Stationary street and wedding couple’s one-stop-shop destination
- Maliban Veediya, Colombo 11
- Open daily 9am-6pm
I get super inspired by Pettah. It is a place where you can find anything. I love going there, that’s why my colleagues call me the Pettah Fairy
Stationary street
Maliban Street is filled with shops offering hundreds of different designs for invitation cards, cake boxes and other decorative items at bargain prices and they are yet to disappoint a hopeful couple. These streets are a go-to-destination for all office stationery needs at wholesale bargain prices. Locals come here for basics such as pens, pencils and staplers but also to source rare wax sketch paper. From design students to the cost-cutting bride, many a Colombo denizen has been grateful for this hidden treasure trove. “I get super inspired by Pettah. It is a place where you can find anything and also really cheap. Spend 200 rupee in Colombo and you find it for 50 rupee here in Pettah. I love going there, that’s why my colleagues call me the Pettah Fairy” says Nilukshi Nonis, a product designer at Colombo Design Studio.
A hidden gem
Kosala Lane, a little lane off Maliban Street is the place to go for any design student. On either side are tiny pocket-sized stores selling paper of all types. Unlike the shops along Maliban Street, which typically sell in bulk, these shops sell based on weight and are happy to cut paper to the size you want.