Mud Australia opened its first Canadian outpost inside Toronto’s high-end homeware store Hopson Grace in mid-October.Mud Australia
Shelley Simpson has always believed that beauty belongs in the small moments of daily life. “I make objects that I would want to live with, and use, every day,” says the founder of Mud Australia, a 31-year-old company that has quietly redefined what handmade porcelain can be.
Now, Canadians can bring that same sense of everyday elegance into their own homes.
In mid-October, Mud opened its first Canadian outpost: a 200-square-foot “shop-in-shop” inside Toronto’s high-end homeware store Hopson Grace. The installation showcases a collection that has captivated design lovers and collectors around the world, from everyday aesthetes to A-listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Pitt, chef David Chang and French designer Philippe Starck.
All are drawn to Mud’s organic, sensual pieces – handmade from Limoges porcelain imported from France – which are designed to move gracefully from oven to table.
For Hopson Grace co-founders Martha Grace McKimm and Andrea Hopson, the expansion felt inevitable. “There’s a real love for Mud here in Canada,” says McKimm, who began carrying a small selection of the brand’s collection in 2018. “People adore how the pieces mix and match. They like the smooth, glazed interiors, the soft matte exteriors that change over time, and the colours that interact so beautifully.”
After visiting Mud’s Islington store in London, McKimm knew she wanted to bring the full experience to Toronto. “It was a visual and sensual feast,” she says. “We wanted to recreate that, to give Canadians the chance to see most of the collection and choose from the full range of colours.”
Mud’s palette includes 19 signature hues with names such as Dust, Mist, Milk and Blossom (a favourite of Paltrow’s). The soft neutrals, combined with more robust shades such as plum, citrus and slate, have helped the brand stand apart in a crowded tableware marketplace.
“The versatility allows people to put their own stamp on their Mud collection,” says McKimm.
Today, Mud has grown into one of Australia’s most successful craft-based businesses, with 14 stores throughout Australia, London, New York, Los Angeles and now, Toronto.
The brand’s Canadian debut marks the latest step in a three-decade-long journey that began when Simpson decided to try tossing clay on a potter’s wheel in a friend’s backyard in Sydney. She had no idea what she was doing, but she loved working with her hands. “I fell in love with the process and the way it makes me feel,” says Simpson.
“When you’re making things, you release endorphins, whether you’re cooking or designing a beautiful piece. Designing and making beautiful objects makes me happy. I have the resting heart rate of an elite athlete, and I’m not that at all.”
Simpson launched Mud in 1994, and started small, making minimalist bowls, plates and cups. She slowly added more pieces, each inspired by her own life.
Simpson loves to bake, so she designed pie plates and flan dishes. She’s a tea drinker, so Mud crafted teapots and cups. And when she and her husband needed lighting during a renovation, she designed a pendant light to hang over the kitchen table. Mud now offers ceiling fixtures in various shapes and sizes, as well as table lamps.
That personal touch – designing around real-life needs – defines Mud’s appeal. “I’m always inspired by how people live with things,” Simpson says. “Pieces should be used, loved and reached for without thinking.”
Mud’s success, she adds, also comes from restraint. “We try not to over-complicate things. A new colour, a small tweak and new product profile – that’s often all it takes.”
It’s that careful curation that keeps fans loyal. And Simpson loves to meet her customers, such as a man in New York who came in after each paycheque to buy one piece. “It was always a different colour. We found out he had an arranged marriage, and his wife was coming. He told us he wanted to fill the cupboard with colour.”
Simpson says when someone tells her that Mud makes a difference in their day, it fills her up.
“What I do isn’t important – doctors and nurses do important things. But if setting a table with Mud, or serving a roast in one of our dishes makes someone happy, then I know I’ve done something worthwhile.”