Tucked away at the back of the shop, just around the corner, are the stairs to an entire other floor of goodies and gifts… the best kept secret of all.

Except, we try not to keep it a secret. “There’s an upstairs?!” often said with incredulous joy, is what we hear when customers first discover the magic of our first floor. We try our best to broadcast that, indeed, there is a million more thoughtful and wonderful gifts up our stairs - just when you thought we already had so much to see! – but sometimes for either new customers, or returning ones, our upstairs can come as a bit of a surprise!

If you venture into our shop on King’s Street, our upstairs is most definitely worth the visit (and the steep stairs!). Home to an array of funny and rude cards (including our extremely shocking and borderline obscene cards) as well as endless books, gifts and gorgeous barware: we think our first floor is an essential part of the Harriet and Rose experience. And recently, it has undergone quite the transformation…which did include lots of shifting heavy furniture, sweat, and ungainly facial expressions. But… it’s definitely been worth it!

Our upstairs rivals the best book shops - watch out Waterstones because we’re coming for you! (well not quite, because our book selection is obviously much more unique, and just better). What is now our first floor has been completely revitalised, drawing on the classic ‘book nook’ styled cosy library, sprinkled with a little bit of fun from our barware and hosting appetiser essentials interwoven between. Utilising our dark antique furniture, we have really leaned into a warm and inviting feeling to make your shopping experience that bit more homely.

Leaning into the cosiness of dark wood (and many, many books!)

Did someone say books? Because our upstairs really is a cornucopia of every book (we are not exaggerating) and there really is something for every person. Have you been wanting to learn how to knit but never had the time? Are you curious about the cosmos and the night sky? Do you love seeing snapshots into other people’s beautifully presented homes? Have you ever had the urge to learn more about foraging the hedgerows? Are you interested in the most luxurious and beautiful hotels of the world?

Well, if any of those have taken your fancy…we have a book for that. In fact, we have a lot more books for a lot more things as well. It is certainly worth the trip up those stairs because we are sure you’ll find books you never knew you actually needed, the sort of books which are life-completing, side-quest-achieving, and bucket-list-ticking.

Have you ever seen a more library-esque bookshelf?

Our rude cards, some would say, are an experience that one needs to have in person. And quite frankly, we agree. Of course, we couldn’t forget them in our grand transformation. We have gone ever ruder, even more obscene, with cards that are absolutely, completely and utterly abhorrent (but in the best way). Instead of our rude card box, our funniest and most terrible cards (c-bombs, and even worse, or better, depending how you look at it) are now in the two draws of our sideboard. We’ve had a whale of a time ordering them in (and so many giggles and cringes) so we can’t wait for you all to see the new extended range!

They are clearly signposted to let you know where the more entry level sweary cards are, versus those for you who are seasoned veterans in the rude card department. We really do advise read at your own risk! – there are cards that will perhaps even shock the most foul-humoured (or evoke the loudest of laughs!) We would include some example pictures on the blog, but that probably wouldn’t be a great idea. Best to come and see for yourselves…

Of course, last but not least, our barware selection! It is perhaps a little bit of a toss-up to see whether we are now a gifting shop, book shop, or bar shop (if those exist?!). We have a broad selection of hosting and drinking essentials, perfect for the festive season. Our glassware comes in a range of colours (think moody ambers, smoky blues, blush pinks, olive greens and bright lilacs) as well as a range of styles (highball, coupe glasses, gin glasses to name a few!). Perfect for gifting whether that be birthday, or housewarming, or for yourself. With all of our glassware, we do recommend hand washing to prolong their life. They are that beautiful that you’ll want them to last forever!

As always, we do love a bit of fun here at Harriet and Rose. Something a little cheeky, a little different. Whilst we have an array of classic ice cube shapes, such as large cubes or ice sticks, we also have those shaped as golf balls, cats, dogs, and diamonds (for your dazzliest friends)! Something for cocktails, everyday in water bottles, or for a giggle, and perfect for stocking fillers (yes – we’re very much thinking about that!).

If you love hosting, especially with the C-word (the December one!) coming up, we have the perfect selection of cheeseboard knives and appetizer forks in a lovely warm brass, as well as some festive ones too. And not to forget our olive boats and dip bowls too, in a bold stripe pattern: hosting essentials for this time of year! We love a bit of multi-functionality too, so whilst all sounding rather sophisticated, the olive boats would also make great ‘pigs-in-blankets boats’ too, and dip bowls don’t have to be for fancy crudités – but sweets and chocolates if that’s your vibe! We try and find stock that can be multipurpose and fun too!

Barware for everyone…and every occasion.

We unfortunately know that our upstairs is not particularly accessible (all the team have fallen victim to our stairs at some point, either going down, or even up - don’t ask). If you are unable to take the trip up our stairs, our team are always on hand to help to bring down a selection for you. If you have some idea of what you’re after – such as rude birthday cards, zodiac inspired gifts, or a book on gardening – we can gather up a few items for your perusal downstairs.

So next time you venture into the shop, don’t forget about our first floor, and experience our Harriet and Rose ‘Narnia’, a world of gifts you never knew you needed (on a whole other level). Don’t feel daunted this time of year, faced with the prospect of the festive season and endless shopping and traipsing around town, for we really do have something for everyone. Little or small, on a budget or fancying a little splurge, for every hobby and interest.

For the love of books (…and gifts)

The spooky edit