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Lifestory's white shopfront on London Street has arched windows either side of a 'HELLO' sale sign.
Edinburgh

Lifestory

A Scandinavian design shop and coffee bar on London Street, at the foot of Broughton Street, opened by Susan Doherty in 2014.

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Welcome

On London Street, a white shopfront with tall arched windows either side of the door has its name painted on the glass, the displays of patterned cushions and folded textiles showing behind the railings.

Visited and photographed by Simon Hird

Inside, the room is light and calm under high ceilings. Pendant lamps hang over pegboard walls hung with straw bags, towels and a pale blue dressing gown, and tiered shelves hold ceramic vases, rush placemats, coffee bags, mugs and chopping boards. A marble counter is set with candles, reed diffusers and skincare, and a wooden trestle table carries books and cards beside pots of pens and notebooks in bright colours. It smells of coffee and candles.

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Before you go

Homeware, ceramics, jewellery, prints, fragrance, stationery and gifts, from Scandinavian brands and makers in Edinburgh and across Scotland, many of them affordable.

Coffee is served in the shop.

Where
53 London Street, at the foot of Broughton Street.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
10am–6pm
Tuesday
10am–6pm
Wednesday
10am–6pm
Thursday
10am–6.30pm
Friday
10am–6pm
Saturday
10am–6pm
Sunday
10am–6pm

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Did you know

A round wooden chopping board hangs above coffee bags and a cookbook titled 'The Nordic Baker'.
Did you know

From Melbourne and Copenhagen.

Susan Doherty found the mix of coffee, shopping and makers she wanted while living in Melbourne and visiting Copenhagen and Stockholm, and set out to bring it to Edinburgh.

A round chopping board hangs above 'Fortitude Seasonal Blend' coffee bags and wooden utensils at Lifestory.
Did you know

A juice bar first.

Lifestory was her second business. In 2007 she had opened Hula, a juice bar in the Grassmarket, which she later sold.

Eye masks, eye pillows and folded towels are displayed on a table at Lifestory.
Did you know

A one-page plan.

The idea would not leave her alone, so she wrote a business plan on a single page and took the leap.

A green notebook and pink diary sit in a wooden tray beside pots of pens at Lifestory.
Did you know

Thank-you notes by hand.

Purchases are wrapped with care and come with a handwritten thank-you note.

A pale blue dressing gown hangs on a pegboard wall beside woven bags and folded textiles at Lifestory.
Did you know

The skyline in a print.

With Studio Romuu, the shop made a print of the Old Town skyline drawn in the fewest lines.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Edinburgh

Edinburgh sits at roughly the same latitude as Copenhagen, so this wonderful, Scandinavian-led home furnishings store finds a natural home here.

Read more
Canvas wash bags and boxes branded 'dook' are displayed on a wooden shelf beneath hanging satchels.
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What is on in Edinburgh
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Where it is

On London Street, at the foot of Broughton Street in the New Town.

Close byThe places nearest Lifestory, round Broughton Street.
  1. PicklesPicklesA cosy wine bar on Broughton Street of Scottish cheese and meat platters, chutneys and pickles, wine and cider, with no bookings taken.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Spry WinesSpry WinesA wine bar and bottle shop of natural wines on Haddington Place.Under a mile 2 min by road
  3. Bronze giraffe sculptures stand beside a glass-fronted building on the pavementThe Dreaming SpiresTwo scrap-metal giraffes in front of the Omni Centre.Under a mile 2 min by road
  4. Edinburgh Street FoodEdinburgh Street FoodA covered street food hall at the Omni Centre.Under a mile 2 min by road
  5. Edinburgh PlayhouseEdinburgh PlayhouseA picture palace of 1929, modelled on New York's Roxy.Under a mile 2 min by road
  6. Twelve TrianglesTwelve TrianglesA scratch bakery of slow-fermented sourdough, off Elm Row.Under a mile 3 min by road
Directions
The Broughton's deep blue pub front on Broughton Street, its name in gold above the windows and Welcome over the door.RestaurantsThe BroughtonA step away
Vinette's pale front on Broughton Street at dusk, its name above the apricot door and tall window, with lamps lit either side.RestaurantsVinetteA step away
Lucky Yu's blue shopfront on Broughton Street at dusk, its windows lit pink by neon around an old wooden door.RestaurantsLucky YuA step away
ShoppingStòr Lifestyle, EdinburghA step away
The Cheese Gallery at The Big Cheese on Broughton Street: glass cabinets of cut wedges and whole wheels of cheese, each with its label.ShoppingThe Big Cheese0.2 miles
Man standing outside The Street bar, with rainbow murals and pavement seatingRestaurantsThe Street0.2 miles
The front of Bonnie & Wild on Level 4 of the St James Quarter, its name above the doors, with people eating at the tables outside under the glass roof.RestaurantsBonnie & Wild0.3 miles
A slice of New York-style margherita pizza on Flùr's printed paper, on a table in the Bonnie and Wild food hall.RestaurantsFlùr0.3 miles
The deli counter at Valvona & Crolla on Elm Row, with cured meats, olives and pasta under the glass and shelves of Italian wine and oil up to the ceiling.ShoppingValvona & Crolla0.3 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

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Check datesA turreted sandstone building with conical spires catches the evening light above rooftops, a large pine tree standing beside it.The Scott Hotel
  • A hotel
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Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in EdinburghAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

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Read on

What we have written about it and more in Edinburgh.

From the magazineInside Lifestory: Edinburgh’s Home for Useful, Beautiful ThingsArticleWhere to Shop in Scotland This Christmas
More in Edinburgh

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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .