Inspiration
From 100-year-old family-run operations to contemporary boutiques, these beautiful shops each offer a distinct sense of place and a dedication to craft.
Romain Ricard
When distinguishing a great shop from a good one, several qualities come to mind. Perhaps the storefront is as beautiful as it is historic, with perfectly-aged signage alluding to a storied past. Once inside, you may find a hawk-eyed curation of many goods or a passionate pursuit of a single good. And the shopkeeper, the glue to hold it all together, can bring an irreplaceable sense of place and reason to stay just a moment more—or both.
It’s this perfect recipe that designer Paula Flynn has spent the past decade chasing and documenting through her website The Shopkeepers, an extensive directory of brick-and-mortars, guides by every shop type and region, and profiles on their keepers. Now, her newly released book The World’s Most Beautiful Shops is a culmination of the thrills of the hunt and ode to the most distinct retail experiences across the world. “Each of these have managed to create a special moment in time that speaks to the sensibility of their location [and] heritage,” Flynn tells Condé Nast Traveler. To her, the book is a tribute to the art of shopkeeping in all its many forms, while the shops themselves are “projects influenced by where they are, rather than copying something you might find on the other side of the world." Ultimately, it’s those stores that "give a place its character” that Flynn is keen on spotlighting.
While shops can close or evolve, Flynn is confident their legacies will remain. "[The book] is a tribute, and I think they’re shops people can always look to to be inspired.” From a 237-year-old candle shop in Lisbon to a townhouse-turned-textiles-museum in Istanbul, explore 20 of the most beautiful shops in the world below, courtesy of Flynn.
.jpg)
Kris Leboeuf
Notary Ceramics and Home, Portland, United States
Notary Ceramics and Home founder Sarah Van Raden was first introduced to ceramics in a college class, though it wasn’t until 10 years later, when she enrolled in an evening course, that she rediscovered her love for the medium. Today, in the decade-old studio adjoining her shop in Portland, Oregon's historic Sellwood neighborhood, Van Raden offers minimalist earthenware, porcelain lighting fixtures, and signature bell chimes, among other goods created by fellow ceramicists. You also may catch a glimpse of Van Raden throwing clay, as she works on the premises.
Drew Walker
James Smith and Sons, London, United Kingdom
James Smith and Sons—or simply, “the Umbrella Shop,” as it's nicknamed—has been making umbrellas since 1830 in the heart of London's West End. The operation moved to New Oxford Street in the 1850s, and its decorative Victorian storefront and interior retain many original details. Like a 19th-century time capsule, Flynn notes, “it's like walking into a museum." Behind the scenes, the landmark's signature umbrellas, parasols, and walking sticks are assembled and repaired at its workshop.
Antigua Casa Crespo
Antigua Casa Crespo, Madrid, Spain
When Antigua Casa Crespo opened its doors in Madrid in 1863, it sold two things: specialty rope, and, of course, black and white espadrilles. In the 1970s, its venture into colorful shoes proved so successful that it attracted a visit from Queen Sofía of Spain. Still a family operation today, its tiny shop on vibrant Calle del Divino Pastor is stocked floor-to-ceiling with color-coded espadrilles, from woven flats and wedges, to lace ups and slip ons—Ana will be quick to point you to a comfy pair. Be sure to explore its selection of suede safari boots and felt house slippers as well.
Truck
Truck, Osaka, Japan
At Truck, craftsmanship extends beyond the furniture, as founders Tokuhiko Kise and Hiromi Karatsu also designed and built the very space that houses the workshop and showroom (chronicled in their book Truck Nest). “It's just an incredible story,” Flynn says of the sheer commitment and care she knows went into the project. The Osaka flagship offers pieces that, at once, feel thoughtfully designed yet lived in, from corduroy sofas and oak bed frames, to industrial pendant lighting and sleek floor lamps. Afterwards, stop by its homey café Bird Coffee for a drink and donut.
Johno Mellish
Chommies, Cape Town, South Africa
From color-block collars and macrame leashes to ceramic food bowls and sweaters, Cape Town's Chommies sells any item a pet owner could want for their companion or themselves. Its flagship in the City Bowl features a painted façade and equally playful interiors, with colorful walls and straw-woven fido sculptures. Dogs are indeed welcome, if not encouraged, in the shop.
Paula Flynn
Caza das Vellas Loreto, Lisbon, Portugal
One of the world's oldest candle shops, Caza das Vellas Loreto has operated out of the same building since 1789 on Lisbon's bustling Rua do Loreto. Its interiors feature a gilded clock, wooden counter, and grandiose display cases full of handmade beeswax candles that take the shape of fruits, flowers, and animals (and give the space its pleasant honey and lavender scent). The workshop's just behind the counter, where employees still create the candles. “It's nearly like work walking into a church [or] a pharmacy,” Flynn says of its old-world design.
Romain Ricard
Marin Montagut, Paris, France
Designer and collector Marin Montagut adorns ceramic pillboxes, plates, cookie jars, and just about everything else with his cheeky and whimsical watercolor scenes. At his green shop in Paris, you'll find painted treasures of all kinds—Eiffel Tower miniatures, cat sculptures to scale, oil lamps—displayed in old grocery store cabinets he found antiquing in the South of France.
Stephanie Furtun
Alaturcahouse, Istanbul, Türkiye
Erkal Aksoy started collecting rugs from his travels in 1989. Today, he's transformed his four-story townhouse into the antique menagerie Alaturcahouse, with this collection at its center. “He's made a library of rugs,” Flynn says. In Istanbul's Cukurcuma neighborhood, the space is full of kilims that are neatly folded, tied, and stacked on countless shelves as if they're books, alongside other gems like old globes, busts, and sculpture.
%2520(1)%2520by%2520Mark%2520Wiesmayr%2520.jpg)
Mark Wiesmayr
McTavish, Byron Bay, Australia
Inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame in 1996, surfboard designer and shortboard pioneer Bob McTavish has made his namesake a go-to for the quality and diversity of its boards. With an undulating roofline that evokes a wave, his first store and headquarters in Byron Bay are hard to miss. Once inside the spacious shop, grab a coffee at its café and peruse a selection of boards and gear—if you're lucky, his son Ben might just give you a tour of the neighboring factory and photo studio.
Il Papiro
Il Papiro, Florence, Italy
Drawing on Florentine paper-making tradition, Il Papiro has turned hand-marbled paper into stationery, notebooks, picture frames, and planners for the past five decades. Though its shops can be found around Florence, head to its flagship on Via Camillo Cavour, where an array of goods are pristinely organized in shelving on checkerboard floors. If you're feeling particularly inspired, consider taking a bookbinding and paper marbling workshop, which you'll leave with your own handmade ephemera.
Griet Hendrickx
Lulu Stories, Lamu Island, Kenya
In Shela on Kenya's Lamu Island, Lulu Stories is a beachside idyll made of coral stone and mangrove wood. Founded by couple Griet and Babu in 2014, the shop focuses on handwoven kikoy wraps, as well as a collection of linen button-downs, decorative wooden sculptures, and intricate silver jewelry. On the ground floor, you'll find the shop and its weaving studio, where its team dyes and weaves cotton into garments, towels, and home linens. Head upstairs for Lulu Stories Home, a rustic two-bedroom stay available for booking through email.
Anna Kern
Iris Hantverk, Stockholm, Sweden
Led by Richard Sparrenhök and Sara Edhäll since 2012, following the sale of the business by its original owner, Iris Hantverk continues Sweden’s longstanding tradition of brush binding. Today, visually impaired artisans handcraft brushes using the heritage technique. At its welcoming flagship location on shopping street Kungsgatan, you will find household and cleaning brushes for every purpose: brooms, makeup brushes, boot scrapers, and dustpan sets are just the start.
Karima Maraun
Moro, Marrakech, Morocco
Steps away from Marrakech’s Jardin Majorelle, Flynn loves how the scent of citrus welcomes you the moment you enter boutique hotel and shop Moro, helmed by Mouad Mohsine and Mohcyn Bousfiha. In the sun-dappled shop, trees nearly reach the straw-thatched ceiling, and along its alcoved walls, find scents and skincare, fringed and floaty dresses, and statement bags adorned with bronze scarab beetles. Once you've shopped, head to its restaurant for pastilla and falafel salad.
Savapile
Savapile, Athens, Greece
You'll find this millinery dreamscape tucked behind an unassuming storefront in Athens's Psirri neighborhood. Founded by Savvas Sarigiannidis in 1960, Savapile is the only remaining straw-hat maker in Greece to sew Italian braid with traditional millinery techniques. Today, the basement workshop is run by his daughter, Lisa, who offers a selection of fisherman caps, visors, and even a wide-brimmed style in the shape of a heart.
Skyli Alvarez is the editorial assistant at Condé Nast Traveler. She holds a BA in journalism and minor in art history from the University of Georgia and has words and photos in Teen Vogue, Vogue, Polyester Zine, and more. Her work, written and visual, explores style, scenes, and subcultures past ... Read More