RURAL RETAILTHE NEW HIGH STREET

Paul Gillen returned to Scotland in 2020 with his family, after over 25 years in London His first few years down south were spent working in fashion production after graduating from Galashiels College of Textiles, before moving into primary school teaching, followed by a period as a stay-at-home dad The pull of family drew Paul back home and, with his children now teenagers, he decided it was time to return to work

After considering various options, Paul eventually settled on opening a shop, an idea that had been developing in his mind for a while and which satisfied his inclination to work in a creative field Inspired by shops from his time down south such as Stiffkey Stores, Labour and Wait, Nook, The Hambledon and menswear store Array, Paul began to collect ideas for product ranges and shop interiors

Living in Dollar, the obvious location for a shop was in the nearby bustling Victorian spa town of Bridge of Allan. Bridge of Allan has a busy high street with thriving independent shops, cafes and restaurants. Paul felt he could open a store that would complement the unique and interesting shops already found there So, with the support of his partner Colin McLeod, plans were hatched and the lease was signed

Uncommon Life opened in October 2022 and is a warm and inviting lifestyle store with a Scandinavian aesthetic It was important to Paul to create an interior that reflected the quality of the product range and he was delighted to collaborate with Edinburgh shopfitters, Splintr, who are responsible for the most stylish shop, café and restaurant spaces in the capital

With an eye for good design, Paul has sourced beautiful homewares, stationery, clothing and lifestyle products from Scotland, the UK and Scandinavia – Uncommon Life is one of only three authorised Normann Copenhagen stockists in Scotland Homewares are the central focus of the store with a growing range of contemporary Danish lighting The vegan bath and body range, including Scottish brands Laura Thomas, Dook and MODM has also expanded.

Cards and stationery are produced by UK independent artists and designers, with a few based in Scotland.

To begin with, there was a small selection of Thames & Hudson design books but this grew quickly to include fiction, music, gardening, cooking, sport and history, as well as a selection of independently published magazines

Uncommon Life launched with a small selection of clothing, offering field jackets and sweatshirts from The Good Neighbour, Country of Origin knitwear and cashmere accessories from local mill Todd & Duncan. This range started as a trial for the shop. Paul had struggled to find affordable, well-designed menswear for himself locally, so was slightly concerned that meant that there wasn’t a market for menswear in the area, so he was prepared to accept it might not work

However, like the book range, this turned out to be an immediate success and is one of the most popular ranges, bought by young and old, male and female The collection has grown to include Edinburgh-based Kestin, Portuguese brand La Paz, an expanded range from The Good Neighbour, who aims to use deadstock fabrics rather than buy new, and Ivy Ellis socks, made in Inverness

Future plans involve developing the forecourt as a space to stock garden plants, pots and furniture. Claire Palfreyman Garden Design recently designed and installed large planters with Scottishinfluenced, naturalistic planting as the first step in these plans Paul is also keen to collaborate with, and increase the number of, Scottish artists and makers in the shop, as well as introducing ‘Meet the Maker’ evenings for customers to learn more about the products, be that production processes, environmental issues, skin care demonstrations or home and personal styling and much more

Watch this space

Uncommon life store 61 Henderson St Bridge of Allan Stirling

FK9 4HG

Shop digital / click & collect: Uncommon life

Special thanks to Forth Valley College student Ashley Forsyth for this photoshoot Image credits: Ashley Forsyth for SSEAMS

Paul wears the SSEAMSWORKS Balfron Work coat, Safety Yellow, in collaboration with Seahawk Apparel, Fife based Garment manufacturer Shop the line HERE

"I was brought up in Glasgow and my parents used to buy our furniture from the Danish Design Centre. They had a modest flat but it was really comfortable andnow I know - stylish home! I love the quality and functionality of Danish design, hence I decided to focus on Danish Brands."