Top Seven London Shops

In my previous post, I mentioned ten places I would be seeing in Paris when I'm there in a few weeks' time. What I didn't mention was that I'll be away for 3 months altogether in France, Italy and England. I'll try and blog as often as I can while I'm away. When I'm in London, these are the Top Ten places I hope to visit:

1. Story - I want to take up where my sad story left off two years ago, when I found that the only day of the week on which it was open, I was going to be 200 miles away:

2. Rachel Riley - last time, I lusted over the beautiful childrens' clothes and what was more, they were on sale. I didn't have a little person to by them for at the time, but I think I could find one now:

3. Caravan - Last time, it was closed while it relocated, so this visit is long overdue:

Image from Caravan website

Image from Oh Joy blogspot

4. Lisa Stickley - Last trip I hadn't even heard of this shop. Now, thanks to my Jeu de Paume books, I certainly have. I might pick up one of these table napkins:

Images from A Bloomsbury Life Blogspot

5. Anthropologie - Now that this great store has a branch in London, I'll be able to get my fix here instead of in the U. S.:

Images from Enhance the Everyday blog

6. Shabby Chic - this store should be open by then:

Images from Shabby Chic Website

7. The Cross - So far the only thing I've been able to afford is a white wooden letter E. But I'm determined to find something this time:

Sibella Court

Yesterday I went to the launch of Sibella Court's interiors book etcetera etc. at her shop The Society Inc in Paddington, Sydney. If you haven't heard of her you can read an interview with her here. The book is gorgeous with literally a handmade feel, and I got a cool cloth bag and bookmark with it.

The aspects I admire most about her style are her attention to detail and the way she uses things which could be described as 'ordinary', like string, stamps, feathers or paper to make beautiful still life arrangements. The objects in her shop and styling shoots have a pre-loved feel and the patina of age. Her style reminds me a lot of Ann Shore, whose London shop Story I attempted to visit in London last year. She writes very eloquently on her aesthetic and where it comes from. I'd just like to share an excerpt from her book:

'[T]he patina of age gives so many things - fabric, furniture and paper, tableware and ceramics, wood and metal - unique textural and colour markings. Look at the way a silver tea set tarnishes or the linen on a hardback book fades in the sun. Feel the crumbling paint on a second-hand chair or the smooth handle on an old hammer. These imperfections are hard to mass-produce and the marks of age tell a story of a life lived'.

The book itself is an objet d'art, like her shop and her magazine shoots. To me Sibella epitomises an aesthetic which is not a 'cookie-cutter' style nor can it be found fully-formed in design magazines, but is original, heartfelt and the result of much thought. I also see it as ethical as it respects other cultures, traditions and creatures, valuing what would often otherwise be overlooked.

Images of Sibella's book are courtesy of The Design Files post.

My Somewhat Sorry Story

We're in London for a week, before flying home to Australia. One of the main reasons I came to London was to visit Story, the interiors shop owned by Ann Shore. Unfortunately, this is all I'll get to see of it because it only opens on Sundays and I'll be visiting friends in Gloucestershire then:

Having suffered this crushing disappointment, I optimistically made my way to the second reason for coming to London - Emily Chalmers's store Caravan at Spitalfields Markets:

Unfortunately, these were the only tantalising glimpses I had of it:


The card on the window says it all. Closed now, and re-opening in a new location in September:

Oh well, at least I have an excuse to come back next year.