Papillon

This is a great shop for all your eccentric interior decorating needs. What caught my eye was the wall of stuffed animal heads; not real animals but the plushy kind you’d win at a carnival. Inside spans the gamut of cute, non-​essential things you’d place on your coffee table or in your bedroom. This place reminds me of «zakkahin» interior goods shops in Japan: wacky, pricey, but utterly addicting.

Two shops sit beside one another down a little alley to make up Papillon, one of the tastiest décor boutiques in the city. It’s pretty eclectic too. anything from sticky crows for your wall to chenil rugs, bulldog candles, cards, lights… it’s an emporium of taste and the perfect spot to buy your loved one something memorable. The owners are friendly too.

Papillon, continuing the seeming butterfly theme in the Lanes, offers a mixture of smaller furniture pieces and decorations for the home. Where most of these stores in Brighton aim to offer slightly more, or a slight twist on this theme, Papillon is just full of tat. It isn’t particularly tasteless or anything like that, just dull compared to all of the other stuff available in this part of town.
It feels harsh to criticise so directly, but Papillon really doesn’t offer anything that I haven’t seen anywhere else. It doesn’t even seem to have a particular theme, like Florestine’s beach-​ware or something similar, just a collection of random bits and pieces I wouldn’t dream of buying. I feel like such a snob saying it, but the pieces are all so gauche and unbuyable: a real shame in such a great location, and with so much space.
To add insult to injury, the prices also seem to be exceptionally high for this kind of thing. They rival Ananda’s, in the North Laine, but at least they sell original, enterprising stuff: I can’t imagine ever paying this amount of money for this sort of tosh.
With so many decorative items on offer in the middle of Brighton, you’d hope the independent places had some sense of style and dignity, and would sell less modern and mass-​produced items at sensible prices. Unfortunately, Papillon does none of these things: I’d be surprised if it’s still around in a year’s time.

Papillon apparently specialises in ‘hamonic living and furniture’ and this is definitely the impression you get from their stores — with chilled out music, incense and sparkling candles. I headed into the the gift part of their two store south lane branch (next door are more serious home furnishing items). There was an extremely cosy vibe, and I stayed extra long as this offered an excellent refuge from the wet, cold and windy weather outside! I didn’t buy anything though, despite being tempted by loads of pretty candles — as is the case all too often in Brighton, the prices are hugely inflated.

Papillon is actually two shops side by side, with a small dog that wanders between them when the doors open. It’s quite sweet.
The first shop has larger furniture and home décor — couches, cushions, elegant lighting fixtures and such. Next door you can find smaller décor and gift ideas — candles, knick knacks and Christmas ornaments of the same quality, but with less grandeur.
It’s worth checking out just for the puppy, really.