Category Archives: Me & Me Shop

exploration of shops and retailers

Me & Me Shop: Hat Therapy

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Who said that traditional shops with traditional industries are a thing of the past? If you head down to Hebden Bridge (1 of my favourite haunts) you can visit one of the most inspiring traditional shops, a milliner!! Hat Therapy is a gem of traditional industry but with a real modern and fashionable edge. The shop would not look out of place amongst the chic boutiques of Paris, with its chequer board floor and quaint display, this a place where women with a penchant for headwear make their pilgrimage and pay homage to their master. Chrissie who owns Hat Therapy and works away like a real trooper to bedeck the heads of beautiful people is a true craftswoman. Chrissie’s passion for fashion is only equally matched by her charm and care with her customers, you may come here for a hat but you can be guaranteed to leave with a hat and a smile on your face for you will have had one of the most generous of shopping experiences. If you time it right, its great to catch Chrissie mid-project and see her through the window (her studios at the back of the shop) as she pins and blocks and sews and embellishes… honestly its the stuff of magic!

I spoke with Chrissie about her shop:

1) Why and when did you start your ‘shop’, how long has it been running?

I opened the shop in Dec 2005 so have been open 6 years. When I opened I was 5 months pregnant [I never do things by halves] After working from home making hats I needed to find a place to work and live. I found the shop by chance after parking across the road.

2) Have you changed what you sell over the past year?
my items for sale change constantly with seasons and trends although I do tend to make things driven by fabric inspiration.
3) In terms of retail and dealing directly with the public what has been your biggest surprise?
How much trust is needed when it comes to bespoke orders.
4) Do you have a style ethos in your shop or a particular style that you are trying to portray?
I like the shop to be enticing and inspiring without being overwhelming.
5) Where do you get your inspiration for the styling of your shop?
A friend sent me a christmas card the year before which was very 1940′s inspired French chic if there is such a thing.
6) Is there a business in the same sector as yours that you aspire to be like? for example, is there another shop that inspires the way you present your shop?
General inspiration comes from anything really but particularly fabric and shape.
I like so many different shops which inspire me but I have a particular leaning to towards anything French. (not sure where that comes from)!

Me & Me Shop: The Factory Lighting Shop

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Everybody loves a bargain, its true! However sometimes you just can not be bothered with the rummage or the trawling through heaps of rubbish to find the treasure in a factory shop. The Factory Lighting Shop in Barrowford is completely different! Its as far removed from a traditionally factory shop as you could hope; with smily staff and products that are 70% off retail prices it is a pleasure to shop here. When factories are producing their own goods it makes perfect sense to offer great prices to those local to the factory. I have to confess I know this shop inside out as I had a Saturday job here for a couple of years and it was a pleasure to work here. The lighting ranges from uber-cool shiny stainless steel modern fittings through simple homely designs to traditional chandeliers and shades. The factory lighting shop are also a retail member of the lighting association, an accreditation that stands out as a sign of quality.

I spoke with the shop owner Lisa Chapman:

1) Why and when did you start your shop?

We opened the shop around 1990 and have been on the same block here on the corner of the factory building. How time has flown and the things we have seen!

2) Have you changed what you sell over the past year?

We are a lighting retailer really but over the past year we have introduced more gifts and homewares, it makes the shop look better and people really love the things we find so it adds to the shop look and atmosphere.

3) In terms of retail and dealing directly with the public what has been your biggest surprise?

Its great to have so many loyal customers and its humbling to be supported by the local community, its amazing how many people come back time & again for new lighting. We like to give everyone a cup of fresh coffee too whilst they browse so it really is like nipping round to your mates house.

4) Do you have a style ethos in your shop or a particular style that you are trying to portray?

Not really, our shop is so varied and is dependant on so many different products it would be difficult to have an ethos, we just like to try and present things in a way which is pleasant and appealing and we love seasonal windows.

The Factory Lighting Shop, Pendle St, Barrowford, BB9 8PH is open 10am – 5pm Monday-Saturday and features many special offers and discounts up to 70% off RRP

Me & Me Shop: Harp Ceramics

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Consider any glamorous entrance and you will generally think of a beautifully tiled space that you can clatter your heels along. Why do we all obsess about carpets and laminate floors when the humble, nay ancient art of tiling is one of the most practical and exciting floor coverings we have?!

Sharon Jackson runs the fantastically bulging shop of delights; Harp Ceramics in Colne, Lancashire. A door on the corner flanked by towers of mosaic opens into a surprisingly large shop that boasts quite simply the best collection of tiles you will find in the area. With everything you can imagine from glossy ceramics, matt printed terracotta, jewel-like glass and even stainless steel mosaics there is quite simply something to suit all tastes. There is a common misconception that independent shops like this carry lines that demand a weighty price tag but its not the case, in fact at Harp Ceramics your money will go much further than in most of the well known DIY warehouses, a fact that keeps people coming back!

The biggest thing you will notice in this shop is the smile on proprietor Sharon’s face, gleaming to greet each person who walks through the door, this is a shop built on experience. With a husband as a tiler and years of travelling across Europe (Valencia was Sharon’s favourite) to learn everything there is to know about tiles and tiling you don’t just come here for the look but also for the advice too. Whether you need to know about the best adhesive to use or how to get a particular style, Sharon will effervesce with advice.

I had a great chat (and a strong brew) with Sharon:

1) Why and when did you start your ‘shop’, how long has it been running?

We’re just celebrating our 5th birthday! How time flies, we moved premises from the shop next door because this is a better more practical space for us but yes the business has been running for 5 years. I think it was up and running in our brains (Sharon and husband Paul) for a couple of years before that though! The amount of research we did before hand gave us a great wealth of experience.

2) Have you changed what you sell over the past year?

With changing technology and trends there is always something new to deal with. We try and give people what they want but will also keep up to date with the very latest advances in the world of tiling. The latest range from Laura Ashley for example has been popular because of the vintage style that everyone seems to be looking for.

3) In terms of retail and dealing directly with the public what has been your biggest surprise?

I’ve worked in retail management for a number of years so that side of things was already under my belt but dealing with our trade customers is great, the blokes that come in first thing ahead of their days work are always chipper and fun. Admittedly they do question my tiling knowledge sometimes but I know my stuff so they get as good as they give!

4) Do you have a style ethos in your shop or a particular style that you are trying to portray?

I’d love to say yes but with so many ranges things can get excitedly full in here. I always try and create little zones of tiling to demonstrate how tiles can be used best but we do little mock-ups of tile setups if we don’t have it on a proper display.

5) Where do you get your inspiration for the styling of your shop?

The tiles pretty much dictate the style of the shop but we do visit other shops to see how others do things. Inspiration comes from funny places but practicality is also a big factor because of course the tiles are generally speaking very fragile.

6) Is there a business in the same sector as yours that you aspire to be like? for example, is there another shop that inspires the way you present your shop?

We started our shop to offer something different and to fill the gap in the market for someone selling tiles with the knowledge and expertise and the passion not simply a warehouse stacking it high and selling it cheap! Expertise saves money in our experience and nobody can deny a bargain.

Harp Ceramics is at 263 North Valley Road  Colne, Lancashire BB8 9DR
you can call them on: 01282 870968

Follow them on TWITTER

Or like their page on FACEBOOK

Me & Me Shop: Our Workshop

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the shopfront is not a highstreet

When you own or run a shop its great to open the door in the morning, sweep your path and put out your sandwich board ready to see the smiley faces of folk as they visit your outlet with intrigue. Thats all very well in the high street but what happens when the laptop is your shopping trip? The familiarity of an e-commerce website as familiar as the kids seat on a shopping trolley is the pride of the digital natives. Whilst grandma may know the exact aisle in Tesco where the kitchen foil is kept, a child born of the 80s knows how to shop virtually and isn’t scared to do so. This way of shopping is often very anonymous but every now and again a beacon of hope appears which brings a fresh design to us, a novel way of looking at something and the Our Workshop shop is the case in hand.

cute & clever graphics

The site itself is easy to navigate and honestly pretty simple but its triumph is its absolute attention to detail. The clever geometric and colourful graphics are the websites equivalent to an arresting shop window, many may take these for granted but it breathes a warmth and familiarity often lost in online retail. The messages to customers on stripy backgrounds reminiscent of swing tags, posters and hanging signs but presented in a flat modern and ultimately more appealing guise.

The product range is fun, modernist, vintage, retro, hints of Britishness and an appeal to the quirkier side of life. Organised into categories of need rather than description Our Workshop certainly sells a lifestyle and promotes a way of living through a screen. I love the apple storage containers and the sail boat salt and pepper pots are an absolute hoot!

sailboat salt & pepper

The Our Woskshop Shop does not present us with ground breaking products, it just presents us with a new way of looking at them

I spoke with Pui & Gemma about their shop:

1) Why and when did you start your ‘shop’, how long has it been running?
Gemma and I started our shop during the summer of 2010. It started from us setting up our own design studio the year before,
and the shop was a natural progression of what we enjoyed. That is graphic design, and also product design.
We thought these went hand in hand well, and the shop fed our passion for shopping too.
2) Have you changed what you sell over the past year?
We are constantly changing our product selections, but a lot of the time it’s an unconscious decision. It kind of has developed naturally, we usually go with what we would like ourselves. We naturally go for simple, functional yet quirky designs.
Be it a new product from a new designer or a vintage piece we found from an antique market.

apple container

3) In terms of retail and dealing directly with the public what has been your biggest surprise?

We don’t really deal with the public much face to face, as it’s an online shop. However we have been taking part in several art fairs and markets this year, and it’s always nice to meet customers who have followed our blog along the way, and we finally get to meet them. Also, customers are always sending us lovely comments about Our Shop. The biggest surprise I’d say is when a customer actually turns up at our studio. And would like to buy and browse through our products, even though we’re on online shop.
The lengths people go to, to track you down is a  nice surprise. A guy came all the way from U.S, though not especially for us, but he was on a work trip in London, and he said that he found us on a blog, he found our studio, and asked if he could purchase some of our notebooks before he went home!

4) Do you have a style ethos in your shop or a particular style that you are trying to portray?
We don’t really have a style ethos. But both Gemma and I love scandanavian design, clean and minimal graphics and also we like modern as well as vintage inspired designs. As designers we are always finding new inspirations from graphic design, illustration, fashion and interior design. Our shop style is what we both like naturally too.

5) Where do you get your inspiration for the styling of your shop?
All the photography is shot by us, in our own homes using our own props etc. I guess that our inspiration is to set products where we would find most natural. So where we would place the products ourselves at home. We like the setting to be homely and laid back, as if you’re peeking into a home.

6) Is there a business in the same sector as yours that you aspire to be like? for example, is there another shop that inspires the way you present your shop?
Hmmm, not really. Though we both look at a lot of blogs, online shop, boutiques etc, there is a lot of lovely shops out there!
We both like Liberty of London. It’s like a national treasure, the building is so beautiful and the shopping experience is extra special in there too. We like the eclectic mixes of products they have, both traditional and modern. It feels like you’re visiting a musuem/gallery when you’re in there.

Me & Me Shop: Shabby Chocolat and Country Cousins

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Shabby Chocolat

The recession has forced people into thinking differently, do you know anything of the “new look” that Christian Dior presented so famously after the second World War? Well its economic differences that challenge the way we dress our homes. What’s that got to do with the delightful mates Denise and Jacqueline? They are current, they are zeitgeist and they are a great presence in Hebden Bridge where they have their 2 shops. There was originally just Country Cousins, a shop for the romantic, the dreamers and the objet d’art hunters but now there is another string to the ladies’ bow, Shabby Chocolat, a Marie Antoinette themed ‘salon du chocolat’ or “chocolate shop” because we’re English and I am northern.

garden room at Country Cousins

When all around us forges forward with technology and gleaming shininess, Country Cousins present us with a vision, a complete packaged vision of country styling with romantic detailing. A shop that sells a whole range of completely unique furniture and homewares, the speciality here is painted furniture, the term ‘shabby chic’ is used all too often but it fits. Country Cousins sell tables, drawers, dressing tables, mirrors and a multitude of stylish tea sets and baskets.

Shabby Chocolat, besides the styling, will have you drooling on sight of the most exciting chocolates. From swirling pompadour pralines to champagne truffles, macarons and even dairy free vegan tiffin there is sure to be something to suit most palettes.

1) Why and when did you start your ‘shop’, how long has it been running?

Country Cousins has been running for 3 years but Shabby Chocolat is very new and has only been around since Nov of 2011. We set up both shops because we had the passion to do it, a bit of knowledge and as with any business venture possibly a screw loose!! Shabby chocolat followed Country Cousins because Denise has a love affair with chocolate and a dream to live like Marie Antoinette, so a small slice of luxury is presented in the shop.

2) Have you changed what you sell over the past year?

We sell more furniture than we have ever sold before but of course with the new chocolate shop above Country Cousins, the main difference is selling chocolate.

3) In terms of retail and dealing directly with the public what has been your biggest surprise?

Our biggest surprise has been the reaction of the general public to what is essentially our vision. We have been overwhelmed by the kind comments about the chocolate shop, we’ve had to re-order twice as much as we anticipated!

4) Do you have a style ethos in your shops or a particular style that you are trying to portray?

Well the whole place is about vintage romanticism, Country Cousins is about living properly, tea sets, worn patches, signs of life and enjoying the shabby chic with a country edge.

5) Where do you get your inspiration for the styling of your shop?

Our main influence is anything french and we try and holiday in France as much as we can to gain inspiration. Old wrought iron gates with peeling paint, white picket fences, crisp linens and completely over the top mouldings on mirrors, frames and furniture are all key features we look for.

6) Is there a business in the same sector as yours that you aspire to be like? for example, is there another shop that inspires the way you present your shop?

We like our shop to feel quite homely and we try to style the furniture and accessories in a way that you would live with the pieces. We hate shops that feel like we are being sold something, we want people to experience our shop rather than just come and see a few nice pieces.

Country Cousins is located at 21 West End, Hebden Bridge and Shabby Chocolat is at 21A with entry to the chocolate shop through Country Cousins.

Me & Me Shop: Copa House

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Is it safe to say it? I do like a good coffee, just not every morning, I’m more of a tea man on a day to day basis. In England we have a pretty strict divide between the tea drinkers and the coffee drinkers and don’t even get started on the strong Vs weak tea or the debate about whether its milk before bag comes out or after… honestly northerners could talk tea and coffee for hours! So lets simplify it… you’ve gone shopping and you’re wandering down Market St with a few eco-shopping bags in your hand, you turn and you say, “Susan (or George or Barry or Tracey or whoever frankly or frank for that matter) … do you fancy a brew?” Susan purses her lips, “yeah I could do with a good coffee”

Well, well ladies and gentlemen you are in the right place because you can forget all of your franchised coffee houses and storm your way into one of the best cafes you’ll step foot in. The coffee is great, its that simple, strong, fragrant and packed with flavour and the Mocha (my favourite) is an unbeatable pleasure on a winter morning.

Amber who runs Copa House is a marvel, a glamazon of a woman who whips around her kitchen as though it were an extension of her own body. If the coffee isn’t enough to hook you then the quaint hand-written blackboard menus listing the daily specials certainly will be! Ambers holidays in Greece are what we have to thank for Mediterranean flavours on the menu but simple hearty soups and hot buttered toasted tea-cakes all form a menu of things that you would expect.

Cafe’s have that advantage of smelling of coffee all the time creating an ambience we wrestle with at home yet in Copa House the dark walls and the wood grain furniture create a surprisingly cozy feeling. A rolling display of artwork and photography on the dark walls have to compete against an exquisite cabinet of home-baked cakes. I’m pretty sure they are only behind glass to avoid people drooling upon sight of such amazing treats as lemon custard tarts, delicious red velvet cupcakes and other seasonal baked goodies. At the time of writing this I’ve just ordered a Christmas cake  to shame all others, its less pack it with fruit and more pack the cake with hugs and fragrant wintery goodness!

Amber works too hard in her kitchen but also has the most delightful team who will offer you a smile with every cup of coffee, I was lucky enough to snatch a few words from her before she embarked on creating another amazing cake.

1) When did you start your ‘shop’ and how long has it been running? We’ve been running for 6years now
2) Have you changed what you sell over the past year? We have introduced a wider variety of cakes and celebration cakes, we can decorate cakes for most occasions but you have the knowledge of a really well baked cake underneath. Flavour is never secondary.


3) In terms of retail and dealing directly with the public what has been your biggest surprise? To sell produce or an idea you have to be really clear. Almost as if you are selling to children or else customers just won’t ‘get it’ not everyone has the same vision so you have to be able to explain what you are wanting to do or are capable of doing so the customer can place their trust with you.

4)Do you have a style ethos in your shop/cafe or a particular style that you are trying to portray? The focus is more on ethos than style, I believe if you get the idea right the style almost takes care of itself, I want Copa House to be about the homemade and to have a  homely, friendly and relaxed feeling where people are happy to come through the door.
5) Where do you get your inspiration for the styling of your shop/cafe/business? Other cafes, you have to be aware of how other cafes operate and how other businesses grow to accommodate the changing needs and whims of their customers.


6) Is there a business in the same sector as yours that you aspire to be like? for example, is there another shop that inspires the way you present your shop?

… Pass! Mixture of lots I suppose!

If you want to see why I’m so passionate about Amber’s real passion at Copa House, head down to Market Street in Hebden Bridge.

You can befriend Copa House on Facebook and keep an eye on the amazing cakes

Me & Me Shop: The Florists of Barrowford

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The village of Barrowford is comparatively sleepy and if it wasn’t for its positioning on such a busy road through to otherwise difficult to reach rural areas it would be all but forgotten except for 1 HUGE thing: the shops!! Its not uncommon to see a throng of beautiful shiny cars with private number plates parked outside some of the best shops you could wish for.

lovely rustic styled giftware

My favourite is The Florists, I have come to know Kathryn, the owner, quite well over the years that I have been visiting the shop for flowers and gifts for all occasions. I wouldn’t say I’m a sucker for a flashy shop but when a shop is well presented I do get a bit over-excited. When the doors of this fantasy garden opened I distinctly remember going a bit weak at the knees over the juxtaposition of a crystal chandelier coupled with a dry stone wall counter! This is the glam in your garden, the fabulous in your floristry and not forgetting the greeting of the giftware. The gifts and home wares that are on offer here will soften even the harshest of faces into a smile, kitsch without pretence and supporting British brands and makers a present bought from The Florists is a present gratefully received.

floral quality unsurpassed

I have had so many presents from The Florists and life just got so much easier because I can now explore the gifts online and decide what I want to buy before I go down and luxuriate. At the moment I am loving the glasses made from upcycled beer bottles and as its Christmas time you can also see the stunning selection of natural earthy wreaths, I can’t stay away at Christmas time because there is nothing better than exploring the outside inside when its cold enough to give you rosy cheeks outside.

I met with Kat to speak to her about her shop and her experiences as a retailer:

1) Why and when did you start your shop, how long has it been running?

We opened our shop in Barrowford 2 and a half years ago, and we were open in Colne for a year before that. We originally opened ‘The Garden Doctors Shop’ in 2008 in Colne as an expansion to our garden design business, stocking garden related products, pots, plants and cut flowers

2) Have you changed what you sell over the past year?

Over the past few years there have been a number of changes, the most obvious is the name change to ‘The Florists’ this occurred for a number of reasons, the main one being that earlier this year I sold the garden maintenance & landscaping side of the business but equally important was that the floristry side of the business had grown and it helped to focus the marketing of the shop and to prevent being asked daily if we sold weed killer! The range of stock has grown and changed or the last couple of years, fresh flowers,  kew pots and glass vases are still our best sellers, we sell fewer ‘gardening’ products. But I do try to choose stock that has some garden, outdoor, flower, english or local connection. In the next year I hope to add some vintage glassware, containers and vases to make the flowers an even more beautiful unique gift option. 

stunning floristry

3) In terms of retail and dealing directly with the public what has been your biggest surprise?

“My biggest surprise in retailing is how there is no pattern in peoples shopping habits outside of peak periods & saturdays, we are open 6 days a week, but we can be busy on a monday, and quiet on a friday but the following week its the opposite!”

I work in retail regularly and I know exactly what you mean 

4) Do you have a style ethos in your shop or a particular style that you are trying to portray?

“I don’t think I planned a style ethos for the shop, I choose to style it in a way I found beautiful, the stock I buy I have to love myself, and the floristry has to be something that I would be delighted to receive.”

Well judging by this response its obvious that Kat has an inherent sense of style!

5) Where do you get your inspiration for the styling of your shop?

“When I designed the shop I wanted a country living feel, with a hint of glamour, the flooring is slate, the counter is made from drystone walling with a slate top, the tables have birch tree branches for legs (made by my hubby!) tongue and groove panelling on the wall, but with the floristry area having the glamour of dark lead grey painted walls and a crystal chandleier. We gift wrap with either brown craft paper or gold kraft paper with raffia and a hand stamped brown luggage tag, and our flowers are hand tied and wrapped in either white frosted cello and white card vases or matt black cello and black card flower vases, I love the simplicity in the presentation of flowers, they have their own unique beauty that shouldn’t be hidden in gaudy printed cello and poly bows!”
One of the biggest pleasures is the care and detail that goes into the wrapping and presentation of any of the flowers from the florists, from huge bouquets to an odd stem they are all valued equally. 

Big seller: French glassware

6) Is there a business in the same sector as yours that you aspire to be like? for example, is there another shop that inspires the way you present your shop?

About 4 years ago before we opened I visited a number of florists in London, Jamie Aston, Jane Packer, Daylesford  Organic and Wild at Heart, I was blown away by all of them for their styling,  Wild at Heart had a gorgeous white cast iron bath in the centre of the shop filled with galvanised buckets of fresh roses, Daylesford only stocks white and green flowers, Jane Packer has the crisp black packaging, Jamie Aston had chunky paint washed farm house tables.
Its so selfish of us that are lucky enough to live close to the florists… no its not!! YOU can get in on the action too with The Florists new website, it is so rare that the feeling of a shop can be translated online but The Florists website has a lovely warm feeling and with their helpful staff on the end of the phone a gift this Christmas is only a very pleasurable click away.
Me & Me Shop is a regular feature that will appear on the Live Like the Boy blog, if you would like to be featured here please get in touch! liveliketheboy(@)hotmail.co.uk