When seeking design recommendations in London, you will inevitably come across Labour and Wait. Since 2000, back when it was a weekends-only stall on Cheshire Street, it’s defined the scene and established a market for well designed utilitarian goods across London.

These days, it seems every major city has a version of this genre (Top Drawer comes to mind, and The Good Liver in LA). And Labour and Wait has expanded from its first green-tiled brick and mortar on Redchurch Street to outposts in Marylebone, Covent Garden and more.

The appeal comes in the curation. Their shelves are stocked with quality goods, things that feel timeless, analogue, everyday objects that are useful and durable, a stark contrast from the mass produced slop of current times. For those of us who grew up in a digital first world, they are tools that can be romanticized. Things with utility, that makes it feel like a justifiable investment rather than an indulgence at a premium price. The retail design is clean, organized. The inventory is filled with neutral tones, natural materials, the occasional primary color, something that could fit into any home.

Sure, the things they sell could be procured elsewhere, but there’s something special about stepping into the shop and the tactile experience of appreciating the weight and the material. A leather hole punch, a rotating soap holder, a reusable bread bag: small, ordinary moments, upgraded with a little more intention.