This bright, enthusiastic corner of Camden is well worth a visit. Dedicated to a liberal encouragement of creativity, Slanchogled Arts and Crafts is set up to inspire browsers into a frenzy of gluing, cutting, drawing and painting.
Their stock is well selected and varied. Built around a similar premise to Cass Arts, the focus is on quality; if you’re after something specific, this is the place. Beyond this, the shop’s real lure is its ability to plant ideas. No plans for the weekend? Heading down absentmindedly on a Saturday morning can suddenly see you sailing homemade paper boats on the lakes in Regents Park, stringing up luminous planets above your bed or staring into an A3 forest of multi-coloured trees.
The shop deliberately sets out to infuse customers with a passion for arts and crafts. Window displays are carefully put together and change regularly. Sunday mornings see themed workshops for children as well as adults, and wooden workbenches down the centre of the shop provide a constant bustle of activity. An expansive selection of pens, pencils, paper and brushes are laid out and customers are encouraged to stand around and try them out. For art lovers it’s a great chance to while away a few hours, although can lead to significantly lighter wallets on leaving.
Charting their growth on a blog, the shop meticulously follows a creative roller coaster, constantly coming up with new and innovative ideas. The themes change on a weekly basis and tie in with the Sunday workshops. These are open to all and often free.
The shop is also available for kids’ parties and hen dos (presumably more creative stags are also welcome, although the shop doesn’t advertise this). There is a huge basement below the shop that is opened up and groups are entertained with origami, glass painting, book binding, picture frame decoration and music.
The place was born 15 years ago, in Varna, Bulgaria. The couple behind the initiative have been running two Bulgarian stores, one in Varna and the other in Sofia. The London manifestation has been a slow burner, but opened up in Camden just over a year ago to instant success.
Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AN
020 7284 4762 artsandcraftscamden.com
Slanchogled Arts and Crafts in Chalk Farm
Set up to inspire browsers into a frenzy of gluing, cutting, drawing and painting
This article is connected to Slancho Gled
Published Jul 20, 2012