If I Owned a Store: The Stationery Shop
An exploration of immersive experiences in concept stores
Because of my architectural education, love for design and sacred spaces, and current work in print and in-store experiences in retail, I’ve often dreamed of opening my own storefront. A concept store, designed and curated to offer a complete, immersive experience for those who enter. In theory, this concept store would be the manifestation of all of my past lives1 into a single entity.
I love the experience of wandering around cities, popping into small shops and getting little treats for myself. I love the experience of browsing a beautifully curated store, getting excited about different products available and finding unique pieces that convey the ideas of not only the shop owner, but the creator of said product. I am also obsessed with store design and beautiful packaging. It’s all about the experience.
Over the years, the concept of the shop has transformed a number of times, and my delusional self wants to bring them all to life in some way. Each store would have a specific theme and accompanying trinkets and goods to acquire. A homewares shop, an artisanal beverage shop, a stationery store/cafe, a wellness space, a pet store! They’re all small spaces that cater to a very specific, niche population, but are simultaneously welcome to all.
Physical spaces are so important in the grand scheme of consumerism2. Sure, you can buy things online, but no online shop can supplement the experience of walking into a physical space, crossing the threshold, and being immersed in a beautifully curated space. Being able to see the art on the walls, or feel the furnishings, or even embrace the smell of the space. Being apart of the community, and something greater than just yourself. Interacting with actual humans. It’s all apart of the experience. It’s fun to walk around aimlessly, with no destination in sight, and stumble upon a store, a new space — these intentionally curated and organized, intentional experiences.
This new series will be an exploration of concept stores that I want to create myself, and case studies of similar shops. I’ve been missing the conceptualization side of architecture, and this is my little corner of the internet to indulge myself. Let’s explore!
Our first concept exploration: stationery shops. I loooove a good stationery shop. As a child, school supply shopping was one of my favorite new year shopping moments, and I still continue the sentiment to this day; like buying a new journal before I started my job at A&F, or personalizing a journal at the start of the new year. Taking the little nub off a new gel pen and cracking open a fresh Moleskine are simple pleasures of mine.
On Paper
Columbus, Ohio
On Paper is a stationery shop dedicated to the passion for exquisite paper, paper products and fine printing. I stumbled upon the store during one of my first trips to A&F’s Headquarters. The store has a spacious, open layout, beautiful ceiling details and the friendliest staff. One of my first purchases was a simple A5 Life Pistachio notebook.
Goods for the Study
SoHo, New York, New York
Goods for the Study is an intimate stationery shop on Mulberry St. I visited on a trip to NY with my mom and sister last July! I first saw the shop Tiktok and knew I had to stop in and visit for the pen wall alone. My purchases included a tiny journal and a ton of gel pens.
Mildred Newberry
Charleston, South Carolina
Mildred Newberry is a colorful shop in Downtown Charleston. This was my most recent stationery shop visit, just last week! The staff was warm and welcoming, and the walls were lined with the cutest trinkets, notepads and greeting cards. I didn’t purchase anything, but my grandmother acquired a new pair of reading glasses!
My Shop
In a perfect world, my shop would rival that of a museum gift shop and cafe. Ginormous walls of notebooks; plain journals, guided journals, lined journals, journals for niche things like music notes or recipes, sketchbooks, planners, loose sheets of paper. If you can write on it, it’s in the shop.
There will be a sticker station filled with tons of stickers from artists and small businesses, and some of my own! A pen wall, obviously. Shelves of puzzles and trinkets, coloring books and bookends. There’d be a little coffee shop inside! And a statement table in the center of the space to divide between stationary shop and cafe, while simultaneously bringing patrons together to sit and enjoy their treats.
There would be cool vintage chairs on display, but not to sit in. Just to admire, tucked away behind a velvet rope because they’re historic artifacts. These old chairs would be a chair some great author sat in when they wrote some great book. For the cafe, my sister, Alysha will bake goods for the treat counter, and we’ll have baristas to make silly little beverages. The shop will smell of crisp paper and croissants, and it’ll be beautiful.
My background includes bits of architecture, construction, retail associate, design, creative marketing, etc. I’ve lived a lot of lives at a lot of different jobs.
Consumerism, while persistent and overwhelming these days, can still be a mindful shopping practice.