About Ironcroft

I named the business after my son Croft. He was four when I registered the company name, sitting on the kitchen floor eating Vegemite toast while I filled in the ASIC forms on my laptop. It felt a bit silly at the time, naming a business after a kid who couldn't even tie his own shoes yet. But I wanted something that meant something to me, not just something that sounded good in a Google search. Ironcroft stuck. It still sounds like it should be a blacksmith's workshop somewhere in regional Victoria, which honestly isn't that far from what we've become.

Before this, I was doing two days a week in accounts payable for a logistics company out of Mulgrave. It paid okay but the hours were fixed, the commute was a slog, and I was constantly negotiating with my mum to cover school pickup. My youngest, Bea, started prep in 2019 and I had this small window every weekday where both kids were at school and I had about five hours to do something. I started buying homewares at the Queen Victoria Market and Camberwell Sunday Market, reselling a few pieces online. I made $340 in my first month. That was enough to keep going.

— Thanks for being here. — Nicola, Nicola Suzanne Freeman

Our team

• Dervla Maguire — Operations and Fulfilment Coordinator: Dervla came on board in early 2022 after Nicola put out a word-of-mouth callout through a local mums' Facebook group covering the Oakleigh and Hughesdale area. She had seven years of warehouse coordination experience from a stint with a packaging distributor in Moorabbin and knew how third-party logistics contracts actually work. Dervla manages the relationship with the Dandenong South warehouse, handles dispatch queries, and keeps the stock spreadsheets from becoming a disaster.
• Thanh Nguyen — Product Sourcing and Supplier Liaison: Thanh joined in mid-2023, initially on a three-month contract to help Nicola evaluate a new supplier through the Fremantle import agent. He'd spent four years buying homewares and kitchenware for a small chain of gift stores in the inner Brisbane suburbs before relocating to Melbourne with his family. He stayed on full-time after the trial period because the supplier evaluation work turned into an ongoing role covering quality checks, reorder schedules, and communication with the Manjimup-region contacts.
• Brigid Kowalski — Customer Service and Social Content: Brigid handles all incoming customer emails and manages the Ironcroft Instagram and Pinterest accounts from her home in Ballarat. She started as a casual in September 2023, doing about ten hours a week, after responding to a job post Nicola placed on Seek with a $28-per-hour rate and school-hours-compatible flexibility as the main selling points. She had a background in retail visual merchandising for a homewares chain in Geelong and brought a practical eye to product photography and caption writing.

Frequently asked questions

How long will my order take to arrive?

Standard delivery takes 3–8 business days depending on your location. Express orders placed before 2pm AEST Monday–Friday typically arrive within 1–3 business days. Remote and regional areas may take a little longer.

Do you offer free shipping?

Yes — orders over $120 qualify for free standard shipping across Australia. Orders under that threshold attract a flat shipping rate calculated at checkout based on your postcode.

What is your return policy?

We accept returns within 30 days of delivery, provided items are unused and in their original condition. Sale items and custom orders are not eligible for change-of-mind returns. See our full Returns Policy for details.

How do I care for the Ironwood Acacia Serving Platter?

Hand wash only with mild soap and warm water — do not soak or put it in the dishwasher. Dry it straight away and apply food-grade mineral oil every few months to keep the wood in good shape. Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or heat.

Are any of your products suitable for people with nut allergies?

Acacia is a timber, not a tree nut, and our platters and boards are sealed with food-grade mineral oil rather than any nut-derived finish. That said, if you have a severe allergy, we recommend checking with your healthcare provider before use. Our stoneware, baskets, and metal pieces contain no food allergens.

Can I place a custom or wholesale order?

Yes on both counts. For custom sizing or finishes, email us at hello@ironcroftsupply.com with your requirements and we'll come back to you within two business days. Wholesale enquiries should go to wholesale@ironcroftsupply.com — minimum order quantities apply.

Do you offer gift wrapping?

We offer simple kraft paper gift wrapping with a hand-written card for $6.95 per order. You can add this at checkout and include a message in the notes field. Gift wrapping is not available on oversized items like the 18-piece dinner service.

What sizes do the storage baskets come in?

The Woven Water Hyacinth Storage Basket is currently available in Medium (38cm diameter x 30cm tall) and Large (48cm diameter x 36cm tall). We're working on a Small size — sign up to the mailing list to hear when it drops.

Customer reviews

• 5/5 “Solid platter, arrived in great condition” Ordered the Ironwood Acacia Serving Platter on a Tuesday and it was on my doorstep by Thursday — didn't expect that at all for standard shipping. The timber is dense and well finished, no rough edges or uneven oiling. Used it for a dinner party the following weekend and it held up beautifully.
• 4/5 “Great dinner set, one small issue” The Graphite Speckled Stoneware Dinner Service is genuinely good — the weight feels right and the glaze is consistent across all 18 pieces. One bowl arrived with a small chip on the rim, but customer service sorted out a replacement without any fuss. Would order from Ironcroft again.
• 5/5 “Basket is exactly what I needed” Bought the large Water Hyacinth basket for my hallway and it fits perfectly under the console. The weave is tight and it doesn't wobble even when loaded with shoes and scarves. Delivery was well packed — no damage and no excess plastic.
• 5/5 “Wine rack looks the part” The Brushed Brass Geometric Wine Rack was easy to assemble and the finish is consistent — no patchy spots or rough joins. Holds 12 bottles comfortably and feels very stable on the sideboard. Good value for what you're getting.
• 4/5 “Lovely table runner, sizing runs a bit short” The Warm Oat Merino Table Runner is soft and the colour is a true warm oat — not yellow, not beige, just right. My table is 2.2m and the 2.4m runner has almost no overhang, so if you want a generous drape you'd want to check your measurements first. Quality of the wool itself is very good.
• 5/5 “Bought as a gift, recipient was very happy” Got the acacia platter as a housewarming gift and added the gift wrap option at checkout. It arrived looking neat and the card was written clearly. My friend messaged me straight away when it turned up — said it was the most useful gift she received.

From the journal

• Why I named the business after my son Croft — Ironcroft started as a name scrawled on a sticky note at the kitchen table, and it stuck because it felt like ours.
• The acacia supplier who drove four hours to meet me — Finding the right timber supplier for the 58cm platters took longer than I expected, and ended with a man named Terry driving down from Boyup Brook.
• How I actually use the large water hyacinth basket — I've had the large woven basket in three different rooms in 18 months and I want to tell you which one finally made sense.
• Packing orders in the shed during a Manjimup summer — January was the busiest shipping month we've had and I spent most of it sweating in a tin shed, which is a glamorous way to run a business.
• The geometric wine rack and what we actually drink here — I put the brushed brass wine rack in our kitchen in March and filled it with bottles from three vineyards I can drive to in under an hour.
• Setting the table for my mum's 70th birthday dinner — Mum turned 70 in February and I finally used the full 18-piece stoneware set for something other than a product photo.