WHAT WE LOVE: A treasure trove of home accessories showcased in a pretty series of rooms. From carpets and tablewares to carefully selected gifts and cards made by small, passionate local and international artisans and makers.
WHO: Former fashion designer, Krista Eflinger.
WHERE: Berlin’s Kollwitzkiez neighborhood.
THE SHOP
What year was Maisinger, Berlin established? December, 2018.
Why did you choose the name Maisinger? Maisinger is adapted from Maising – the Bavarian village where I grew up.
Who designed the shop? It was a collaboration between the interior designer Martina Haag from Berlin and myself.
Where do you source the products sold at Maisinger? I source products both locally and abroad, from small producers, design fairs and from my travels. Some of the items are from small villages near Berlin or Munich, others are from Morocco, Kenya, India, the US, France or Great Britain.
What makes your shop unique? A very carefully curated selection of items from different regions, a store decorated with love and a philosophy that people should feel happy when they enter.
Who are the customers? Mostly women of all ages.
How has the internet impacted your business? Not so much. I love the direct contact to people, I do not have an online store (for now) because I think my customers should be able to touch things and feel the fabric, structure and materials with their hands when they enter the store.
THE SHOPKEEPER
Krista Eflinger, shopkeeper at Maisinger, Berlin
Who inspires you? There is no particular person. It is more about my admiration for craftsmanship and design. I love the cushion embroidery from India, the beauty and craftsmanship of the colorful candles made by an old man in Bavaria, the baskets made by Kenyan women …
What inspires you? Travelling!
What motivated you to open a shop? I love nice things and love selecting and selling them.
Did you have prior retail experience? I am a fashion designer and started with a store for fashion design a few years ago. But then I realized that I enjoy selling craft goods much more.
The hardest lesson learned in starting a business? I am still learning. It is so hard to predict what people buy and I always feel bad when people ask for products that are sold out.
Your favorite thing about owning an independent shop? To be as creative as I like to be. To select what I like and to make people happy when they come into the store.
Your advice for anyone wanting to open a shop? There will be good days and bad days … keep on going!
If you weren‘t a shopkeeper you would be… I love being a shopkeeper. Right now I couldn’t imagine being anything else.
What is your perfect day off in Berlin? It has to be during the week: drinking coffee in the old Cafe Einstein in Tiergarten, then going out for a walk in the botanical garden in Dahlem and after that buying plants in the Königliche Gartenakademie in Dahlem for our balcony.
Can you share five favorite shops? International Wardrobe (Almstadtstr., Berlin); Mutter Fourage (Café and farmers store in Wannsee, Berlin); Anthropologie NY; the online shop of toast.co.uk; Jacksons furniture in Stockholm, Sweden.
Which Instagram accounts are inspiring you at the moment? Instagram takes so much of your time and because I need that time for the shop and my two children, I decided to only use it once a week. So, there is no special account that inspires me at the moment.
I wish I could… have more than 7 days in a week.
MAISINGER
Veteranenstraße 22, 10119 Berlin
Feride Yalav-Heckeroth is a Berlin-based freelance writer and the author of The 500 Hidden Secrets of Istanbul. Her favorite shops are Souq Dükkan in Istanbul for the best of local design, Ryoko in Berlin for artisan Japanese goods, and Homemade Aromaterapi in Istanbul for 100% natural beauty products.
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