10 of the best craft and vintage shops in edinburgh

8/10/2019 10 of the Best Craft and Vintage Shops in Edinburgh

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10 of the best craft and vintage shops inEdinburghEdinburgh's secondhand shops are filled with kitsch quality and bargain finds aplenty,

says Claire Sawers

As featured in our Edinburgh city guide

Photograph:A4ANGHARAD on Flickr/Some rights reservedPublic Domain

Claire Sawers

Wednesday 12 October 2011 10.30 BST

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Unicorn Antiques

There's a touch of Steptoe's Yard about this cluttered shop, where dusty shelves

are stacked with copper pots, top hats, antique books and third, fourth and fifth-

hand ornaments. It's down a stone staircase off Dundas Street, in a darkbasement, with the original tiled floors and marble shelves preserved from its
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former life as a dairy. You may have to lift the owner's cat to get a decent look at

certain items, but, usually, there are gems lurking.

65 Dundas Street, 0131-556 7176,unicornantiques.com.Mon and Wed noon-

6.30pm, Tues, Thurs, Fri and Sat 10.30am-6.30pm, Sun closed

Edinburgh Printmakers Studio

Photograph:adamwil

son on Flickr/some rights reserved

The Gayfield/Broughton part of town has recently become a mini-hub of indieart galleries and grungy workshops for illustrators and painters. Many of the new

residents have moved in over the past few months but the Printmakers Studio

has been here since 1967. It's a base for printmakers to use equipment and take

courses in lithography and bookbinding, with a gallery and small shop. Screen

prints, birthday cards, jewellery and framed art are on sale, and the Studio

participates in theOwn Artscheme, designed to make buying art more

affordable.

23 Union Street, 0131-557 2479,edinburgh-printmakers.co.uk.Tues-Sat10am-6pm, closed Sun and Mon

The Red Door Gallery
http://unicornantiques.com/http://unicornantiques.com/http://unicornantiques.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilson/3962043626/http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilson/3962043626/http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilson/3962043626/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_GBhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_GBhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_GBhttp://www.ownart.org.uk/http://www.ownart.org.uk/http://www.ownart.org.uk/http://edinburgh-printmakers.co.uk/http://edinburgh-printmakers.co.uk/http://edinburgh-printmakers.co.uk/http://edinburgh-printmakers.co.uk/http://www.ownart.org.uk/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_GBhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilson/3962043626/http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamwilson/3962043626/http://unicornantiques.com/


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Photograph:Karen

Chan 16 on Flickr/some rights reserved

On one of Edinburgh's most photogenic cobbled streets, a few doors downhill

from the eye-watering odours of a gourmet cheesemonger and a bottle-shop

selling family-made bramble whiskies, The Red Door Gallery stocks work by

local artists, crafters and jewellers, and gives a foot-up to fledgling illustrators

and graduates from the nearby Edinburgh College of Art. Look out for digitally

printed silk scarves, leather pony necklaces,Donna Wilsonlambswool throws

and armfuls of brooches, mugs and bags.

42 Victoria Street, 0131-477 3255,edinburghart.com.Mon-Fri 12.30pm-5.30pm, Sat 11am-5.30pm, Sun noon-5pm

Curiouser and Curiouser

Broughton Street is the closest Edinburgh has to a gay quarter, and this

epicentre of the "pink village" also has a cluster of good bars and shops. Towards
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_chan/4849313747/http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_chan/4849313747/http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_chan/4849313747/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_GBhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_GBhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_GBhttp://www.donnawilson.com/http://www.donnawilson.com/http://www.donnawilson.com/http://edinburghart.com/http://edinburghart.com/http://edinburghart.com/http://edinburghart.com/http://www.donnawilson.com/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_GBhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_chan/4849313747/http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_chan/4849313747/


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the bottom of the hill you'll find this small supplier of Scandinavian accessories,

Edinburgh-made jewellery and vintage bits for the home. A sleek stoneware pot

for your basil plant? Nautical rope-patterned coasters? Something called a

"Gentlemen's Brothel" bar of organic soap, handmade in Edinburgh? This is a

shop full of things you didn't realise you suddenly needed.

93 Broughton Street, 0131-556 1866,curiouserandcuriouser.com.Tues-Sat

10am-6pm, Sun-Mon noon-4pm

Studio One

A godsend of a place around Christmas, or on any day, when you realise you

need to find a last-minute present. Most bases are covered for the home: grizzly

bear bookends, chocolate-scented candles and Japanese noodle bowls can all be

found in this deceptively large basement, which stretches along Stafford Street in

the cluster of shops and hairdressers that make up the well-heeled West End (its

"Notting Hill of the North" nickname was earned for a reason.) There's a sister

shop selling furniture in Morningside.

10 Stafford Street, 0131-226 5812,shopstudio1.co.uk.MonSat 9.30am6pm,

Sun 10am5pm. Studio One Furniture, 71 and 132 Morningside Road, 0131-447

2179,studioonefurniture.co.uk.Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 1pm-5pm

Herman Brown
http://curiouserandcuriouser.com/http://curiouserandcuriouser.com/http://curiouserandcuriouser.com/http://shopstudio1.co.uk/http://shopstudio1.co.uk/http://shopstudio1.co.uk/http://studioonefurniture.co.uk/http://studioonefurniture.co.uk/http://studioonefurniture.co.uk/http://studioonefurniture.co.uk/http://shopstudio1.co.uk/http://curiouserandcuriouser.com/


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Photograph: Graeme

Yule

This vintage clothes shop on West Port has been keeping the city's art students

in secondhand heels and costume jewellery since 1983. A jumble sale rummage

won't be needed either; it's a neat, well-picked collection of 50s and 60s prom

dresses, trenchcoats and leather gloves on one side of the shop, and a slightly

naffer (in a good way) 80s and 90s-leaning capsule collection called HB

Electronics on the other. The HB sideline is curated by the owner's daughter and

son-in-law, who have a good eye for faded denims, ugly-chic blouses and trashy

leotards.151 West Port, 0131-228 2589,hermanbrown.co.uk.Mon-Sat 1pm-6pm, Sun

1pm-5pm

Bra Bohag
http://hermanbrown.co.uk/http://hermanbrown.co.uk/http://hermanbrown.co.uk/http://hermanbrown.co.uk/


6/8

This secondhand furniture store kits its Leith neighbours out withG-

Plansideboards,Ercolchairs and the occasional taxidermied duck. It's a good

find if you're looking for offbeat pieces, particularly if you like mid-20th century

furniture or homewares with a tasteful retro flourish. Most of the pieces are

sourced from the UK, but there's a strong Scandinavian flavour too. Swedish

kettles and ceramics from the 60s sit next to Danish-designed lamps and

glassware, and although some of the rarer, one-off pieces of furniture edge

towards four figures, many smaller homeware items will give you back change

from 20.

150 Easter Road, 07808 808033,brabohag.com.Thurs-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun

noon-6pm, or by appointment

Homer

Imagine a scaled-down department store inside a Georgian townhouse Homer

is a multipurpose, homeware supplies spot with the tagline "Conran meets the

Old Curiosity Shoppe" (sic). It's run by Kevin and Jayne Ramage, a couple who

had a bookshop in London, then moved to the Highlands. They opened Homer,

part one, in Perthshire and more recently this, the Edinburgh branch. They'll sell

you a vintage bathroom cabinet, plus luxury lotions and potions to fill it. They'll

also kit out your home office with leather accessories, fill your garden with

birdhouses, and supply fancy cocktail shakers for your drinks cabinet.

8 Howe Street, 0131-225 3168,athomer.co.uk.Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm (Thurs

until 7pm), Sun noon-4.30pm

Goodstead
http://www.gplan.co.uk/http://www.gplan.co.uk/http://www.gplan.co.uk/http://www.ercol.com/http://www.ercol.com/http://www.ercol.com/http://www.brabohag.com/http://www.brabohag.com/http://www.brabohag.com/http://athomer.co.uk/http://athomer.co.uk/http://athomer.co.uk/http://athomer.co.uk/http://www.brabohag.com/http://www.ercol.com/http://www.gplan.co.uk/http://www.gplan.co.uk/


7/8

Rose Street is the pedestrian street running parallel to Princes Street, more

famous for its pubs and seafood restaurants than its shopping but this store is a

must visit for the label lover. It's not the cheapest but it does offer a good

selection of pared down, non-garish summer dresses bySessunandAPCfor her,

and striped espadrilles andMHL by Margaret Howellshirts and blazers for him.

High-top Nikes, leather iPod covers, tortoiseshell sunglasses and woven belts are

among further temptations.

76 Rose Street, 0131-228 2846,goodstead.co.uk.Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun

noon-5pm

Moleta Munro

Justin Baddon opened this design and furniture shop with his wife Juliet in

2007, after moving back to Scotland from London. A few of the price tags may

bring tears to the eyes but there is always the sense that the range of
http://www.sessun.com/http://www.sessun.com/http://www.sessun.com/http://www.apc.fr/frfr/index.htmlhttp://www.apc.fr/frfr/index.htmlhttp://www.apc.fr/frfr/index.htmlhttp://www.selectism.com/news/tag/mhl-by-margaret-howell/http://www.selectism.com/news/tag/mhl-by-margaret-howell/http://www.selectism.com/news/tag/mhl-by-margaret-howell/http://goodstead.co.uk/http://goodstead.co.uk/http://goodstead.co.uk/http://goodstead.co.uk/http://www.selectism.com/news/tag/mhl-by-margaret-howell/http://www.apc.fr/frfr/index.htmlhttp://www.sessun.com/


8/8

Scandinavian furniture, Scottish textiles, handwoven rugs and minimal lighting

fixtures has been picked with care. Smaller items such as the upside-down

hanging plant pots, bird-feeders and whale-tail salad tongs make for excellent

gift ideas.

4 Jeffrey Street, 0131-557 4800,moletamunro.com.Mon-Sat 10.30am-6pm

Claire Sawers is shopping editor ofthe List,a Scottish arts magazine
http://www.moletamunro.com/http://www.moletamunro.com/http://www.moletamunro.com/http://www.list.co.uk/http://www.list.co.uk/http://www.list.co.uk/http://www.list.co.uk/http://www.moletamunro.com/

10 of the best craft and vintage shops in edinburgh

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