Now that you’re on your way to building beautiful scrapbooks, we’d like to give you some of our top spots around London to find stationery, art materials and fabrics. We hope these suggestions will help you with your creative activities. 

STATIONERY

In London we’re spoiled for choice with stationery stores and we often talk about Shepherds store for the wonderful collection of printed and handmade papers available. London Graphic Centre also offer a full range of artist’s supplies and stationery, their flagship in Covent Garden is a must see. Nearby there’s Choosing Keeping which offer niche writing tools and papers from all around the world – treasures for all stationery lovers!

MAGAZINES 

Since 1982 Shreeji has offered a diverse and expansive selection of magazines ranging from art, design and culture. Now you can also find artist exhibitions and pop-ups hosted at the recently redesigned store.

Although Berwick Street’s ‘Good News’ in Soho doesn’t have a website, the newsagent stands out for its vast array of independent and contemporary magazines. We could spend hours browsing their shelves and often, we’ll bring a stack of titles to The Soho Hotel’s Refuel Bar & Restaurant to browse the afternoon away with a spot coffee.

BOOKS

It’s no secret that we love a good book and where better to discover your next read than at Foyles in Tottenham Court Road. This exceptional bookstore is full of inspirational reads. Some of our most recent finds from here include: ‘A Dictionary of Color Combinations’. Based on the volume of works by kimono designer and teacher Sanzo Wada in the 1930s, this Japanese book is a collection of flat colour squares placed in over 300 side-by-side combinations.

We also loved reading ‘The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History’ by Kassia St Clair. From the threads woven by the Greek Fates, the bandages that wrapped Egyptian mummies to the wool that made medieval England rich, this book is a gem that narrates a very detailed history of fabric and textiles. It explores colours and fabrics in the most romantic way.

FABRICS 

Whether we’re sourcing fabric for our scrapbooks or entire schemes, one of our favourite places to go to is the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. Here you will find all the best known brands under the same roof. We also recommend: ‘The Berwick Street Cloth Shop’ in Soho for one-off fabric designs, Portobello Market for textiles and antique trims and Susan Deliss for their stunning ‘Suzani’ antique tapestries. If you’re wanting to delve into a treasure trove of beautiful fabrics from all around the world, make a visit to Joss Graham, their Eccleston Street store and gallery is full of unique finds.

Remember to be curious about your surroundings, get out and about and let your imagination run free!