Small Business Spotlight: Handsel

Tell us a bit about your business?

Handsel and our sister company Leith Framing Studio can be found at 336 Leith Walk, EH6 5BR. 

Leith Framing Studio was established in 2007 and offers a comprehensive bespoke picture framing service. The studio was originally located off Leith Walk and moved back to the Leith in 2020 after spending nine years at West Harbour Road. 

Handsel is an independently run home interior and lifestyle gift shop which opened in September 2020.

We stock a wide range of beautiful objects for the home as well as gifts, art, jewellery, cards and a selection of zero-waste products. On our shelves you can find locally handmade items, unique original art, fair trade accessories and stylish Scandinavian homewares. There's something for every taste and style.

What makes your business unique?

Being a combination of both homeware shop and onsite framing studio makes us pretty unique! With nearly 30 years of framing experience, our frames offer great quality, at affordable prices, as well as expert advice on picking just the right frame for your needs. 

Describe your typical working day.

We come in just before opening up the shop at 10am to ensure everything is in order and looks it best for the day ahead (as well as getting our caffeine fix!). Once open we welcome and chat with customers, prepare any online orders, answer any enquiries and replenish the shelves with stock. If it's delivery day we will also input new stock and check that it's all in order before putting it out and arranging the display units and uploading online. At 6pm we close our doors, tidy, and get ready to do it all again the next day! 

Framing appointments start when we open and continue throughout the day. We talk to the customers sharing our artistic insight on what combination of frame, mount, etc would look best with their work - really striving to make the best frame to showcase the piece. People bring in such a variety of work for framing, from large canvases, medals to vintage gig posters, that you never really know what to expect which keeps things fresh and exciting!

Why Leith?

Leith is a bustling and welcoming place to be, and given that the framing studio used to be situated here originally it made perfect sense to return and open Handsel here. As a new business opening in the area, we have been so welcomed and supported by our fellow neighbours in Leith. It's also great for people watching - there's always something happening!

Name three fellow Leith businesses you love to visit.

Gaia for delicious pastas at such good prices! Kukina for tasty baklava, and The Cats Miaou for beautiful gemstone jewellery.