Armchair Souvenir Shopping: 8 Favorites from A Vida Portuguesa

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Where do shopkeepers shop for fun and distraction? We recently featured the Winchester, England, home of Victoria Suffield, owner of the celebrated indie-department store The Hambledon, and asked her where she’s willing to pay retail. Her response didn’t surprise us: she loves A Vida Portuguesa, an emporium that we happen to have been perusing often of late—as both armchair travel and joy browsing.

Founded by Catarina Portas, a former journalist with a fondness for nostalgic design, A Vida Portuguesa has five locations (four in Lisbon, one in Porto), plus a well-stocked website dedicated to celebrating “the brands that have survived the passage of time and highlighting the quality of Portuguese manufacture.” The offerings range from household tools to textiles, and from the very humble to the elaborate. Here are eight that speak to us.

for &#8\2\20;guarding the beauty and health of wood,&#8\2\2\1; encerite 17 — Above: For “guarding the beauty and health of wood,” Encerite Wax Paste, €4.85, is still sold in its original 1927 packaging. Available in five colors, including *castanha* (chestnut).

&#8\2\20;few regions in europe boast the variety and richness of popular em 18 — Above: “Few regions in Europe boast the variety and richness of popular embroideries found in the Douro and Minho regions. And none are as original, innocent, and well-loved as the ones produced in the city of Viana do Castelo,” explains the A Vida Portuguesa catalogue. This 200-centimeter (78.7 -inch) Round Cotton Tablecloth comes with a set of 10 napkins; €212.

to be filed under a must have we don&#8\2\17;t really need and never knew e 19 — Above: To be filed under A Must-Have We Don’t Really Need and Never Knew Existed. This looks like a decorative funnel but in fact is a Fruit Picker, €11, for use in an orchard: you hold the base and angle the scalloped edges to catch and cut apples by the stem—the fruit neatly lands in the center hole.

like everyone, we&#8\2\17;re ready to see \20\20 end. but come \20\2\1, we& 20 — Above: Like everyone, we’re ready to see 2020 end. But come 2021, we’d love one of these classic Agenda Condor planners, available in mini for €3.70 and regular for €4.50.

for pouring olive oil with precision and protecting it from sunlight: this stai 21 — Above: For pouring olive oil with precision and protecting it from sunlight: this stainless steel Guimaraes e Rosa Dispenser is €15.

here&#8\2\17;s what a vida portuguesa recommends as an ideal grandfather gi 22 — Above: Here’s what A Vida Portuguesa recommends as an ideal Grandfather Gift: a bottle of Ramos Pinto port, a painted tile, a bar of lavender soap, and chocolate umbrella; €10.85. It’s one of the shop’s many gifts sets for parents.

the love kerchief, €54, is &#8\2\20;an original, sweet, and moving i 23 — Above: The Love-Kerchief, €54, is “an original, sweet, and moving invention of the Minho people,” traditionally bestowed as a surprise to be worn around the neck. This is one of several examples on offer.

julie has her eye on this old fashioned electric toaster, €\28.\10. 24 — Above: Julie has her eye on this old-fashioned Electric Toaster, €28.10.

Go to Shopper’s Diary to see more of our favorite browsing sites, including:

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