Shops / Shop of the Week
Shop of the Week: Lunartique
Hidden beneath the stony ground under St Nicholas’ Market is Lunartique, a beautiful hidden gem owned by Helen Christini.
Originally opened back in 2000, the shop is an Aladdin’s Cave stacked with beautiful treasures. The walls are adorned with intricately designed Indian tapestries, and the floors are covered in comfy-looking blankets and woven rugs.
Just a tiny portion of the stock in this hidden gem of a shop
Helen specialises in jewellery and can often be found sitting at her desk behind the counter, a concentrated look on her face, surrounded by glistening jewels, scissors and paper.
is needed now More than ever
She takes requests from brides-to-be who they flock to her store after hearing about her wonderful wedding tiaras through the grapevine. The current one she is preparing for a wedding in September is a delicate green and silver.
Gliding through her store, she proudly points out her favourite pieces: crystal necklaces that glisten in the soft light, incredibly intricate spiders made of glass that hang from delicate silver chains, accompanied by literally thousands of colourful flowers scattered around.
One portion of the shop is packed with patterned fabrics
Guided through a small archway, we enter a darker and even more cosy room. With cushions on the floor that anybody is welcome to sit on and impressive statues placed in the centres of colourful shrines, it feels like somewhere to settle down for a relaxing nap.
A visitor book is laid out on a table, with hundreds upon hundreds of messages from people expressing their admiration for the store.
Literally thousands of flowers adorn the inside of the shop
“I started running this shop in the Glass Arcade, next to the fabric shop, then moved into the South Arcade and gradually moved along, getting closer to here,” Helen says with a nostalgic smile on her face.
“And then this space came up! I’m so fortunate. When I first came here it was covered in mould and everything was boarded up, but I was allowed to come in and do my thing, and now I’ve been here for six years.”
An example of owner Helen’s own work for sale in the shop
Helen says she is continuously surprised by visitors to whom her store has been recommended. As it is now wedding season, she has been bombarded with requests from admiring brides-to-be, keen for a little piece of her impressive work to feature in their big day.
“It’s a mystery how people hear about me!” Helen laughs. “A lot of people seem to know me because their family and friends have had things made and designed by me.” With a loyal clientele and a grotto full of exciting things to discover in her lovely shop, Lunartique is well worth the effort to find.
Lunartique
St Nicholas’ Market
Corn Street
Bristol
BS1 1JQ
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