-led procurement contexts.
Interior design services · 2006
Coco Republic Interior Design
Established in 2006, Coco Republic Interior Design provides professional interior design services for residential and commercial clients. The division has operated from offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and has serviced projects across Australia and New Zealand. It complements retail by applying the brand's furniture, styling and spatial design capabilities to complete projects.
Property styling
Coco Republic Property Styling
The property styling division prepares homes and other properties for presentation and sale. Its work uses furniture, decoration and spatial arrangement to improve the visual communication of a property. This service gives Coco Republic a project-based role in the residential property market in addition to its showroom and design-consultancy activities.
Design education · 2009
Coco Republic Design School
Founded in 2009, Coco Republic Design School offers short courses in interior and design-related subjects. Programs have been delivered online and on campus in Sydney and Melbourne, including through a partnership with TAFE NSW's Design Centre Enmore. The school extends the brand's design positioning into education and professional development.
Hospitality
L'Americano Espresso Bar
L'Americano Espresso Bar is the hospitality name under which Coco Republic owns or operates three venues. The venues provide a food-and-beverage extension to the interiors business and bring the group's design-led lifestyle proposition into physical hospitality environments.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards
Australia
Coco Republic established and supported the Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards as an annual platform recognizing the Australian interior design community. The program became a recurring industry initiative and had reached its tenth year by 2020.
Outcome. The awards strengthened Coco Republic's links with Australian designers and positioned the company as an active participant in the local design industry. Anthony Spon-Smith and Jeremy Byrne served on the judging panel in 2019.
Brand decisions
2023
Launch of the US online storeProduct launchBackground
The company had established a US presence through physical showrooms and sought to broaden access to its products.
Action taken
Coco Republic launched an online store serving the US market.
Aftermath
The launch added a digital sales channel to the company's US operations.
2021
Majority investment by Story3 Capital PartnersM&ABackground
Coco Republic remained a family-founded private business as it expanded across retail, services and international markets.
Action taken
Story3 Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in the company.
Aftermath
Ownership shifted toward private equity while the Coco Republic operating brand and multi-division structure continued.
2019
International expansion into the United States and New ZealandStrategyBackground
After developing its Australian retail and design operations, Coco Republic pursued overseas growth.
Action taken
The company entered the US through HD Buttercup and opened its first New Zealand showroom at Westfield Newmarket in Auckland.
Aftermath
The company established physical operations in both markets and later added a US online store.
2002
Rebrand from Town & Country Living to Coco RepublicStrategyBackground
The family furniture business was seeking a broader and more contemporary identity as the next generation joined the company.
Action taken
The retail business adopted the Coco Republic name.
Aftermath
The new identity became the platform for the company's later expansion into design services, education, contract supply and international markets.
Recent events
- 2023
Coco Republic launches US online store[1]
Product launch
The company expanded its US digital presence by launching an online store in July.
- 2021
Story3 Capital Partners acquires majority stake in Coco Republic[1]
M&A
Private-equity firm Story3 Capital Partners acquired a majority interest in the privately held company.
- 2019
Coco Republic enters the United States through HD Buttercup[1]
M&A
The company entered the US market through Californian furniture retailer HD Buttercup.
- 2019
Coco Republic opens its first New Zealand showroom[1]
Product launch
The brand expanded into New Zealand in August with a showroom at Westfield Newmarket in Auckland.
Sources1 sources
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