Battery Point Studio Shows Tasmanian Entrepreneurs the Way Forward

Chen Craft Studio on Kelly Street in Battery Point sold 1,240 mosaic pieces last quarter, a 28 percent rise from the same period in 2025.

The increase matters now because national platforms continue to copy Tasmanian designs while local makers face higher material costs and shipping delays. Chen opened the studio in 2022 after leaving a corporate role in Melbourne. She now employs four full-time staff and runs weekly workshops that draw residents from nearby Hampden Road.

Local ties drive repeat business

Chen sources glass and tiles from a supplier on Argyle Street in North Hobart and displays finished work at the Salamanca Market each Saturday. The studio also partners with the University of Tasmania design program, giving students paid placements that have led to two permanent hires since March 2025. Average piece prices range from $95 for small coasters to $380 for wall panels, with 40 percent of sales coming from repeat customers who live within 20 kilometres of the studio.

Chen tracks every order through a simple inventory system she built herself. Monthly revenue reached $62,000 in June, according to figures she shared with the Hobart Chamber of Commerce. That figure sits above the state average for small creative businesses reported by the Tasmanian Department of State Growth last year.

Next steps for other makers

Chen plans to open a second retail space near the Launceston CBD by early 2027 if current sales hold. She advises new owners to register designs with IP Australia before uploading images online and to test prices at two or three local markets before committing to larger stock runs. Interested makers can book a free 30-minute session at the studio through its website.