Essentials

I was having a rare few hours of meandering and shopping with a good friend, and Essentials was a highlight. It’s the kind of store that introduces you to delightful and surprising things. I went in to buy gifts for others, and came out with gifts for myself, too. My prize was the Rifle Paper Co 2016 Coffee and Tea calendar, which I plan to frame when the year is out. I love the aesthetic of quality, fun design. Everything is carefully chosen and appealingly displayed. The staff member I spoke with was lovely and helpful. It’s now on my «essentials» list of places to visit when I’m in Northampton.

A delightful array of gifts you’ll want to give yourself. Staff is incredibly friendly but not bothersome. There is a playful dog in the shop but he will stay behind the counter unless you want to play. Cards, clothes, bags, jewelry, books, baby items, and odds & ends abound here. A great place to find a gift for that person in your life who is hard to shop for.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! Whether it is just to browse to see the new things they have or picking up a unique gift they always seem to have such amazing and one of kind things. What also makes this place so enjoyable to shop in is the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. They’re always very cordial and gracious.

One of the things that makes Northampton, well, Northampton, is Essentials. I started shopping at Essentials almost twenty years ago, and it’s been a staple of my quirky life ever since. It’s changed hands twice in my awareness, and just keeps getting better and better with age. This is a design-​focused, design-​heavy shop, and there are things I can pretty much only get AT Essentials; for instance, they’ve got a cut-​to-​custom-​length ribbon bar, and some of that ribbon is vintage, and my absolute favorite is the hand-​dyed silk. Also, they’ve got the best collection of Tintin and other European character favorites (like Barbapapa and Babar) this side of the pond.
Oh, and the staff is wonderful. Knowledgable, friendly, thoughtful, and creative. Over the years, the cast of characters has changed, but it’s always top-​shelf. One giant boon: they’ve helped me put together a gift in no time, saving my bacon on numerous occasions!
On a typical day, you can find stationery of all kinds, the indier the better; dishware; rubber stamps; intriguing books (think Chronicle); bath goods; bags of all shapes, sizes, and purposes; clothes and scarves; eight million things for kids, from blankies to onesies to stuffed alligators; jewelry; small home goods; special pens; DIY kits; custom furniture; large sheets of beautiful artisan paper; and a ton of things I’m forgetting.
And one other thing about Essentials I am not forgetting, but which I saved for last, because it’s my favorite.
Essentials has an in-​house design and print studio. And they also work with a select group of indie designers and printers who create everything from business cards to party invites. Here is where Colette, the current owner, really freaking shines, in my opinion. There was one thing I wanted when it came time to get married. One. Thing. That one thing was letterpress wedding invitations from Essentials. Colette took us from beautiful nebulous idea to flawlessly-​executed product without ever breaking a sweat. I don’t know if you’ve ever worked with people who are about to get married, but we are not always the most poised, cool-​headed, or unflappable of people; Colette sat us down in the big comfy chairs and made sketches and phone calls, and really made our family feel like we were the only people in the entire world. Go see what I’m talking about — our invitation is probably still hanging in its golden-​framed, green-​paper-​backed glory.
Nearly four thousand miles away now, and I’m still bouncing in my chair as I look forward to my next trip to Essentials, whenever it may be.

Such a sucker for these novelty shops. A million things i don’t need but want to have for the sake of having them! This is exactly what my boyfriend means when he says something is a «marina» thing.

The cute, homemade signs in the window are what drew me into the store.
The Bad:
The stationary is WAY overpriced! Some of those itty-​bitty notebooks are like $ 11! They have lots of little gifts, trinkets, and baby stuff that are also pretty expensive. Yes, yes, I know they are high quality products, but I can’t justify spending $ 17 on an oven mitt.
The Good:
They have very unique and beautiful greeting cards and wrapping papers. Yes, again, they are expensive, but you will be hard-​pressed to find this stuff anywhere else. There is also a sign up that says gift wrap is included with purchase of paper, which would be good for me because I wouldn’t want to spend $ 6 on a piece of paper and then screw up the wrapping!

another review said it just right– This is one of those stores that so many of us have to stop in because everything is just so darn cute. And while nothing there is in fact, essential, once you’re browsing, you wonder how you managed to live without these things. suddenly all your dishes, towels, pens, stationery, etc seem way too plain. I’m guilty of spending a lot of money in such stores. which means I have a love/​hate relationship with them. Essentials is awesome-​ly kitschy with an inviting window display and friendly help. merchandise is high quality, somewhat high priced as well. I bought 2 journal notebooks this last visit that weren’t too costly. If you have money and like to decorate with kitschy items, you’ll be in heaven here for sure.

another great store with super cool household goods that i always must stop in when passing by. but when was the last time i bought something here? still, i stop by just to look. lots of good gifty things.

I like this store and their merchandise. The prices are high, as the merchandise is of a high quality.
However their store policies are not up par with many upscale stores. We received a lovely gift of several girls garments, however we have a male child. The store manager, who did not have the courage to call us, rather made a sales associate do their work, informed us without a receipt we can not get a store credit.
So wonderful Essentials, you made some money from this sale, but you lost a lot more revenue from this here shopper.

Great merchandise, unique and whimsical but, really, does anyone need to spend 18 $ on notecards? Items seem more appropriate to buy as a gift. Also, book selection is a plus.

I have always thought that Essentials should change its name to Superfluous, an irony which other Unilocalers have noted… that said, I do love this adorable store. They have a great selection of stationary, unique gifts, and high-​end school supplies. They also sell furniture which I cannot afford, wonderful invitations, and really cute baby and kitchen goods!
So here’s the deal: whether or not you actually buy anything in Essentials, or think that anything in it is actually essential, it’s certainly a spot worth checking out.

Need a creative gift? This is where we go. Eclectic schwag, something for everyone. Friendly folks, too!

The great irony about Essentials is that absolutely nothing they sell is «essential.» You don’t need $ 17 French dishtowels or $ 5 matches that say «Smart Women Light the Way» — you may want them very badly, however, because they are pretty and fun and well-​designed. So this is why I end up spending $ 40 and losing half an hour of my life every time I walk in this place. Be warned: if you like bright colors, quality stationary and unique stuff for your home, this is your store. I dock them a star for the high prices, though…

A great gift shop in downtown Northampton. They carry Chronicle Books, ReadyMade magazine (yay!!!), greeting cards, great gift paper, baby gifts, lotions and potions. A store with a little bit of everything for yourself or for friends, unexpected fun in Western Mass.

This is a great gift shop to browse when you aren’t sure what you’re looking for: funky greeting cards, pretty candles, affordable and chic glasses and plates, baby clothes and toys, coffee table books, beautiful wrapping paper.

Essentials is my favorite store in downtown Northampton. They specialize in custom furniture, stationary, and general cuteness. The name is ironic, because while I wouldn’t expect to need oilcloth that costs $ 15/​yard, sushi-​printed thank you notes, or mod dinner plates, I walk into that store and don’t know how I can continue to live my life without them.