18 December 2022

Small Prophet, big reward: the Tokanui trio fostering creativity and community through their thriving business in a small town at the very bottom of New Zealand

Writer: JESSICA DERMODY

Photographer: FRANCINE BOER

Sarah McLean, 53, Ann Callahan, 48, and Sheila Smith, 57, joined forces in 2016, each bringing their own expertise and creative passion to form Small Prophet, a design studio at the edge of the world. And while their namesake may be small, their impact on the local community, and on interiors far and wide, is significant.

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Among the rolling green hills on the edge of the Catlins lies a sleepy farming village named Tokanui. Here, in a shed with a giant star painted on the side, you may be surprised to find a thriving workshop fronted by a beautifully curated shop selling refurbished and new furniture, art and homewares, even clothes. There’s a coffee machine in action and on any given day you might be greeted by three women enthusiastically chatting – often joined in conversation by their customers.

All three women involved in Small Prophet Design grew up outside of the rural town – Sheila as far away as Wales – and were drawn to the community through family and farming in the late nineties and early 2000s. As their children left home to attend boarding school and university, the three friends found themselves with time to express their creative passion, and Small Prophet evolved “without business plans or SWAT analysis,” laughs Sheila. Sheila’s passion for design, Sarah’s for art and Ann’s for upholstery was a great fit. “We get a massive amount of satisfaction from breathing new life into people’s treasure and family heirlooms,” says Ann, “but creating our own range is really exciting, too.” Their ethos ‘nothing goes to waste’ guides their designs, and they use fabric scraps or local wool as filling.

“You can start to get cabin fever living on a farm in the wop-wops; you have to make the effort to see people, as no one is going to just pop in,” Sheila says. “When your children leave home, it’s almost an existential crisis. You have given up your passions to nurture them and all of a sudden you are faced with ‘Who am I?’” Sarah nods emphatically. “Although I have always painted, I can now develop so much further and working as a collaboration pushes me inspirationally and has opened up a platform for my art."

Starting out in a small smoko shed, they expanded quickly, saving a rundown corner building in Tokanui's tiny township. The magic happens out the back in their 'design shed', originally a farm supplies store. “Tourists are always amazed when they walk in; they don’t expect to find a store like ours here. We are not even on the main drag, we're on a back street next to the pub,” says Sarah.

Starting a business later in life, in a region with a smaller population, while also balancing farm duties, hasn’t been easy. “I don’t think many people took us seriously at first. I once had someone come in and ask if my husband made the furniture,” says Sheila. “We are so confident in our designs, we really back ourselves, but it’s taken a long time for people to see that,” she says. “Now, I'm often asked to speak on styling interiors, like this is who I've always been.”

“I remember when we did our first Wānaka Show, we loaded everything we had into a furniture trailer. When we shut the door the shop was empty, and people thought we’d gone bust!” Sarah laughs. “Five years later, we are still here.”

The Wānaka A&P Show has been a real launchpad for Small Prophet, and it has enabled the team to build relationships with other local businesses – like Whistle and Pop, whose products they now stock. With roughly 40,000 people coming through the show gate, it’s led to excellent exposure, and they now design interiors far and wide.

Their impact goes far further than the shed and shop window, however. “It’s become a bit of a pit stop for locals,” says Sheila. “They might originally come in to buy a coffee, but as we get chatting, all their worries come out around the table. We will work away while we’re talking and it’s so nice to unload – for all of us,” she says.

All three are still heavily involved in their respective farming businesses, but a sense of belonging on the other side of the farm gate has inspired the group far beyond their original expectations. “Before we went farming, we all had different jobs and workmates. It’s nice to have that back again, and even more so with people you chose, making things you love,” says Sarah.

While tourists who stop in are still flabbergasted by their location, it’s the isolation that draws out their creativity. "We have to draw on our respective talents and put our three heads together. It’s been challenging, but through each other we have gained strength and resolve to make things work,” says Sarah.

What started off as three women coming together to find a new sense of purpose now looks like a busy design hub with people calling on ‘the Prophets’ to solve their various styling issues. “We’ve really built something out of nothing, in the middle of nowhere – quite the feat, I think!” says Sheila.