Business of the week: The ramshackle furniture shop in Northchurch Road beloved of Harry Styles and Paloma Faith

In a new weekly feature, the Gazette visits an interesting or unusual company trading here in Islington. This week we pop in to the fascinating Mr All Sorts off Essex Road.

With paint peeling off its weatherworn frontage and mismatched old furniture piled six feet high inside a dark, cramped shop, Mr All Sorts doesn’t sound like a business that would draw A-list celebrities to Islington.

But the family-run firm, just off Essex Road in Canonbury, has been a huge success thanks to the eclectic range of goods on offer.

Beaten up old chairs, wacky shop signs and traffic lights are just some of the things they sell.

Mr All Sorts recently came under new management as a side project for husband and wife Rachel and Andrew Hall. They juggle the shop with their full-time jobs – Rachel works as a hospital receptionist and Andrew as a delivery driver.

Mr All Sorts buy as well as sell. Rachel says they have a “good relationship” with their customers, which means people will donate unwanted items to them. Andrew works on restoring the assorted pieces of furniture and furnishings before they get sold on.

Paloma Faith, Harry Styles and Will Young have been among Mr All Sorts’ famous clientele.

Rachel said: “Business is good and we get lots of people coming in.

“Not everyone is looking to buy something and we get lots of people just coming to have a look and take a few pictures, which is nice.”