Photo Diary 009 | Oxford Exchange

I recently took my first trip to Tampa, and was very surprised by the overall vibe of the city. Still vaguely reminiscent of Florida, it definitely felt more arts-inspired (aka hipster) which is right up my alley.

The pinnacle of this, and my favorite place we visited --so much so I can't wait until the next time we return -- was Oxford Exchange. A wonderful Frankenstein's monster of upscale indoor market, cafe and restaurant, I'm pretty sure I just want to live in this place.  Unassuming from the outside, the second you enter through the doors you are transported to a different place-- slightly reminiscent of something you'd imagine in a Harry Potter book, the building (built in 1891) is simply magical.



Warby Parker & Bookstore

Immediately upon entering the building you are greeted first by it's initial beauty, and then by two shops-- both which feel perfectly natural in the space. Where else could you imagine seeing a beautifully curated wall of Warby Parker frames? Opposite the optical shrine, is a bookstore. I was particularly drawn to a collection of simple designs of classic stories. Wouldn't they look beautiful as a collection on a (my) shelf?


Coffee Shop / Tea Shop/ Courtyard

My personal favorite part of Oxford Exchange was the courtyard area. In addition to housing some really great seating areas with absolutely wonderful lighting and high ceilings, this portion had an amazing tea shop with dozens of gourmet loose-leaf teas. I went home with two, and they are both fantastic. The actual outdoor courtyard area is part of the restaurant, but the communal space benefits from its beauty and light thanks to some very welcome, very large windows.


Lifestyle Shop

I wanted to buy everything in the lifestyle shopping space, no exaggeration. While at this point in my life everything in this store is definitely aspirational, it's important to dream. Every home accent you could dream of, including a stunning table of candles with the most amazing scents, are beautifully displayed in a way that says "take me home & I can make your whole house as beautiful as me".


There is no detail too small here, and no square inch ignored. The bathrooms, and the hallway to the bathrooms - beautiful, the tile flooring - beautiful, everything in the space has such a cohesive vision and design language and it creates a space that is comforting, welcoming, and stunning. Oxford Exchange has done an amazing job creating an aspirational community space. Somewhere you can go with friends and dream together, or spend some time alone gathering inspiration and enjoying a good cup of tea.