I love places where you can have a wander about, and enjoy the thrill of discovering something that makes your heart skip a beat. And if you do too, you will love The Hambledon, a gem of a store found in the heart of the gorgeous city of Winchester.

Set over three floors in a stunning double-fronted Victorian building, The Hambledon is, technically-speaking, a department store, selling homewares, books, stationery, beauty products as well as womenswear and menswear. That said, a department store in the traditional sense it most definitely is not.

You feel like you’ve stumbled into someone’s beautiful home. The interior features old wooden floorboards, tall ceilings, white-washed walls and a beautiful sweeping staircase, while the huge windows let the light flood in over the imaginative displays.

Distressed antique tables are cleverly placed all around the shop floor, decked with books and beauty products; shelves are stacked high with gorgeous cake stands, glassware and vintage finds; old crates and buckets spill over with permanent blooms and the stationery department is decked out in colourful honeycomb balls. Upstairs, the womenswear department is a total dream with a fantastic mix of British, French, American and Scandinavian brands vying for your attention.

Our American counterparts seem to do a wonderful job of sourcing unusual, curious items, and displaying them in fun and stylish ways, and The Hambledon do a fantastic job of this too. Every nook and cranny is filled with something eye-catching; it’s almost certain that you will walk away with something special!

Images courtesy of The Hambledon