Our Story

Independently-owned and constantly evolving, Lifestory is a destination for lovers of Scandinavian design and lifestyle, considered products that share the traits of beauty and function.

Curated by owner Susan Doherty, Lifestory seeks to bring that perfect combination of lifestyle store and coffee bar to Edinburgh (beans are sourced from local businesses). Its shelves display everything from ceramics to cushions, from unisex fragrance to children’s toys, from jewellery to design magazines.

Lifestory is a destination, intentionally so, and it is home to a host of designers from across the globe. The focus is on Scandinavian and Nordic design (Studio Arhoj, Rains, Ferm Living, HAY, Lindform, Notem and many more) with local and UK designers and makers featuring strongly, particularly in the areas of wall art, ceramics and jewellery.

Our community is our heart and we love this wonderful part of town full of independent stores and eateries. It's the people that make a business special, and at Lifestory you'll meet a wonderful small team of knowledgable people who truly live the Lifestory ethos and are happy to impart their knowledge about our range, and help you find what you are looking for. Lifestory is proud to be a living wage employer. 

The bricks & mortar store in Edinburgh is open 7 days

We have also been working really hard to make our range accessible and the experience enjoyable online and you can shop the collections here on our website or via facebook or instagram.

UK + AUS shipping (UK is free over £59) is available. We are shipping your parcels every day.

We accept most debit and credit cards, including AMEX. We also accept cash, plus you can avail of Klarna buy now pay later and Shop Pay. 

USA Customers - notice as of August 2025

We’ve made the difficult decision to pause shipping to the United States for now.

Recent changes to U.S. import rules mean that all parcels, no matter their value, are now subject to additional taxes and complex customs procedures. This is due to the removal of the “de minimis” rule, which previously allowed parcels under $800 to enter the U.S. without duties.

For a small independent store like ours, this change creates a level of risk, cost and administration that sadly makes it unsustainable to ship to the U.S. at the moment. There is no clear guidance for us to follow, and the risk of the parcel being returned is high.

We’re keeping a close eye on developments and very much hope to reinstate U.S. delivery in the future. In the meantime, we’d love to stay connected through our newsletters, and Instagram - and of course, if you’re ever visiting Edinburgh, please do stop by in person!