Studio Souk – A hidden Gem in Belfast

Today I called into Studio Souk (located in Belfast city centre).  I was on my lunch break and decided to have a quick browse in this Aladdin’s cave of all things artsy, crafty and downright awesomey.  Awesomey isn’t a word.  But I needed something with a ‘y’ on the end.

Image credit: Studio Souk

This shop has a great casual vibe that might initially look like a hot mess but the more you absorb the visual, tactile treats around you, it becomes very clear, extremely quickly, that these peeps know EXACTLY what they’re doing.  There’s an eclectic mix of old, new, traditional and contemporary; with handcrafted, raw talent evident in every nook and cranny.  It was very obvious that the Captain of this ship was very supportive of local Creatives and this impressed me.  A LOT.

It also had zillions of bare bulbs suspended from the ceiling, so you know, I was HOME!

Although, who am I kidding.  The minute I saw THIS outside the shop I basically skipped through the door!  It’s like they were EXPECTING ME!

Anyway, before I knew it, I was grabbing my camera phone, which isn’t an ideal choice for getting sharp, top notch images but hey, this little excursion wasn’t planned.

The first slice of eye candy were these flippin gorgeous vases.  They’re cosmically contemporary, due to their concrete material, however the lovely contrasting finish at the bottom makes them absolutely fab.

And I want one.  Actually, I’d like the pink one but it would stand out like a sore thumb in my apartment due to the lack of pink in my pad, so I’ll make do with the metallic one.  But I like the vanilla one too.  Fine.  FINE!  I’ll get them both!

After I had stopped boring my friend about how awesome the concrete vases were I sauntered around to the other side of the above shelving, minding my own business, when I saw THIS!

So obviously at this stage, all I could think was ‘what are these people trying to do to me’??!! SERIOUSLY.  This little fella would look sooooo good in a contemporary, edgy and thoroughly urban space.  He needs to be in MY bedroom.  MINE.  But then I’d have to completely redecorate.  Is it worth redecorating an entire room for just one side cabinet.

Yea, yea it is.

*checks bank balance*

Gripping my camera phone and readying myself for more dangerously enticing goods, I soon clapped eyes on some very striking handmade ceramic pieces by Nicola Drennan.  I never thought horse hair could look so damn good (yes, horse hair).

I’m not 100% sure if these rugged little pots are from the same Designer (sorry!) but they’re a delight to behold either way.

This is just a snippet of what’s on offer in Studio Souk.  It’s crammed full of all sorts of gift/homeware and I highly recommend that if you find yourself in Belfast city centre with a few minutes to spare, that you pop in for a cuppa and a nosy.  You won’t regret it!

Image credit: Studio Souk