Get back to school (or your desk) in style with the best in covetable office ware from these north London outlets. Whether a brand new notebook, resplendent with possibility, or a set of freshly sharpened pencils arranged just so, there’s something super satisfying about new stationery.
Choosing Keeping
128 Columbia Road, London E2 7RG
Best for: Classic European and Japanese brands and pretty bits and bobs
Pop in for a birthday card and leave with a Kaweco fountain pen (£20), ink cartridges in a rainbow of colours, a glass paperweight, and some of London’s prettiest notebooks. This Columbia Road store almost falls victim to the East London tweeness that plagues other parts of the flower market, but its stock is just too damn desirable. Instead heavyweight historic brands lend an atmosphere of 20th century European intellectualism to the shop; better make sure your scribblings live up to their materials.
Quill
37 Amwell Street, London EC1R 1UR
Best for: Calligraphy equipment and classes
As its name suggests, Quill on Amwell Street is a temple to writing, specialising in calligraphy. Anyone keen to jazz up their handwriting should join one of their modern calligraphy workshops (£54 for a half day beginner session) or just pop in to buy a beautiful fountain pen or quill and dipping ink (also available in neon shades) and the thickest writing paper to sink their new nib into. If you’re planning a wedding on a budget you’ll love the possibilities offered for professional looking place cards and invitations.
Harrington and Squires
136A Fortess Rd, London NW5 2HP
Best for: Personalised printed correspondence with a heritage, handmade look and feel
A narrow doorway in Tufnell Park leads into this temple to the handmade and analogue pleasures of print. Why send Facebook invites when you could commission Chrissie Charlton and Vicky Fullick, the designers behind the venture, to print some with your initials printed on a nice, thick piece of card? Their letterpress printing workshops (£175 for a day, including lunch and materials) are popular, as is the DIY notebook kit (£12.50) – all you need is glue to make your own delightful jotter.
Ruth Kaye Design
67 Gloucester Avenue, London NW1 8LD
Best for: Creating a fabulous impression whether at work or play
This is the place to go to commission business cards so gorgeous you’ll want to frame them rather than give them away, party invitations that will make people want to come along and correspondence cards that will signal your excellent taste far and wide. They offer both a fully bespoke service and an off the shelf range from their Primrose Hill studio and showroom with stunning colour combinations and quality papers.
Present and correct
23 Arlington Way, London, EC1R 1UY
Best for: Retro-tinged bits that hark back to the start of school
Set up by a pair of graphic designers with a penchant for the quirky and vintage, this is the place to come if September gets you feeling all nostalgic for short trousers and new exercise books. Pick up a selection box of lead pencils and some 1970s rubbers for sketching or note taking, or pick up some retro mail supplies to revive your epistolary skills – so much more personal than email. Knee socks and satchel optional.
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