Macclesfield's striking new gift shop is up and running.

Lobby, on Chestergate, has enjoyed a successful start to life since opening its doors in July.

Business owner, Laura Taylor, decided to transform the unit from a wedding flower studio into a contemporary gift and homeware shop.

She said: "Since Picturedrome opened, the west end of Chestergate has definitely become more of an area focused on independent businesses.

"Having watched it change around me, it got to the point where I thought I fancy doing something different.

"I was already here, I know the unit, the shop, I'm comfortable here. So that's how Lobby came into being."

Lobby opened on July 17 (Credit: Nub News)

While the retail unit was still her wedding flower studio, Laura experimented with pop-up gift and homeware shops.

Lobby opened on July 17 to a warm reception of customers gathered through the shop's Instagram, connections with other independent businesses and curious passers-by.

"Painting the front of the shop in that bright blue colour has created such interest," Laura said.

The shop's name originates from Laura's time studying architecture, as does her interest in interior design.

"There's a very famous chair called the Lobby chair by Charles Eames, which is one of my personal favourites and something I wrote about in my thesis at university, so it came from that," Laura said.

"But also, a lobby is a welcoming space when you walk into a building."

Laura says the name was inspired by her love of architecture (Credit: Nub News)

Lobby stocks products in bright colours and fun designs, matching the open airy atmosphere of the shop.

Inside you will find 'a mix of UK brands and international brands', including candles from Glossop, Portuguese ceramics, Finnish mugs, and Japanese incense – 'the biggest seller so far.'

Laura continued: "I thought that there was a huge gap in the market in Macclesfield for something a bit more modern, fun, contemporary, design-based products.

"I wanted to bring the colour. Because I think it's been a massive trend in interiors for the last few years, it's started to become much more popular. It's going against the beige, minimalist core that you were seeing everywhere in interior design."

"So, I wanted to bring something that was a bit more colourful and a bit more fun."

The shop stocks a wide range of bright and colourful products (Credit: Nub News)

Laura is already making plans for the coming months such as attending a trade fair in Paris in September, planning late-night shopping evenings, the Twilight Market, and stocking up for Christmas.

"We are all individual businesses at the end of the day, but we would like this end of Chestergate to become more of a destination area for independent shopping," she added.

Laura is currently trialling opening hours to see what works for shoppers.

At the moment, Lobby is open from 10am five days week as well as Treacle Market Sundays.

To find out more, including updates on new products, visit the shop's website or Instagram.

Lobby is located at 112 Chestergate (Credit: Nub News)