Finding the entrance usually involves scanning a stretch of Kingsland Road for a large black door, then ringing a bell to be buzzed in from the street. The shop occupies a spare corner of Jasper Morrison’s working design studio, arranged to function as a modern interpretation of a neighborhood hardware store. Inside, the space is compact and quiet, lined with simple wooden shelves that mimic the density of a utilitarian supply closet.
The inventory reflects the "Super Normal" concept Morrison developed with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa – a focus on objects so good at their job they often go unnoticed. You find Morrison’s own industrial designs sitting alongside anonymous goods sourced globally for their specific utility. A Sori Yanagi kettle might sit near a generic plastic tray, a stack of glass tumblers, or a specific type of paper clip. There is no hierarchy here between the furniture and the small kitchen tools; everything is presented based on how well it works rather than who designed it. The layout encourages you to handle the goods and look closely at things you might usually ignore, turning a quick visit into a study of everyday mechanics.
