Inside the Byron Bay Home of Seed & Sprout Founder Sophie Kovic
Welcome to The Makers. Each week, we’re celebrating innovators, artisans and crafters of all types, taking you on a private tour of their creative spaces. For this instalment, we visit the Byron Bay home of Seed & Sprout founder Sophie Kovic.
A couple of years ago, Sophie Kovic searched far and wide for the perfect non-plastic lunch box for her son, Archie. After much trial and error, Sophie realised the problem wasn’t that she couldn’t find the right product, but that the right product didn’t actually exist. So, she decided to make it.
The result is Seed & Sprout, a Byron-based online eco retailer offering sustainable products aimed to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics. This year, Seed & Sprout took home the Green Online Retailer of the Year award, and their motto, ‘Say see ya to plastic’, sums up the brand’s ethos pretty well.
Since launching a few years ago, Sophie has built a passionate community of conscious consumers online, offering practical solutions to everyday problems that save you time and money while also saving the planet.
If there’s one thing missing from the light-filled Byron home she shares with her fiancé Peter, it’s plastic. In the kitchen, reusable food containers and keep cups of all shapes and sizes fill the cupboards and counter, while outside, herbs and edible flowers bloom from her balcony garden.
In the bedroom, potted plants and cascading vines punctuate a rich and earthy palette of mahogany and terracotta, with a rustic, spear-inspired wall hanging vying for attention above the bed. But it’s the narrow and towering bookcase in the living room that really steals the show—paired with a tall wooden ladder if you’re looking to pinch some pages from the top few shelves.
Mirroring Seed & Sprout’s sustainability goals, Sophie’s home is filled with quality second-hand furniture and timeless vintage décor, with each piece telling the story of a past life lived.
Hi Sophie! This series is called The Makers. What is it that you make?
I make eco lifestyle products like reusable bags, lunchboxes, and all manner of plastic-free goods.
How does the act of “making” relate to your personality and who you are?
I am a problem solver. I love to crack an idea open and come up with the perfect solution.
Tell us about your career journey to date. Did you always know you wanted to pursue this line of work?
No, but I have always been entrepreneurial. This is my fourth business and this time I knew I wanted to do something I cared deeply about.
Talk us through your creative process. Where do you start?
I start with my own problem! My products are a reflection of my own customer journey. The things we make at Seed & Sprout are mostly answers to my own struggles trying to eliminate plastic from my life.
What’s been the single most crucial tool or strategy you’ve used to grow your business?
Instagram! I love sharing my journey with our community and I think there’s been a real key to our success.
What’s been the most challenging lesson learnt since you started your business?
The responsibility of running a business is all-consuming. I don’t really ever get to switch off from it, and as a bit of a free spirit that’s something I struggle with.
What’s been the best thing that’s happened to you since you started your business?
Professionally it would be winning the Green Online Retailer of the Year award this year, building an incredible team, and seeing the business flourish after years of uncertainty. Personally, it’s been finding a deep and fulfilling relationship and a lovely home life within that.
Do you have a single piece of advice you’d give to your younger self/ someone looking to start their own business?
Find a mentor that’s done what you want to do. My mentor, Alex, changed my life.
Shop Sophie's look with Rust and Terracotta linen in our Build-Your-Own Bundle.
Now, the home stuff. How long have you lived in your home?
Six months.
How did you initially know this was the space for you?
It’s my fiancée Peter's house. I helped him decorate it. It’s a great space.
Did you do any renovations or make any big changes after moving in?
The bookcase was the biggest move. When he first moved in, I was living in the apartment downstairs. I helped him renovate it a bit when he moved in but there’s still stuff left to do.
What was the thought process behind the way you’ve styled the interior?
It started out quite masculine, but I slowly started adding plants and soft furnishings and now it’s a mismatch of both our things. I don’t like to buy new things much, so most of my things are old or have lived other lives, which I love.
What are your favourite pieces in the home?
Bookcase! Can’t go past that. And I love all my plants. My balcony food garden is my hobby and I find a lot of joy in pottering around out there.
Shop Sophie's look with Rust and Terracotta linen in our Build-Your-Own Bundle.
Do you have any special décor pieces you’re looking to add?
I would love a new balcony setting but can’t bring myself to buy new! So I’m waiting for something to pop up on marketplace.
Which is your favourite room in the house?
The bedroom. I spend a lot of time in bed, especially in winter. It’s so cosy.
What are your top tips for a well-styled bedroom, and home generally?
Plants. Lots of plants. And having things that you love, not things that are in fashion. I try to avoid things that are trending too hard. You just know they’ll be dated in a few years.
Do you have any projects coming up you want to talk about?
Our Slow Down mag is a cool project the team have been working on, with a new issue coming out for the holiday season. We've also just launched our home compostable Un-Plastic Wrap. It's quite a revolutionary and incredible plastic-free swap, and we will be launching a few new products for different areas of life. I can’t wait to see them come to life!
For more from Sophie, follow her at @sophiekovic and @seedandsproutco
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