Explore Exciting New Design Boutiques from Cairo to Copenhagen
These design-minded entrepreneurs are turning their storefronts into sanctuaries for craft and community
Whether through artisan-made keepsakes or wondrous interiors imbued with a sense of place, an impeccably curated homewares shop can easily feel like a world unto itself. Goya Gallagher kept this in mind when scouring storefronts for a location for Anūt Cairo, her new lifestyle brand offering vibrant accessories made by Egyptian artisans. When a space opened in the same building where the late interior designer Amr Khalil once lived, she jumped at the chance to carry on his stylish legacy. “He threw the best parties,” she recalls.
True to Khalil’s spirit, Anūt Cairo has made organizing a conglomerate of makers its North Star while also becoming a unique incubator that teaches artisanal skills to women and refugees with the goal of keeping Egypt’s craft traditions alive. This not only adds an element of surprise to each item— “The objects take on a life of their own,” Gallagher says— but also gives Anūt Cairo an air of being a sanctuary for creatives and customers alike. “I hope they feel like they’ve stepped into a friend’s home.”
A similar approach fuels Crini & Sophia, the intimate home accessories shop founded by Maya Zafeiropoulou-Martinou in the center of Athens. Inspired by the joy of family gatherings around the dinner table, the former set designer handpicks graphic ceramics and tabletop goods by artisans from Greece and beyond. Linen tablecloths depict lush botanicals, while the rough-hewn surfaces of sculptor Lana Kova’s caviar plates evoke the Mediterranean’s idyllic pebbly beaches.
At Fanwu, the approach is more global. The immersive design emporium, occupying a storybook townhouse on a quiet street in central Shanghai, is chockablock with artisanal wares that resonated with founder Sai Hu during his travels. Lustrous mouth-blown glassware by Syrian workshop Salaheddin, for example, neighbors vintage French bistro chairs and sheer hand-kneaded textiles by Tibetan atelier Nuo Le.
“Small things always caught my eye,” says Hu, who founded Commun’s, a French label known for its skillfully hand-dyed garments. However, Fanwu highlights what he describes as “the beauty of the ordinary,” everyday items whose spirits shine with serendipitous pairings.
Mvndo Varon, the Mexico City concept shop opened by fourth-generation jeweler Aaron Changpo, also thrives on curious contrasts. An abstract offshoot of his nearby jewelry boutique, the space feels akin to a cocktail party for his design-savvy set: ceramist Perla Valtierra’s slinky vessels, decadent chrome-finished trays by Kouros Maghsoudi, and sculptures by Masa gallery cofounder Brian Thoreen, who designed the store’s pared-down interior. “My friends inspire me through their work,” says Changpo, who counts Frida Escobedo and Skrillex among his customers. “I see Mvndo as a jewelry box showcasing those ideas.”
Helle Mardahl’s colorful boutique in Copenhagen is a portal into the Danish glass artist’s world of whimsy, illuminated by handblown luminaires resembling gelatinous orbs that buck against Scandi minimalism. “It’s designed to feel just on the edge of overstimulation,” says Mardahl, who mounted a cloudlike constellation of her gleaming pendants at the heart of the store. “I like creating moments of surprise.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Summer Issue under the headline “Shelf Discovery.” Subscribe to the magazine.