It's taken almost a decade of planning and long days and longer nights of unpacking, installing, labelling and polishing.
But co-owners of Bygone Beautys Treasured Teapot Museum and Tearooms - partners Maurice Cooper OAM and Kerry McKenzie - believe they've found the perfect blend for continued success for one of Leura's favourite tourist attractions.
A major extension and refurbishment of the building on the corner of Grose and Megalong Streets will result in the doubling of the exhibition space, which will enable up to half of the world's largest collection of teapots - more than 5,500 - to be displayed at any one time.
The upgraded museum - which will be officially opened on Tuesday, August 4 by former NSW Governor Dame Marie Bashir, will also feature: larger tea rooms; an enclosed balcony area for dining called Trivett Terrace; a curator's room; a function and education room; an audio-visual display; a revamped retail area stocked with fine teas and a huge range of tea caddies; an extra 10 on-site car parking spaces; and an upstairs storage and staff room with lift access.
Even the new carpet has a teapot pattern.
"I think we've individually hand-washed more than 5,000 teapots in the last few weeks, so we're a bit tired but also very excited," Mr Cooper said.
"A year after we first opened in 1992 we started thinking about expanding but we really started planning for this in earnest about seven years ago.
"For the first time we'll be able to display many more of our teapots and the 20,000 teaware items in our collection.
"We'll have sections featuring many different types of teapots including art deco, Oriental, Russian and English styles and we plan to hold special displays throughout the year like teapots designed for children and teapots featuring indigenous art.
"Our high tea experience will be enhanced and we've got plans to host monthly tea tasting sessions and run an educational program that will include school excursions to the museum."
Mr Cooper has been an avid collector since he was nine and originally joined forces with Ronald Hooper, who started the teapot collection 41 years ago, to open Bygone Beautys.
"It's always been able to draw people in because each teapot has its own history and story.
"The collection started with a Burleigh Ware Geisha Chinoiserie teapot made in England in the 1890s and the oldest one in the collection was made in the 1600s," Mr Cooper said.
"Sharing a cup of tea has become a special part of our lives at the most joyful times as well as the most sorrowful times, when all somebody can say is 'I'll boil the kettle'.
"I think that's why it has such universal appeal."
For more information, visit www.bygonebeautys.com.au.
