Tour of the Lift Store

If, like me, you have an addiction to stationery and homewares then you have to take a trip to the new Lift Store in Southwold.

I popped by a couple of weeks ago to meet owner David and take a tour of the latest boutique to open in the seaside town (you can watch my youtube video by clicking here).David has worked for some top stationery brands including Paperchase, as well as Selfridges, the National Gallery and London Zoo, but always dreamed of opening his own store one day.

After a holiday to Southwold he knew that it was the perfect location for his own shop, so when he moved to Suffolk last October it was only a matter of time until the right premises became available and he opened his first store.

Lift has a very Scandinavian vibe, which I love, and this is because David finds many of his suppliers in Copenhagen. The stunning pyramid boxes are produced by a Danish architect and are hand painted and carved in solid birch. These stand out pieces would look beautiful on a desk to hold pencils, or as a jewellery box on a modern dressing table.The eye catching, brightly coloured melamine crockery is also from a Danish company, called Rice. The tough plates are perfect for outdoor use and are BPA free and dishwasher proof.

Bold colours, sharp lines and wooden textures are prominent themes that run through the store. From the monochrome geometric print cushions and stripy tote bags, made by David and his mum, to the brightly coloured Hammam towels from Turkey, every item has been carefully sourced to fit in with the aesthetic of the store.

Other stand out products include a standing pen from Areaware, a company from New York that sells functional yet stylish products, Japanese retractable pencils and notepads from designer Anthony Burrill.

David was keen that Lift would be an accessible store with practicality and affordability as his key aims. “Because the shop is quite modern, I was concerned that people would think that it was too much of a concept store. I made sure that it was accessible and practical, and I really wanted the prices to reflect that as well,” explained David.He is also careful not to stock items with animal products involved after his time managing the shops at London Zoo. “I use plastic leather to make our brightly coloured pouches and I don’t have feather pads in any of the cushions,” revealed David, “The cosmetics we stock from Compagnie de Provence are vegetable based as well.”

So if you’re in Southwold this weekend why not pop by, you could end up receiving one of David’s genius postcards that he gives away to every 200^th customer with £5 to ‘Lift’ it forward. Whether you buy a homeless person a drink and something to eat, or you buy a stranger’s bus fare, the option is yours; a wonderful way to make a difference and share the ‘Lift’ message!