Looking for something from the REAL Store?
The r.e.a.l Store was a Sydney retailer associated with design, social enterprise and homewares. Older features may mention its Woolloomooloo shop, founder Virginia Bruce, or a particular product. This is a new Simply Maid reference directory for those readers. Simply Maid acquired the domain; it does not operate the former business, sell its stock or handle its orders, returns or charitable programmes. An old publisher link is not an endorsement of Simply Maid.
Use the product family below to identify a useful next step. The former shopping experience cannot be recreated here, but the materials, design context and care questions remain useful.
Find the product family
Former reference | What it points to | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
Wasara plates, bowls and cups | Disposable fibre tableware, not porcelain | |
Katherine Mahoney ceramics | Handmade ceramic pieces | |
Water Tiger furniture and homewares | A mixed furniture and decorative range | |
Renbell woven cushions | A historical woven-cushion credit | |
Baskets and woven storage | Construction varies by item | |
Prison Blues | Denim/clothing, rather than a homeware |
Names identify a range, not a complete care specification. Look for the actual maker, label, finish, lining and any previous repairs before selecting a method.
The S.E.A.T. project reference
The 2010 IndesignLive feature described a children's bamboo stool with a storage compartment, connected with an Indigenous literacy fundraising initiative. The 2017 REAL Store archive also presented S.E.A.T. among its historical projects. These are dated descriptions, not a current funding or product offer.
Simply Maid has no stated partnership with that initiative and does not collect donations or sell the stool. Readers investigating the original project should use the linked feature and its named organisations as historical leads, then verify current contact details independently. For an existing stool, use its maker's instructions; decorative paint, joints and structural use require more than a generic bamboo-cleaning recipe.
Choose pieces that fit your home
Before replacing an item, write down what you need it to do. Measure its location, decide who will move it for cleaning and check whether its material suits the room. A water-holding vase, a decorative vessel and an outer plant pot may look alike while having different uses.
Compare maintenance as well as appearance: removable covers with clear instructions, reachable shelves and stable objects are easier to live with. Keep a small care record with product names, labels, photographs and repair history. Reuse and repair choices can be worthwhile without assuming every old product meets current environmental claims.
Keep the useful pieces accessible
Arrange objects so they can be lifted safely and the surface beneath them can be reached. Give collections some breathing room; a crowded shelf makes it harder to inspect a loose handle or damp base. Clean one material at a time, using its own instructions.
Our home styling guide helps plan the room, while the sustainable home guide offers household actions beyond shopping. For general cleaning help, see my price. The service scope shown during booking is separate from specialist conservation or restoration.
About this guide
Original Simply Maid guidance prepared with AI assistance. Sources checked on 15 October 2026. No independent practitioner review or product testing is claimed.
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