Ipswich homewares business Her House of Resin + Co to close after three years

The owner of an uber-popular homewares business has announced she will be closing up shop in a matter of days after three years of service in the Ipswich community. Find out what is next for the young entrepreneur.

A young Ipswich entrepreneur has announced she will be closing her thriving homewares business so that she can return to her creative roots and devote all her attention to teaching and making art.

Emm Ruthenberg, 29, opened Her House of Resin + Co at 2/23 Grange Rd, Silkstone in 2019 after years of selling her resin art at local markets.

“I just kind of started doing it,” she said.

“I nearly set my first piece of resin art on fire.

“Basically then I just kept going — kept doing it, kept practising — and I started gaining a bit of a following and got good connections.”

Her House of Resin + Co quickly became known for its unique, curated mix of homewares and now boasts more than 9000 followers across its Facebook and Instagram pages.

Through her shop, Ms Ruthenberg has supported up to 60 makers from across the Ipswich and Lockyer Valley region, stocking a diverse range of products such as clothes, resin art, handcrafted jewellery boxes and toys by a manufacturer from Ipswich Men’s Shed, stationary products, homemade pots, and Jimboomba-made scrunchies.

Her stockists included amateur artists aged between 19 and 81; a testament to her generous and thoughtful approach to business, which has served her so well.

But Ms Ruthenberg’s real passion lay with creating and teaching, which was why offering workshops was a no-brainer.

The young artist said she always wished she had someone to look to for honest, unreserved advice about resin art and she hoped she could one day be that person for others.

“I’ve always loved teaching and I found there was nowhere around that taught you safe practice with resin,” Ms Ruthenberg said.

“It was nice to be able to transform something that was my hobby into my full-time job.

“I never resist going with the flow.”

Ms Ruthenberg said she was excited to throw herself back into teaching and creating art. Picture: Supplied

As a person who thrives off energy, Ms Ruthenberg said she will miss the “wild ride” that operating her Grange Rd store has been, as well as her many loyal customers and her stockists who were “like family”.

“The amount of people that I have met, the conversations that I’ve had. It’s just my time ... to close the retail side,” she said.

“I’m so excited.

“I am actually going to get the chance to see how this studio can run at a full capacity, with my full, undivided attention.”

Ms Ruthenberg will continue to sell her art at three locations — A Little Serenity & Co. at Silkstone, EcoCentric Sisters at Ripley, and The Handmade Collective in Toowoomba — and run her workshops from her current Grange Rd location.

The young businesswoman supported up to 60 local stockists over the three years she operated Her House of Resin + Co. Picture: Supplied

She will also return to selling her work at local markets.

“Closing, it’s nothing to be sad about,” Ms Ruthenberg said.

“Not every ending is a sad one.

“I listened to me and my time’s up.”

Her House of Resin + Co will officially become Her House of Resin on Monday June 20, meaning all stock must go before then.

While Ms Ruthenberg has no plans to reopen the retail side of her business, those who know and love her work can continue to support her via her website, Facebook page Her House of Resin + Co, and Instagram @herhouseofresin.co, and by visiting her studio on Grange Rd.