Our flagship Cardiff shop: How we built it

Is it a bit much to call this the flagship Claire Hill Designs' shop? Well I have always been one to punch above my weight with this jewellery brand, so who knows where it will lead. 

But for now we have a new home, for all things jewellery, prints and merch. In the heart of Cardiff's city centre in the famous Castle Arcade. Sitting above Barkers and on the balcony, I have created a little shopping oasis and what one man called "a pleasure to browse" and you know how stereotypically they are about shopping. 

Known as the City of Arcades, Cardiff has more Victorian and Edwardian arcades than any other city in the UK.

The Castle Arcade was built in 1887, as part of the Cardiff Arcade Company. With triple decks, under and overvaulting glazed roof with walkways and footbridges.

It was given Grade II listed status in 1975 as the “finest of Cardiff’s Victorian arcades”.

The rooms above the shops were described in 1886 as “suitable for professional gentlemen”, not any more. 

The Arcades were on of the first things that I fell in love with when I moved from the North East to Cardiff. The big Topshop had yet to arrive on Queen Street and St David's 2 or John Lewis was nowhere near. But there was the Toucan on St Mary Street and the arcades - Buzz Shoes and Hobos in High Street arcade, Madame Fromage in Castle, Spillers, Wally's and Fresh at the other end. 

Later, when I was starting to dabble in jewellery I think I kept the bead shop singlehandedly going and my lovely friend Kirsty ran Home By Kirsty. My jewellery was stocked in her store which used to sit directly under my new shop. 

Talk about full circle. 

The balcony's of Castle Arcade don't get the most love and when I found the unit it certainly needed a massive dose of TLC to whip it into shape. 

The only problem was I was doing this on a budget and a very tight schedule of just over a month. That meant getting my hands very dirty for long days of painting, cutting marble tiles and furniture removals from my old studio on Castle Street to the new shop.

Luckily I had some help. Claudio from One Call Away built my counter and cupboards, my husband added the ribbing and I tiled.

I lucked out that customer and plumber Claire from Plumbing and Heating by Claire was on hand not only to sort the bathroom out but loan me her tools and give me a crash course in tiling.   

And Alice from Aliceartwork handpainted my signs for the whole shop.

The shop will be open daily 

Mon-Fri - 10-2 
Saturday - 10-5

Address: 16 The Balcony, Castle Street, Cardiff, CF10 1BU 

We are on the Balcony above Barkers Coffee Shops and bars and it is the perfect chance to come on and try your jewellery, pick up some presents or just build your wish list. 

Plus there is a wide selection of gorgeous candles, jewellery boxes, prints and Shorthand embroidered baseball caps and bags. And if you are in the lookout for something for your child's room, my son has created a range of prints under his business name Weird Art for Weird Kids which are proving very popular. 

There is so much choice in all of Cardiff's arcades to shop eat and drink. Here are some of my favourite must visits