Still Life

When I was first taken (dragged) to this tiny shop on Candlemaker Row I was all ready to go on one of my rants about shops that sell things and stuff. Crap you don’t need. Stuff to fill your house with stuff. I’m really glad I bit my tongue for a second.
This place is incredible. I mean, I’ve never been big on antiques, it’s not my thing. But some of the things in Still Life make you want to fill your house with stuff. And it’s cool stuff too — there are copper kettles and china tea sets (very kitsch, darling), old movie posters, coal buckets, garlic stores. It’s piled high to the ceiling with antiques — in fact it’s a little too full. It can be a little daunting, and I was terrified of breaking everything.
The other reason to visit is to just chat with the guy who runs it. Full of antique knowledge and just generally good conversation, he won’t pressure you into buying anything. You might just feel compelled to, though.

Still Life is one of the smallest but busiest antique shops in the citry.
Busy with stock, that is! You have to stay still in Still Life because if you move one inch, that wall of crockery is coming crashing down on your head.
I do love a crammed antique store, though! The owner is super friendly and although the space is intimate, you are free to browse without being forced into buying anything.
I wouldn’t know where to start describing the variety of stock they have — it all seemingly dates from a mixture of eras, pre-​Victorian period onward. So prices vary according to what you’re buying and how old it is. But most notably, this shop has enough crockery and mugs to throw a tea party for the population of China. So although it’s small, you could easily spend a good half hour sifting through the mountain of chintzy airlooms, and probably come up for air with something gloriously quaint.
They have some lovely books, including a gorgeous Constellation Spotter’s handbook from the Victorian age. The stargazer in me might go back to buy it.