The dawn of the high street, with its department stores and affordable chains, has meant that the fortunes of independent shops have ebbed and flowed considerably over the last century and a half, with recessions making it harder for them to succeed. Thankfully despite this, there seem now to be more than ever, and the list of wonderful people making and curating beautiful things is now endless. Here are just a few of our favourite shops that honour craft, design and fun, as well as independence and affordability.
Textiles
- Warris Vianni is one of the best shops on Golborne Road, offering an incomparable range of natural textiles in tempting colours. Alongside there, there are furnishing likes cushions and quilts in rich colourways that are always too lovely to leave behind.
- Merchant & Mills in Rye is the place to be for simple, homely fabric. The cosiness of their linen section is the cloth equivalent to a hot cup of tea and a biscuit. They also stock all your haberdashery needs.
- Linen Me: If you are after just about anything in the realm of fully formed linen products then Linen Me should be your Mecca. They stock towels, tablecloths, bedding and curtains - making everything to order to ensure nothing is wasted. They supply fabric by the metre too if you want to match your armchair to the drapes.
- Tinsmiths are also great for well priced fabrics, but they can’t be pigeonholed there - they also offer artwork, ceramics and lighting, all with a charming pastoral touch.
- The Cloth Shop: The Cloth Shop is one of our favourite places for affordable fabrics. Situated on the Portobello Road just north of the Westway, the shop sells a huge range of fabrics for furnishings and clothing, impeccably organised and reasonably priced. Their range of coloured linen is famous.
- Common Room: Anyone who loves wallpaper and bold prints and colours should have Common Room firmly on their radar. Their designs are unique and full of life, with artist collaborations and modern reprints of historical designs.
- MacCulloch & Wallis: Soho’s staple haberdashery. Weaving between fashion students, you will find MacCulloch & Wallis shelves stocked full with all your equipment needs- from threads, to buttons, busts and books. They boast a great range of useful fabrics and extremely knowledgeable staff.
Homeware
- Folka: Over in Stoke Newington, Folka is one of our favourite shops for all sorts of lovely craft pieces. The shop is run by Karolina Merska, who sources and sells ceramics, textiles and glassware that are quite unlike anything you might find elsewhere.
- Rooms: Clapton’s treasure trove for vintage homeware and gifts. Owner Kentaro’s beady eye results in a top spot spilling over with one of a kind finds from chairs to candlesticks, cards to kitchenware. All with oodles of personality.
- Wickle: Lewes is abundant with independent shops on its high street, though the quickening rate of empty shop fronts pushes the message to shop in person. Wickle is an example of how delightful the shopping experience can be, not to mention FUN. A shop curated to the tee, everything is considered with an aim to be sustainable and locally sourced. It’s a top spot for gifts and treats: from straw boaters, to recycled glassware, tin sheriff badges and toys made with care all at a very reasonable price. It is a rare day when you pop in to browse and leave empty handed.
- AG Hendy: Hastings Old Town’s utilitarian mecca is no secret, but walking through its doors is reason alone as to why the bricks and mortar experience of shopping should never die. A lesson in curation and display, selling both new, vintage and antique. The open fire crackles as you wind yourself around passages lined with timeless homeware; enamel pots, cornishware ceramics, a brush for every occasion. With a sigh of satisfaction and a bag of something wonderful is how you will find yourself leaving this establishment.
- Objects of Use: Oxford’s answer to beautiful, practical homeware. Objects of Use nails making the everyday extraordinary with tools, cleaning products, kitchenware, homeware and stationary all of the highest quality and most handsome good looks.
- Closet & Botts: Lewes may be well known for antiques and bookshops but it's also a secret source for independent homewares too. Closet & Botts is one such shop, stocking recycled glassware, lovely textiles and pretty cards galore.
- Freight: Another Lewes gem, Freight has a truly lovely selection of pared-back homewares that are both modern and timeless, unique yet recognisable and will up the style stakes on any home in a quiet way.
- Straw London: This new opening on London's Columbia Road specialises in antique and new wicker and rattan pieces (their antique basket collection is wonderful), but also stocks lovely tableware and Japanese gardening tools.
- Detola & Geek: Straddling the border of textiles and homeware, Detola & Geek celebrates the meeting of African design and retro inspiration with some outrageously well-priced drum lampshades and cushions. Their tealight holders are a fine buy and available to buy online.
- ReFound: In rural Northumberland, this is a constant favourite for good reason. They stock unique household accessories, kitchen paraphernalia, gifts, garden and ornaments at exceptionally good prices.
- Milagros: Embodying the vibrancy of Mexico, Milagros on London's Columbia Road is the place to be for cheerful tiles, recycled glassware, tin ornaments and baskets.
- Couverture & Garbstore: Based in Notting Hill, Couverture & Garbstore are the curators of cool when it comes to clothes and homeware, and have taken it upon themselves to responsibly source contemporary designers and makers such as Slowdown Studio, Auntie Oti and Tess Layzelle.
- Ceramica Blue: The colourful Ceramica Blue based in Notting Hill are a great little detour from Portobello market; here you can put together an eclectic table setting alongside your catches of the day.
- Tat London: For vintage and antique finds from the comfort of your living room, Tat London serves up those special pieces that leave guests gutted that you beat them to the punch.
- Eesome Shop: Online-only Eesome Shop is great for rustic second-hand curated vessels, lamps and all kinds of pieces in between.
- Merci: Meanwhile across the Channel, Parisian mega-boutique Merci ‘acts as a launchpad’ for young emerging designers selling tableware, kitchenware and accessories for the home - naturally everything is rather chic.
- Polkra: Polkra are a favourite for bright and beautiful cushions and glassware. Their matches designed with Fee Greening are a good replacement for your cheapie lighter too.
- Labour & Wait: For utilitarian homeware that one would happily put on display, Labour & Wait take the crown, stocking everything from sightly yet robust toolboxes to marbled bakeware, hurricane lamps to enamel milk pots in an assortment of colours. A visit to their East London store has a therapeutic effect–highly recommended.
- Objects of Use: Oxford’s ‘modern day hardware store’ Objects of Use is a fine example that everything down to the nails you hammer (and the hammer you hammer with) can be finely formed. They’re great for tableware too.
- Rachel & Malika's: For handmade West African crafts – from homewares to jewellery – Rachel & Malika's in Brixton Village is where to head. They bring a riot of colour to their corner of the market, with a shop filled with textiles, furniture and trinkets.
- Pentreath & Hall: Co-owned by Ben Pentreath and Bridie Hall, this Bloomsbury shop is full of utterly stylish homewares, from Bridie’s colourful designs inspired by the ancient world to contemporary takes on Georgian furniture.
- Lamp London: Lamp London in Peckham sits proudly in pink on the corner of Maxted Road, providing a space for beautiful products that have been made in a way that is sustainable for the planet and kind to the people on it. As well as a beautifully curated array of cushions, candles, lights, and blankets, they have all the little smalls that make a house a home.
- Host Home: Pretty, colourful glasses, patterned tableware and frilled cushions are some of the delights to be found online at Host Home, a shop that mixes vintage pieces and modern gems with aplomb.
- The Sette: A one stop shop for all things tabletop, The Sette is the ideal place to curate a tablescape, with lovely ideas for vases, plates, cutlery, linens and more.
Plants
- Forest: South East London’s plant shop Forest stocks a wonderful array of pots- and of course, plants with some crockery, glasses and rugs thrown in for good measure too.
- The Nunhead Gardener: Another SE gem is The Nunhead Gardener which has just reopened its gates - pay their little oasis a visit if you can. Otherwise their online shop is well stocked with the sweetest vases and pots for both indoors and outdoors- not to mention plants, seeds and all your gardening needs.
Other shops we love
- Choosing Keeping: A good stationery store is absolutely irresistible, and Choosing Keeping is better than most, with its sophisticated selection ranging from Antoinette Poisson’s exquisite domino papers to sketchbooks with hand-marbled edges.
- Retrouvius: Over in Kensal Green, Retrouvius is another utterly brilliant reclamation and vintage shop. Used by interior designers across the country, a visit to the shop can last for hours as you rifle through a myriad glorious pieces.
- Present & Correct: Another exceptional stationer at the other end of the oh-so-pleasing visual spectrum. Present & Correct boasts smart vintage ephemera, modern office supplies and stationary for those that writhe with pleasure at the thought of very good looking organisational tools and arranging them perfectly.
MAY WE SUGGEST: Bedroom wallpapers for every kind of house
