Cushions made from Daintree-inspired screen-printed fabrics line a shelf above jewellery made from recycled skateboards in the store.

There are also beautiful pastel-toned ceramic bowls and plates, note pads, hand-made cards and leather goods.

A rack of brightly coloured, locally made skirts and dresses adorn the opposite wall, and fabric poufs and vintage items are dotted around the shop.

The glass-topped cabinets in the middle of the space house contemporary Australian jewellery, including items designed by Angela Hailey and Suzy Manning - the talented women behind Studio Melt.

Hailey had run a stall at the Olive Tree Markets for about a year when she met Manning, a fellow art school-trained jeweller.

"She and I have kids the same age, and we met when both our first-borns started kindergarten together at The Junction," Hailey says.

"I'd had a studio space with other jewellers when I lived in Sydney, which was great, but when I had my first child, I moved my studio home and worked part time.

"But after about eight years, I was really sick of working in a garage next to the lawnmower listening to Radio National, not talking to anyone."

Hailey talked Manning into applying for a space through Renew Newcastle in February last year, and they haven't looked back.

"Renew Newcastle allowed us to build the business up gradually in an easy and safe way, so that by the time we were paying rent, we were capable of paying rent," Hailey says. "We diversified. We look for people who work on a similar scale to us and make either unique or limited-edition, mostly hand-made stuff."

Manning also teaches adult jewellery education.

Studio Melt. Shop 4a, 113-145 Hunter Street. Open 10am to 5pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 10am to 2pm  Thursdays and Saturdays.