About Us

Here’s Mahala by the man who knows it the best. 

David was searching for the old timber yard to have some garden gates made. But the old Thomersons had gone. It was now Mahala at 20 middle lane. Since 2020, If there was a weekend David hadn’t been into the shop, we’d know he must be away travelling. Thank you David and here’s our conversation;

Dear David, Can you remember your first visit to Mahala,  what brought you in and what did you feel when you first stepped inside?

I remember very well my first visit to Mahala. I had actually gone looking for the wood yard that used to be there, as I was in need of a new gate. The first thing  or rather, the first person, that caught my eye was an extraordinarily elegant Japanese man sitting in the window. He was hugely exotic and dressed in the most beautiful clothes.

Once I looked past him and saw the rest of the shop, I was instantly drawn in. I had been to other shops that sold similar items, but there was something so complete about Mahala. It all fitted together, and there was a real sense of the carefully curated in everything that was being sold.

What keeps you coming back? Is it something about the atmosphere, the pieces themselves, or the people behind them?

Although it’s the desire to be surrounded by beautiful things that keeps me coming back, it’s also the charm with which everything is done. Everyone connected to Mahala is welcoming, interesting, and genuinely interested.

I also feel that I’m always discovering something when I’m there  and perhaps I should admit that I’m clearly a shopaholic…

How would you describe Mahala to someone who’s never been — in your own words?

Extraordinarily tasteful. Full of wonderful colour, texture, care, and consideration in both what is displayed and how it’s displayed.

It has all the excitement of a souk, that sense of discovery, yet also great charm and absolute confidence in what and how it presents.

Has anything you’ve found or experienced here stayed with you in a meaningful way?

All of it, really. But I particularly love the little shoes, which I’ve not been able to part with.

Do you have a favourite memory connected to Mahala, a conversation, a moment, or even a particular piece you took home?

I’ve always loved bringing people I really care about, good friends to Mahala. Several of them have fallen deeply under its spell. In fact, if they don’t, I have to seriously question my friendship with them.

Many people describe the shop as calm or grounding. What is it that you personally take from being here?

Mahala is a shifting space. It feels as though every time I go, something has moved or been reconfigured. That’s not to say it’s restless,  it’s more that there’s an evident desire to keep it captivating and engaging.

There’s stability in its familiarity, and excitement in never knowing quite what the shop will be like next. It shows real care and a constant wish to make the space as aesthetically perfect as possible.

What does “home” mean to you, and how do the things you choose from Mahala fit into that idea?

Home means being surrounded by things that are beautiful and make me happy. I think it’s obvious how Mahala fits into that.

We often talk about living more slowly and with intention. What does that look like in your own life?

I’m not sure that I’m a slow-living person, but I do believe I have focus and intention, and I draw a certain peace from the things that surround me.

If Mahala were a person, how would you describe its character?

Confident, warm, friendly, generous and somehow ageless.

10. Finally, what do you feel Mahala has given you or reminded you of over the years?

Happiness, in knowing that it’s there  that I can always discover something new and beautiful, something that brings joy to myself and to others.

This is a boxed content block. Click the edit button to edit this text.