I was speaking with a dear friend of mine about her voluntary work at the exclusive Mary Portas Living & Giving shop in Primrose Hill. She was raving not only about how great the concept is but also how stunning the interiors were.
“Living & Giving is the charity concept that Mary developed for Save the Children following her 2009 series Mary Queen of Charity Shops. With the local community at its heart, Living & Giving is not just a shop, but a place to inspire, share, create, meet and discover.
Living and Giving is a philosophy, a fantastic way to contribute to the community, help some of the world’s most vulnerable children and bag a designer bargain at the same time!”
The look and feel of the shop is just like being in an eccentric persons living room. The walls are painted with rich heritage colours, and decorated with various paraphernalia such as stuffed animal heads, vintage qilt frames a selection of colorful books and some theatrical eye masks. In amongst the clothes, there are old vintage leather chairs dotted around the place and recycled wooden storage units packed full of goodies. I think my favourite part has to be the use of clever lighting scattered around the shop to create small and personal spaces that entice you in to browse. I could see myself loosing hours riffling through all of the hidden treasures…
