Calico house is a family owned and run business that prides itself on beautiful natural homewares that don’t cost the earth, & warm friendly service.
Started in 1979 as the brainchild of the late Grace Pringle, mother of 2 and accomplished interior designer, ‘Calico Corner’ was a little hole in the wall paradise for those with an appreciation for fine furnishings and fabrics in the famed Prahan market arcade with the occasional appearance at the iconic Queen Vic markets.
After going from strength to strength, making the most of her extensive connections in the interior design world and utilizing her natural ability to find a great bargain, Grace was joined by her husband Geoff and they made their first journey to India. This opened up a whole new world of beautiful things they could now import. ‘Calico Corner’ soon out grew the little hole in the wall, and they moved to a bigger location in the Prahan Market and re-named their baby ‘Calico House’. It wasn’t long before they needed to upsize yet again, and the Calico House family moved opposite Chapel Street's ‘Jam Factory’ where they were cemented as a ‘Chapel St Institution’
Grace would feature regularly in The Age and other reputable publications making quite a name for herself as a textile and furnishings expert.
With the continual growth it became obvious that something was missing, and a made-to-measure service was added, specializing in curtains, blinds and loose covers. The range of services offered by the Calico house team was now complete.
Geoff, a Queensland native, saw an opportunity to open a store in Brisbane, so in 1998 Calico House grew once again.
After numerous combinations of store locations Calico House found a fit that was just right with one store in sunny Paddington, Brisbane and the other in the bohemian heart of Melbourne on Brunswick st Fitzroy.
After the sad passing of the matriarch of Calico House and the Pringle family in 2008, Geoff and daughter Tarley, continue to work at Grace's dream, staying true to her belief in quality customer service and the beauty in the natural textiles of India.