Local businesses we love: Northside edition
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Discover the local businesses, makers, and creators making Christmas special across our city.
We hate to alarm you, but Christmas is less than a month away. So that means it’s time to start thinking about Christmas shopping – and luckily, you’ll find some beautiful local businesses right here.
This year, we invite you to explore Canberra’s neighbourhoods to discover amazing local businesses right in our own backyard (or worth the trip across town!).
Today, we go northside – here are some local businesses we love, and we think you will too!
KIN Gallery
Step into KIN Gallery in Braddon and you’ll enter a space where contemporary jewellery and objects meet the craft that creates them– a functioning workshop and gallery representing over 80 makers and artists from around Australia, rolled into one.
Owner Ingrid Lockley Penc, a gold and silversmith, leads a small team of creatives. She started KIN to showcase what the contemporary gold and silversmithing community makes, and to provide a community-centric business through their workshop and classes. The result is a space that celebrates both the finished pieces and the making process itself.
The gallery is traditional white with pops of grey felt, paper plinths and glass displays. Look through the space and you’ll see straight into their functioning workshop, complete with well-loved jewellery-making benches. It’s an invitation to understand the craft behind each piece.
Among their hero products are Ferro Forma’s one-off vases, Albert Tse’s crater rings, and Sarah Murphy’s titanium earrings. Each piece represents hours of skilled work and creative vision.
KIN is a full-service jeweller, which means they stock contemporary pieces, repair jewellery, remodel old pieces, and make bespoke items to order. Whether you’re after something ready to wear or want to create something entirely unique, the team can help bring your vision to life.
G06/27 Lonsdale Street, Braddon | kin.gallery
Craft + Design Canberra
Image: 5 Foot Photography
Tucked upstairs from Canberra Museum and Gallery sits a hidden treasure that’s been supporting local makers for years. Craft + Design Canberra is a not-for-profit membership-based organisation dedicated to artists, craft practitioners, designers and makers at every stage of their careers, promoting and celebrating excellence and innovation in contemporary craft.
The Shop + Gallery Space showcases locally made, unique products by expert craftspeople. Each piece tells a story of skill, creativity and dedication to craft – the kind of work you won’t find in chain stores or online marketplaces. From jewellery and ceramics to textiles and homewares, the collection represents the breadth and depth of Canberra’s thriving craft community, offering a curated selection that changes regularly as new makers join and established artists create fresh work.
As a membership organisation, Craft + Design Canberra provides crucial support infrastructure for local makers – exhibition opportunities, professional development, networking and promotion. When you shop here, you’re not just buying a beautiful object; you’re supporting an ecosystem that helps artists and makers sustain their practice and continue creating.
For Christmas shopping, it’s an ideal destination for gifts that feel truly special – pieces made by hand, with care.
North Building, 1/180 London Circuit, Canberra City | craftanddesigncanberra.org
Venetia Major – Bespoke Jewellery
Drive out to Hall and you’ll discover something rather special tucked away in this friendly village. Venetia Major’s jewellery studio operates from a lovely light-filled space where you can peer into the workshop and watch the jewellers at work.
Owner and head jeweller Venetia leads a skilled team including Deb, Toby (who’s starting his apprenticeship next year), and Helen and Bern on sales and customer service.
This is high-end, custom-made jewellery for people who appreciate quality that will last for generations. Every piece tells a story – engagement rings celebrate the spark of new love, anniversary rings honour decades spent side by side, and some pieces tenderly remember lives that ended too soon. Each creation is crafted with care, empathy, and the hope that it will hold someone’s most precious moments close.
The ready-made collection includes stunning pieces like a teal sapphire and diamond starburst ring, and ‘Savannah’, The Moody Goddess eternity ring. But it’s the custom work where Venetia’s expertise truly shines. The team also handles jewellery repairs and can remake or remodel old jewellery, giving treasured pieces new life.
The shop itself reflects Hall’s relaxed village atmosphere – massive green street trees outside, easy free parking, and inside, a neat, tidy, open space filled with plants and natural light. The team welcomes visitors watching them work and speaking with the jewellers, creating an unusually intimate experience for such fine craftsmanship.
It’s not just about creating beautiful jewellery. It’s about playing a small part in life’s most meaningful moments, creating pieces that carry the weight of meaning and memory.
3/8 Victoria Street, Hall | venetiamajor.com.au
A Darn Good Yarn
This little gem in Gold Creek’s Federation Square has got the crafting community buzzing – A Darn Good Yarn brings together everything a knitter or crocheter could desire under one roof. Owner Bec, along with her team – Catherine, Siye and Gill – have created a space that feels less like a shop and more like a creative sanctuary.
The store’s colourful wall of yarn is just the beginning. Browse through natural fibre clothing, patterns, and an impressive collection of knitting and crochet accessories. Things get really fun with their selection of film and TV-inspired pattern books – think The Muppets, Outlander, The Lord of the Rings, Gilmore Girls and Disney. They’re packed with patterns that’ll have you crafting your favourite characters in no time.
The space has plenty of room to browse and wheelchair-friendly access throughout. The team genuinely loves seeing what customers are working on, and they’re always happy to help you choose the perfect yarns for your next project. It’s why popping into A Darn Good Yarn feels like visiting fellow craft enthusiasts who happen to have an enviable yarn collection.
Whether you’re hunting for the perfect gift for a maker in your life or treating yourself to supplies for a new project, this is knitting and crochet heaven.
9/18 O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls | adarngoodyarn.com.au
Instala DIY Studio
Yolanda Wang created Instala DIY Studio to build a space where everyone can enjoy art, regardless of experience or skill level. Tucked away in the Ori Building on Lonsdale Street, the studio is a little oasis from Braddon’s buzz, and offers fun and creative workshops that take the intimidation out of making.
Try your hand at perfume making, gather friends for a team-building session, or celebrate a birthday with a creative twist. The atmosphere is relaxed and inviting – exactly what you want when you’re trying something new or simply looking for a creative outlet away from the daily grind.
From jewellery, candle making, and DIY patch design to kids’ favourite Decoden cream decorating, plus the super popular Fluid Bear painting experience, it’s a place where DIY dreams come true. They also offer private sessions and mobile workshops for corporate teams, celebrations, and community groups. And did we mention it’s BYO? You’re welcome to enjoy a cheeky wine while you create. Sip, relax, and let your creativity flow.
Whether you’re looking for a unique gift experience (vouchers are available!) or just want to spend a few hours making something beautiful with friends or co-workers, it’s one of our fave ways to disconnect from tech and connect with creativity.
63/30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon | instalastudio.com
Caviar Design Shop
Uncle and niece duo Nik and Ivana opened Caviar Design Shop in Braddon to share their love of beautiful design. The result is a boutique full of discoveries – where every corner holds something special, and lingering is not just welcomed but encouraged.
Caviar specialises in unique luxury homewares and designer gifts, all curated for quality and beautiful design. These aren’t pieces you’ll stumble across everywhere. Nik and Ivana hand-pick items they genuinely enjoy discovering, and that enthusiasm shows in every carefully chosen product.
The collection features designer glassware, luxury home fragrances and premium home décor from brands like Black Blaze, Ben David, Maison Balzac, Fazeek, Ashley & Co, Corey Ashford, Maho, Third Drawer Down, Asobu, Studio Roof and Gingko. Each brand brings its own design sensibility, but they all share an attention to craft and aesthetic that elevates everyday objects into something more.
Whether you’re searching for a statement piece for your own home or a gift that shows real thought, Caviar offers that rare combination of discernment and approachability. This is design-led homeware for people who appreciate quality and style – curated by people who genuinely care about both.
Shop 57/30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon | caviardesignshop.com
