Discover The World’s Most Beautiful Shops

In her new book, Paula Flynn, founder of The Shopkeepers, has collected extraordinary stores and beautifully curated spaces across six continents …

My love affair with shops began in my teenage years and, through my work and travels, has taken me around in search of enchanting and inspiring shops. When I started The Shopkeepers Instagram and website over a decade ago, I simply wanted to document beautiful shops. I never imagined that it would grow into such an incredible community of people who believe, as I do, that these places matter. I’m thrilled that after years of travelling, photographing, researching, and meeting remarkable shopkeepers around the world, I can share some of these wonderful places in my first book, The World’s Most Beautiful Shops (published on October 27 by Artisan, Hachette). A visual celebration of the world’s most stunning storefronts, captivating displays, and their shopkeepers, the book is a true labour of love. It is a celebration of the shops that make our cities and towns so memorable. Inside you’ll discover extraordinary stores and beautifully curated spaces across six continents – along with the stories of the passionate people behind them.

Photograph by Karima Maruan.

Moro, Marrakech, Morocco

Tucked within a boutique hotel beside Marrakech’s iconic Jardin Majorelle, MORO is a concept store that celebrates contemporary Moroccan craftsmanship as curated by co-founders Mouad Mohsine and Mohcyn Bousfiha, who also created the organic skincare and perfume line The Moroccans. Framed by indoor citrus trees, the boutique’s plastered arches and curved alcoves, along with antique display pieces, showcase a collection of handcrafted goods. Many products in the store are designed by Mouad and Mohcyn and made in collaboration with the cooperatives they have formed. @moromarrakech

Photograph by Adam Kuehl.

The Paris Market, Savannah, GA, USA

In 2001, with no retail experience, Paula and Taras Danyluk transformed a derelict 19th-century building in Savannah into the Paris Market, working with artisans and sourcing antique and vintage fixtures from around the world. Today, the shop is a captivating world of discovery, filled with vintage finds, books, textiles, homewares, and Paula’s own jewellery and signature products. Its magnificent windows are perhaps its most celebrated feature, with elaborate seasonal installations that take window-shoppers on a virtual global tour, with scenes that enchant and inspire. @theparismarket

Photograph by Siobhan Ferguson.

Pentreath & Hall, London, England

A glossy black shopfront is home to Pentreath & Hall, one of London’s most distinctive interiors and decoration shops. The tiny store was established by friends Ben Pentreath (a celebrated author and architectural and interior designer) and Bridie Hall (a specialist interior painter). The space is filled with their own designs alongside a selection of antiques and notable brands. Bridie designs and handcrafts a range of alphabet brush pots, candles, and soaps, Ben designs textiles, and together, they collaborate on furniture, ceramics, textiles, wallpaper, and light fixtures. @pentreathandhall

Photographer Credit Adrian Gaut.

Ulla Johnson, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Ulla Johnson designs ethereal, bohemian clothing, drawing on diverse cultural influences with an emphasis on craftsmanship and intricate details. She has developed a loyal following around the world for her signature style that blends influences from her downtown New York upbringing with multicultural traditions she encountered while travelling with her archaeologist parents. Her retail spaces extend the philosophy of her clothing, combining natural materials, handcrafted furnishings, and thoughtfully curated objects. The brand’s West Hollywood flagship, created with designer Kelly Wearstler, is a sunlit oasis inspired by Japanese architecture, with lush gardens and a dramatic indoor tree that blurs the boundary between indoors and outdoors. @ullajohnson

Photograph by Becca Crawford.

Gertrude Street Market, Victoria, Australia

In 2021, fashion designer Lee Mathews, a former illustrator and art director for Vogue Australia, joined forces with antique industrial furniture expert Guy Mathews on a retail project celebrating the fascinating intersection between art, fashion, interiors, design and food. Housed in a historic building dating back to 1870, Gertrude Street Market showcases Lee’s clothing and a curation of Guy’s vintage pieces, along with a mix of homewares and gifts. With respect for the building’s heritage, Lee and Guy restored and preserved the façade and many of the original interior details. The former partners, both veteran retailers, have created a captivating lifestyle boutique that also features unique events and limited-edition collaborations. @gertrude_st_market

Photograph by Frenchie Cristogatin.

The Palace Atelier, Jaipur, India

The City Palace in Jaipur is a magnificent complex of courtyards, gardens and buildings in the heart of India’s Pink City. This opulent palace is also home to Princess Gauravi Kumari, who, alongside her mother, Princess Diya Kumari, co-founded the Palace Atelier. French designer Claire Deroo designed the store’s interior, with bold, jewel-toned walls and a series of rooms that evoke the spirit of a traditional bazaar. The store is an enchanting world of colour and creativity, inviting customers to take a journey through each room, uniquely curated with a diverse collection of ceramics, textiles, fashion and accessories, books and art. @thepalaceatelier

Photograph by Romain Ricard.

Marin Montagut, Paris, France

French illustrator, collector, and world traveller, Marin Montagut, has created an enchanting shop reflective of his passions. Housed in a former upholstery atelier in the elegant 6th arrondissement, the store is filled with vintage cabinets and antique fixtures displaying charming souvenirs and objects hand-painted in Marin’s Montmartre studio. His love of collecting began in childhood, inspired by his antiques[1]dealer parents and artist grandmother. After moving toParis, he captured the city’s character in delicate watercolour illustrations, which eventually appeared on maps, books, tableware and stationery. The store celebrates French culture through beautifully crafted objects adorned with his poetic illustrations of Parisian life. @marinmontagut

The World’s Most Beautiful Shops (published on October 27 by Artisan, Hachette). www.hodgesfiggis.ie.

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