Retail Therapy

Phil is currently away in the UK for three and a half weeks before I travel there to join him for ten days in July, after which we will both be returning to India.  I therefore have had three full weekends in the city in which to entertain myself.

Last weekend, my first without Phil, I visited several shops which I had seen recommended online and was keen to explore.  My system of shopping usually involves looking at every item in a shop, then going round everything again making a shortlist, then deliberating for ages before deciding what to buy.  I quite enjoy this, but it isn't compatible with Phil at all!  It is far better for me to scout out what's available on my own, then visit again together when he gets back to India.

I visited four places in total, all of which were brilliant discoveries.  Three of the four shops were in the old Fort area of South Mumbai, and so were packed with character, and the fourth was in Worli; a little south of Bandra at the other end of the sealink bridge.

If you are expecting a Christmas present from us then it's quite likely to come from one of the shops listed below.  This is a warning before you read on!

So here is where I went and what I bought:

1)  Chimanlals sells beautiful handmade stationary at incredibly cheap prices.  As soon as I walked into the shop I was excited (I know that's a bit sad) by the incredible range of colours and products on offer.  I piled my basket high with cards, writing paper, wrapping papers, gift tags and card gift boxes and envelopes.  I've done a quick audit and think I bought 150 - 200 individual items, all of which are delightful, and managed to spend £13.

Gift envelopes.  These are used a lot in India, in particular when giving any kind of money gift to someone else.  I would love to learn how these items are designed, printed and produced for the shop.

The huge array of cards are displayed on the back wall, and the wrapping paper rack on the right of the picture is one of four stands of paper from which you can choose.  In the centre, there are many varieties of card gift boxes that you can construct yourselves, along with ribbons and other pretty things.

2)  Contemporary Art and Crafts is a homeware shop which is both Indian and modern, and packed full of colourful quirky gifts and fresh, original designs.  I could have bought a lot in this shop but ended up a bit bamboozled by choice, so took away lots of ideas and will certainly return to buy more in the future.

The highlights for me were the beautiful colourful quilts and interesting kitchenware, though in the end my purchases were a framed Indian-style picture, a tea cosy and matching tray cloth (probably as a gift) and, my favourite, two metal tumblers covered in bright yellow / green Kashmiri glass.  Anyone who has lived in India knows that metal crockery is everywhere, and these tumblers have the best of both worlds.  Classic metal but bright and colourful too.

Padded quilts.  These are very common in India instead of duvets.  We are still using our UK duvets at the moment but may well switch soon.

A huge variety of quilts, in different styles from different parts of India, designed to be the top cover on top of other blankets / sheets on the bed.

3)  Kitab Khana is a bookshop in an old building in South Mumbai.  It is antithesis of online book shopping and bland chains which, whilst they will sell you a book, do nothing for the soul.  Kitab Khana is in a classic old colonial building in the Fort area, on a street crowded with stalls and hawkers selling their wares, but is an oasis of calm once you step inside.  The walls are lined with tall wooden bookselves, the ceiling is double height and it is made for happily whiling away an hour or two.

Unfortunately, I neglected to take any photographs which I attribute to hunger as it was well past my lunchtime when I arrived.  I sated my hunger quickly with a trip to the excellent independent cafe at the back of the shop which had a delicious selection of vegetarian food including homemade sandwiches, salads, bigger meals and cakes.  I eschewed the sensible savoury option in favour of a big slab of pear and walnut cake with icecream.  This was plenty to set me up for more shopping in the afternoon.

I left the shop with three books, which I didn't really need, but I liked Kitab Khana so much that I felt compulsed to buy.

For those who would like to see a photograph or read more, the website link is below:

http://kitabkhana.in/

4)  Magnolia Home Store was our last, and my favourite shop of the day.  We almost didn't go as, although it was on the way home, the traffic was terrible and I was feeling a bit too hot and grumpy as we approached it (and Sagar took an unfortunate wrong turn, which added 30 minutes to the journey!).

I am, however, very glad that we did as this shop put me in great mood as it is frankly brilliant.  This is essentially a furniture shop but with lots of accessories, lamps, rugs and other trinkets too.  The furniture is fantastic, designed by the owners and made from teak to look like old products, but without the antique tag (which is complex from an exporting / customs perspective).  There are also lots of brass items and metal used in the furniture.  Everything is high quality, sturdy and looks great.  Further, each item is individual and personal, and you can change and tailor upholstery and other details of the design where you choose to.

My photos don't really do justice to the full selection in the shop as I haven't yet mastered taking shots on my ipad without my finger over the lense, so the photos below are simply those which are finger free!

Writing desk with metal legs.  I bought one of the brass pen holders sitting on top.

This photograph isn't great, but this is a large metal lamp studded with glass beads and it looks amazing.  This is high on my list of things to buy in the future.

Stools with metal legs and colourful seats.

 A classic Indian chest and brass lantern / pot (I can't remember which)

 I really liked this chair, but when I went back a week later it had been sold:-(

Nested wooden tables, now sitting in our living room

I bought the tables above, which were polished up for me and I collected a week later.  They are heavy and robust - Sagar and I had to carry them up to the apartment between us!  I also bought a brass pot and other metal ornament, just because I liked it.

I would compare the prices to a value range at John Lewis or M&S, whereas the quality would be at the top of the range for those shops, and with an additional quirky and personal touch.  A large teak side dresser or chest of drawers, for example, is around £300, which is a lot by Indian standards but very good for the quality that you get.

I must have been excited by my purchases as I managed to leave my debit card there, which I only realised when trying to buy something the day after my trip.  The shop owners had kept it safe for me and Sagar was able to pick it up the next day - another good example of customer service.

The picture below shows my total shopping haul for the day, excluding the tables above.

My purchases:  One framed picture, three books, 8 sheets of wrapping paper, oodles of cards, writing paper, tags, gift boxes, a tea cosy and matching tray cloth, two Kashmiri glass tumblers, a brass pen holder, and a metal ornament.

This might seem decadent, but the total cost of everything shown above was around £75.  I hope to go for another shopping trip very soon!