I visited London last year and ticked one of my bookish dreams off my bucket list – visiting The House of Minalima, the creative shop and gallery of top graphic designers, Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima.
Their work is best known for featuring in the Harry Potter franchise. In fact, the majority of paper and graphic props in the Wizarding World were created by this artistic duo, including iconic pieces like the Hogwarts acceptance letter, and Molly Weasley’s howler.
The feeling when you first step inside must be akin to stepping off Diagon Alley into one of its little, magical shops. Though it may be small in size, every single centimetre of space has been utilised – either decoratively, or to showcase products for sale. The use of the shop itself as a canvas pays homage to the graphic designers’ skills; it is a work of art.
Downstairs is a full gallery exhibiting some of the original pieces from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. This room was particularly exciting because despite the museum atmosphere, so much down there was also for sale. I’m fairly sure I saw an original Hogwarts letter for over £2000 (apparently, I did).
I was very set on buying a print for my house, which Minalima release in varying batch sizes (though most under 1000 copies). There is something very special about knowing you have a piece of art that is part of a limited run, and I deliberated for a very long time over which one to take home (a shout out to Neil who was endlessly patient during the decision-making process).
In the end I settled on a black and white Skele-gro print (print 204 of 1000). You can pick up your own copy while they are still available here.
The shop also sells a small number of prints and designs from their range of non-Wizarding World books, mostly beautifully-illustrated and interactive versions of children’s classics, like Peter Pan and Beauty and the Beast.
I believe that anyone with an ounce of creativity in their bones will find joy within the House of Minalima. Minalima don’t skimp on quality; everything they sell is crafted with such a incredible amount of care and talent, and their shop is an immersive experience unlike any other.
You can get a good feel for their shop, or visit their online store, right here: https://minalima.com/
Happy travels!
