Empire Revival expands to the Northern Rivers

A NEW antiques and interiors boutique has opened beneath Murwillumbah’s historic Regent Cinema, incorporating a collective of more than 30 creative businesses under one roof.

Empire Revival launched in August within the original foyer of the Art Deco cinema and has attracted strong interest and foot traffic from the community.

Modelled on its flagship store in Brisbane’s Paddington housed in the heritage-listed Plaza Theatre, the Murwillumbah outlet features a mix of local artisans, antique dealers, interior designers and makers offering jewellery, furniture, fashion and collectables.

Co-owner and director Olivia Hasova said the space offered a shared platform for creative businesses to work in tandem.

“We specialise in the beautiful and the interesting,” she said.

“We were approached by the owner of The Regent, and after viewing the space and exploring the wider Murwillumbah area, we quickly realised it was too good an opportunity to miss.

“The building, being another old picture theatre, is the perfect complement to our Paddington store, and the creativity and vitality of the M|Arts community is a natural fit for us.”

Local businesses can apply to become a merchant or supply existing ones, and there are also opportunities to exhibit art or collaborate on events.

“The region is beautiful and growing quickly, and we are very excited to join it on this journey,” Hasova said.

“The Murwillumbah community are incredibly excited and supportive, and that makes what we’re doing so much more worthwhile.”

Empire Revival is open from 10 am to 4 pm from Wednesday to Sunday. For information, visit empirerevival.com.au