Zakka Box

If you like quirky, cute objects and trinkets you should go straight to Zakka Box it has a mound of everyday functional objects that have been transformed into something fun and unique. Zakka stores everything from funky dinner plates to mini funny formed post-​its to cute candle holders.
This store is a fresh approach to your traditional gift store and is certainly one to go to if you want something a little silly and humorous and the lady at Zakka Box is always extremely friendly and chatty so be sure to pop in if you’re in the area.

It’s the teapot and cups stacked up in the shape of the Leaning Tower of Pisa that first caught my eye in the window of this nifty little gift shop (see image in picture gallery). If you like your homewares and trinkets a little on the quirky side, this place will be mecca to you.
There are cute colourful clocks, crockery and cutlery, and for some strange reason a host of everyday objects reduced to the tiniest of sizes. It’s like stepping into the pages of Alice In Wonderland but not being sure what to do with it all.
Pragmatism does not appear to be on the criteria list of this store’s owners when globe-​trotting for most of the goods in here… But away with practicality; they’re meant to be statement pieces, donchaknow!

This is a cute little shop selling Japanese-​style curios and trinkets. If you’re a fan of cartoons, plastic jewellery and pastel colours — or are a little girl — then you’ll love it. If you’re a fan of things that are practical, functional and grown-​up sized, you probably won’t. Although all the shelves in Zakka Box do have stuff on them, it kind of feels like there just isn’t very much in there. Maybe it’s because everything is so teeny-​weeny. I was very tempted to get a cat-​shaped pen holder, purely because it had my name on it. I don’t know why it had my name on it, but it did, and as a person with a name that is NEVER EVER included on racks of souvenirs with names on (except at Edinburgh Zoo, where I found a penguin badge with my name on) I got pretty excited by this. However, on reflection I realised that I really didn’t need a tiny cat-​shaped pen holder, not for $ 19 anyway.

WOAH. My first impression of this store is «Cute overload!». If you’re a fan of Hello Kitty and love Sydney’s China Town, this shop’s for you. Zakka Box has taken everyday objects, like lunch boxes, tea pots, aprons and stationary and given them a kawaii makeover. True to their Japanese name, Zakka, a popular design fad in Asia, focuses on making everyday things a lot more cute and design friendly, and takes a large leaf out of the Swede’s design book. I’m a fan of making all things blah a little bit more fun, and Zakka definitely delivers with the amusement factor. A large part of the Zakka design aesthetic is that items must encompass both form and function. So everything in here is designed for use, and not just for looking at.
Everything in this store is teeny tiny though, which makes me think perhaps it’s for children only, but age appropriateness is so very 20^th Century, so women with a penchant for cartoons and small versions of big things will be shaking in their plastic kitten heels.
The most interesting thing I found here was an adorable teeth holder. I doubt I’d find this useful, but if you’re after a present for a young girl I think this place would definitely gain you popularity points.