A charming pink and blue shopfront houses a lovely mix of vintage and contemporary Scandinavian-inspired homeware alongside artisan-crafted and handmade products. Blogger Alice Collyer whose popular home renovation chronicles transformed into a store. She started selling vintage homewares from her garden shed in March 2018, later moving into a shop at the front of her parent’s house in August 2018.

"Creative people I’ve enjoyed following on Instagram are now stocked at the shop, I love that connection."

When was Alice in Scandiland established? I started the Alice in Scandiland blog in 2015, writing about design inspiration, our home renovations, family life. Started selling vintage homewares from my garden shed March 2018, and opened high street shop August 2018.

What makes Alice in Scandiland so unique? I think the blend of new/ contemporary Scandinavian inspired homewares, mixed with vintage finds makes my shop quite unique. You can buy pieces from the shop which are 60/80/100+ years old, right along side beautiful, modern designs.

Is there a story behind the shop name ? The name of the blog and later my shop came about as a suggestion from a friend. We had recently decided not to try to follow the usual course of selling our home to size up (take on more debt), instead committing to staying put and making the space we had work harder for us. Here began, unintentionally at first, a move towards a more simplistic Scandinavian style for our home.

What are Alice in Scandiland’s best-selling products? Anything from Swedish brand Fine Little Day is always a favourite. Quirky, playful, but with a timeless twist. The British handmade, 100% beeswax candles are best sellers year round for creating a cosy, relaxing atmosphere.

Alice Collyer, the shopkeeper at Alice in Scandiland

What inspired you to open Alice in Scandiland? It all kind of happened by accident really, or rather I went along with the momentum I was creating. I’d gathered a lovely, engaged audience via social media and my blog, receptive to my design ideas. I’ve always enjoyed hunting for vintage treasure, but don’t necessarily want to live with it all in my house, so I made the garden shed into an Instagram shop, drummed up interest and grew a new shop account quite quickly.

The shop at the front of my parent’s house became available shortly after and I decided to just jumped right in and make my mum and dad my landlords!

What is a highlight of having a shop? It’s very heartening to get to meet people in person who’ve followed along for many years and enjoy what I do. 

I love seeing the products I have carefully chosen or vintage finds I’ve hunted down being loved and admired in other people’s homes.

What inspires you? It seems a bit cliche to say social media, but when you’re so busy and don’t have time to travel, the accounts I follow and love can be like a small snippet of escape. The level of creative inspiration to be found is absolutely amazing and I’m forever absorbing ideas, using what I see as a springboard forwards, then letting my mind add my own spin, putting my own touch to something.

It’s also important that I get time to be outside, away from the noise and distractions of day to day life. I swim in the sea several times a week and the quiet calm there, on my own, helps me to sort through the jumble of thoughts in my head. I find this connection with nature very inspiring.

What did you do before having your own shop? I hadn’t worked out what I wanted to be when I grew up, but knew I wanted children, so from my mid twenties I became a mum and for a time that fulfilled me. But then I began to feel I was missing something for myself, so I started the blog. That turned into an unexpected source of income and afforded me some very exciting opportunities, along with some wonderful award wins and the rest is history!

What do you love most about shop life? In general home life there are only so many pieces of furniture or homeware items you can have at any one time, but with a shop you get to live out so many more of your ideas and fancies! Wonderful vintage finds which I love, but I wouldn’t have the right space for at home – I still get to buy them and see my customers fall in love and add to their own spaces.

Has the pandemic changed your POV on the future of retail ?

"It really has been a rollercoaster of emotions these past few years, covid and then the full effects of Brexit hitting hard as well. I’ve seen the most wonderful show of support, from loyal customers and, especially during lockdowns, an influx of new support on social media from those sympathising with all the hardships faced by self employed/ independents. 2022 has hit differently though, with all the global problems, understandably people are cautious and this shows in the change in spending habits. Where once I felt I knew my customer, their wants and needs, that can’t be said so confidently now and it’s definitely a worry. I think it’s important to really pull things in to stay buoyant and positive as the cost of living goes up. I’m focusing on really getting back to the roots of the shop, my core values – quality, longevity, objects with a story to tell, not only now, but in years to come."

What are your favorite local independent businesses?  My shop neighbours, Bellamama Deli and Watts Trading – both very small scale, focused on local trade as opposed to online and run with real passion and dedication. Also The Longstore, Charlestown, my go-to for delicious dinners out with friends, to offload all the self employed stresses.

What are your favorite shops and markets? Malvern Flea Market is well worth the several hour car journey from home for amazing vintage finds. Does Facebook Marketplace count?! I get so many amazing finds from there. Object Story is beautiful, Baileys Home Store is another I make a pilgrimage to. 

What are your favorite Instagram Accounts?  Oh, so hard, I have so many!

@ Nordic_remake @ chalkwhitearrow @ houseinhabit @ finelittleday @ object_story @ elfvinggarden @ linestampedahl @ thiscabinvan @ hostedbynature

"During the pandemic I saw a really encouraging renaissance when it comes to the appreciation of handmade crafts and homewares with a story behind them. I think people liked the idea of supporting multiple small businesses, the shop they were buying from, the makers behind the products, they were invested in the story. Now the big retail companies have caught onto that handmade, artisan vibe and copies can be bought mass produced, far cheaper and I’ve seen the negative effects on independents already. With a recession hitting here in the UK, the cost of living rising daily, I guess you can’t blame the individual for wanting to spend less, but that leaves a big question mark over where we go from there. But ‘home’ is our special, safe place and it’s human nature to want to make those spaces into a reflection of ourselves, so I remain hopeful that this includes love/ support for independent shops."