Spring clean: our guide to art and craft shopping in Manchester

Ben East lists the creative ways you can freshen up your home, via the arts and crafts shops of Manchester

Escaping the drudgery of endless grey days doesn’t have to mean booking a holiday in the sun. Brightening up your life can start from home, via the vibrant shops of Manchester. Here are five Mancunian ways to freshen up your home in style: think of it as a spring clean without having to get the mop and duster out…

1.  Wallpaper at Whitworth Art Gallery

Changing how you feel about your house can be easily achieved by simply decorating a wall. So get some ideas from the first major UK exhibition of artists’ wallpapers at The Whitworth Art Gallery – Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and David Shrigley’s designs are all here –  and then head to the shop, where you can buy John Burgerman’s intriguing rolls. They look rather fashionable in black and white, but quite delightfully, he recommends colouring them in. Your walls, then, can be whatever you want them to be. The shop also has a range of coffee table wallpaper books if inspiration is still lacking, including Walls That Wow by Jonathan Fong (£12.99) and Wallpaper: The Ultimate Guide by Charlotte Abrahams (£30).

2.  Richard Goodall Gallery

Album artwork might, these days, only be seen as the tiny image in the bottom corner of iTunes, but big rock poster art has never been more popular. And there’s no better place in the country to find and buy examples of the form than at the Richard Goodall Gallery. These are artworks in their own right – perfect for making your living room look achingly cool – and they come ready framed. A perfect souvenir of Manchester, or a memorable gig from across the world, our favourites are the minimalist designs of Small Stakes for The Shins, Modest Mouse and Decemberists. But you’re bound to have your own.

3.  Rags To Bitches

Of course, spring cleaning doesn’t have to be about buying new stuff. It can also mean sprucing up what you already have, which is why the short, one-day courses at Manchester’s multi-award-winning vintage clothing boutique are a superb idea for tourists and locals alike. Led by designer Jayne Turner, Customise! takes the fear out of creating a whole new wardrobe from tired clothes. And if you’re a complete novice, How To Use A Sewing Machine is the perfect starting point. Rags To Bitches, 60 Tib Street. Customise! 6 February; How To Use A Sewing Machine 21 February & 7 March.

4.  Jane Blease Design

We could have filled the entire Creative Tourist spring clean with entries from the many fantastic boutiques that make up Manchester Craft and Design Centre. Photography, ceramics, glasswork… it’s all here. But a key to sprucing up your home is lighting it effectively. Which is where Jane Blease comes in: her beautiful wooden light boxes (pictured) seem to radiate warmth but are also a real ‘how did she do that’ talking point. With prices starting from £350 they’re not cheap, but are made to commission and completely unique –  you choose the size, veneer and pattern. Less wallet-damaging are her intricate walnut, ash or oak veneer lampshades with hand embroidered patterns – and if you bring material or colour samples to Jane she will match the embroidered sections to your room. Prices start at £80.

5.  Royal Exchange Craft Shop

The small but perfectly formed shop in the Royal Exchange theatre is a craft extravaganza for the time poor. What immediately catches the eye is the textile work – perfect for freshening up the look of a sofa, as well as making it more comfortable. Zoe Beck’s cushions are subtitled ‘your travels transformed into textiles’, and sure enough she has work in the shop inspired by Manchester. Clare Nicolson’s cushions are less city-specific and just a little cuter. Those birds might also remind you to tweet your friends that your freshly spring cleaned house is now ready for visitors…

Images (top to bottom): Jon Burgerman wallpaper – purchase here; The Shins poster from Richard Goodall Gallery; Rags to Bitches workshop; cushion by Clare Nicholson

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