independent brighton picks

I'm a sucker for shopping, if you haven't already got that. Especially independent, well-decorated and well-stocked shops that tug at my style, design and interior heartstrings and make my boyfriend roll his eyes when I get too excited about those wire baskets and enamel bakeware.

 Living in Brighton, there is no shortage of gorgeous shops, and whenever I wander into town I find myself popping in to a handful (but oh, what a beautiful handful) of indies. As much as the local shopping centre is big, these guys make up for it with their eye for good stock, brilliant customer service, and a big love for what they do.

If you live here, or if you ever visit, I thoroughly recommend a look around these.

1) Dowse - 133 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1DA

Like most independents, when you shop at Dowse, you're supporting home-grown talent. Dowse brilliantly fills the need in Hove for affordable gifts sourced from British designers, and adds a great amount of style to Western Road. Susannah, the owner and designer of Dowse Design, creates the ultimate customer experience, emitting knowledge of the products and who made them, as well as giving customers a perfectly curated collection of local and UK based designers. 

(I think this sums it up quite well: Whenever my boyfriend needs to buy me a birthday/christmas/whatever present, he solely goes to Dowse and gets it right every time! No more repeats of the tupperware incident)

2) Workshop Living - 13A Prince Albert Street, Brighton, BN1 1HE

It's at Workshop where I get a bit too excited. As soon as these guys opened I knew I was going to be an avid customer here, and I wasn't wrong. They have such an eye for what works, and with a strong range of traditional and minimal homeware, your home is going to look beautiful if you kit it out with things from Workshop.

3) Edited - 3 Gardner Street, Brighton, BN1 1UP

If I could live in Edited, I would. How the shop is set out and decorated reminds you of a home, complimenting the homeware, gifts and artwork so perfectly. With a mix of UK based and international designers, as well as local creators, visiting Edited will make your day. 

4) Unlimited - 10 Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1US

A creative design studio in the North Laines, Unlimited is where you're going to discover that new print you'll treasure forever. With such gorgeous work from contemporary illustrators, printmakers and designers, it's dangerous for me to be in there when I'm penniless! Unlimited will be the first shop I pop to when getting artwork for the new flat.

5) Our Daily Edit - 23 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AD

Since opening at the beginning of the year, ODE has supplied Brighton with a brilliant collection of well-edited womanswear and menswear, as well as lovely customer service and a beautifully decorated shop! You're treated like a queen/king when shopping here, and your wardrobe will feel the same after purchasing a beautiful piece.

6) Resident - 28 Kensington Gardens, Brighton, BN1 4AL

Run by a superb bunch of friendly music lovers, Resident has been a firm favourite of mine years before I even moved here. With such a wide selection of releases from all genres, as well as their infamous instores and their ability to know pretty much everything music related, they are just what Brighton needs, and it would be highly noticeable (and devastating) if they were no longer here. Their weekly newsletter is a brilliant reminder of certain releases, and their 'Every Home Should Have One' section has introduced me to many special artists.