The 5 best shops for art materials, paper and prints in London

True heaven for stationery addicts, this smart and beautifully organised modern shop (founded by two graphic designers) stocks a carefully selected range of office essentials, paper products and inspiring ephemera. An old vending machine sells miscellaneous stationery items.

This shop near to the British Museum was opened in 1855 and is one of the most beautiful in London with its green exterior and original wooden shelving and storage units. They sell thousands of artists’ materials of every kind, many of which are hard to find anywhere else.

Magma’s smart new concept store is a combination of gallery space, bookshop and designer gift shop. Downstairs is a gallery for print or photo exhibitions and a large selection of creative periodicals. On the ground floor there’s a great selection of design, fashion, photography and kids’ books and a wide range of prints, gifts and stationery, including their excellent own brand designs.

This traditional, family-run shop sells a huge selection of artists’ supplies and graphic materials. They specialise in gilding materials such as gold and silver leaf, powders and tools for which they have been awarded a royal warrant. In total there are more than 60.000 products stacked floor to ceiling.

Coal Drops Yard is an interesting retail development in a former industrial site in Kings Cross. Among the creative enterprises to be found here Papersmiths specialises in design-led stationery, notebooks, desk tools and greetings cards. Their compact but inspiring range of books and journals focuses on travel, architecture, culture, food and kids.