We love supporting our fellow small business owners. And although we sell our art prints online, we’re traditionalists when it comes to supporting small businesses on the high street. Nothing beats a Saturday afternoon spent browsing our favourite independent shops and picking up a unique find - not to mention supporting a local business while we’re at it.
So with that in mind, here are some of our favourite independent bricks and mortar shops in the UK - packed with personality, individuality and beautiful products.
Photo @oklahomamcr
1. Oklahoma, Manchester
Let’s start with the most colourful. Oklahoma is Manchester’s largest independent gift shop, which founder Nicola describes as “an Aladdin’s cave full of unusual and surprising discoveries”. At Oklahoma, they share our passion for all things vibrant and inspiring with a fun approach to design. They value unusual, eclectic products, sourced from both independent makers and more established designers, and its bright and colourful vibe makes it one of our favourites.
Photo @design_at_44
2. Design 44, Derby
At Design 44, you can expect to find a curated collection of handmade gifts, Scandinavian lifestyle products and art that are both beautiful and eco-friendly. They always have a great selection of stylish prints, cosy cushions and throws, and design-led scented candles. Some of our favourite names of the 90 designers stocked include Badger and Birch, and Darwin & Gray.
Photo @btsconceptstore
3. BTS Concept Store, Coleraine
BTS Concept Store celebrates simple living with a Nordic Twist. Their beautiful selection of minimalist home accessories combined with a natural, muted colour scheme makes this the perfect place to bring a piece of coastal living into your home.
Photo @insidestoreldn
4. Insidestore, London
Whether you’re in the market for playful lighting, beautiful furniture or accessories with personality, Insidestore’s collection of thoughtfully-designed pieces will earn you some serious style points.
Photo @formshopstudio
5. Form Shop & Studio, Hull
Created in 2016, this aesthetically pleasing shop offers an eclectic, curated selection of beautiful gifts, homeware and stationery from both local independent designers and those further afield. The owners, Joseph and Alice, say they “love to share work that's made in Hull by the brilliant, creative people that live here, with the hope of putting any success we have back into local creativity”.
Photo @utilitygiftstore
6. Utility, Liverpool & Manchester
The Utility style is unique and design-led. With a passion for finding the newest, quirkiest, and very best of design, this independent store is a treasure trove of greeting cards and original gifts.
Photo @pencilmeinshop
7. Pencil Me In, Elgin
Design-led stationery and gift shop Pencil Me In sells products from British designers, illustrators and makers. You can tell that all their products are lovingly displayed in store and carefully selected - ensuring they’ll make excellent gifts.
Photo @love_restored
8. Love Restored, Fife
Located in the beautiful village of Fife, Love Restored is your one stop shop for lovely furniture, gifts, plants, and prints.They also host creative workshops, so you can try your hand at creating unique pieces of furniture!
Photo @housebybetty
9. House by Betty, Carmarthen
Founded by owner Lauren in 2012, House by Betty is home to contemporary homeware and beautiful stationery (and some of our prints, too!). While you’re there, browse through carefully curated lifestyle products and an array of pretty items for your home.
Photo @lifestoryedin
10. Lifestory, Edinburgh
We were so happy to stumble upon Lifestory - a fantastic Edinburgh store that celebrates Scandinavian design and lifestyle. Curated by founder Susan, there’s also a focus on local and UK designers, stocking everything from ceramics, jewellery and wall art, to locally sourced tea and coffee.
Photo @monpotehome
11. Mon Pote, Bristol
Located in Bristol, Mon Pote sells a selection of stylish homewares, decorative accessories and beautiful art prints from Scandinavian interior brands. And with Mon Pote translating as “my friend” in English, the store lives up to its name, with friendly staff who are always on hand to offer advice to customers.
Photo @formlifestylestore
12. Form Lifestyle, Manchester
Founded by owners Elly and Harry, Form sells a range of stylish products for design lovers, from beautiful cards to ceramics and self-care products. They take a thoughtful approach to buying – choosing well-considered products and timeless designs that are made to last. Everything that you see has been carefully chosen and results in a beautiful store filled with items that are ethical and environmentally friendly.
Photo @dowsedesign
13. Dowse, Brighton
The seaside town of Brighton might be most well-known as a beach destination, but it also has a great selection of independent shops. DOWSE, our favourite, houses a curation of beautiful jewellery and lifestyle products focusing on great quality, innovative and affordable design-led gifts.
Photo @the_everyspace
14. The Every Space, London
The Every Space is a curated gift and plant shop in Walthamstow. As well as a range of plants for the green-fingered, The Every Space also sells luxurious bath and body products, unique accessories and an array of lovely stationery. The focus is on independent makers and designers from around the country, with local businesses featuring too.
Photo @liftstoresuffolk
15. Lift Store, Southwold
Lift is a colourful home accessory and lifestyle store based in Southwold. Stocking an ever-growing range of unique products, they promote well-designed, beautiful and functional items for your home.
Photo @balticshop
16. Baltic Shop, Gateshead
With both a physical store at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and an online shop for those that aren’t so local to the area, BALTIC Shop aims to bring great art to everyone. With a mixture of jewellery, prints, home accessories, toys and games - you’re bound to find the perfect gift from their range of quirky products - as well as some North East of England themed gifts for our fellow Northerners.
Photo @ukshopindie
17. Shop Indie, Chesterfield
Located in Derbyshire, UK Shop Indie has a curated collection of eclectic gifts, cards and decor from the UK’s best designer-makers. As well as their focus on great design, we love them because of their ongoing support of 100 British independent designers in store (including us!)
Photo @reste
18. Reste, Hastings
Founded on the belief that making an investment in quality and handcrafted items is the most rewarding decision, Reste sources only artisanal and handcrafted products from around the world. Their focus is on craftsmanship, creativity and beautiful products that tell a story.
Photo @lovefrankiedotcom
19. Love Frankie, Devon
Love Frankie is an independent homeware store that opened their online shop in 2009, followed by their flagship store in Devon in 2018. They pride themselves on their playful, eclectic aesthetic and the statement pieces that they showcase. Their selection of lighting, wallpapers, textiles and accessories make it the perfect place for a weekend mooch in Devon.
Photo @kin.home
20. Kin, Birmingham
The products kin sells all share a common aesthetic – they’re simple, stylish and contemporary. An independent lifestyle store, their aim is to be the leading destination for beautifully curated homeware. If you’re searching for beautiful furniture and lighting in Birmingham, kin is your place.
Photo @idahoaltrincham
21. Idaho, Altrincham
Idaho is a sanctuary for design-loving customers who are on the hunt for something special. From homewares and stationery to skincare, jewellery and gifts, you’re bound to find something inspiring from their selection of carefully curated products.