When I get writers’ block, need a new idea for a project or simply have some spare time on a rainy afternoon, often a trip to a museum or gallery is the only thing to do. There’s something about encounters with wonderful art – whether sculpture, photography, video or works on paper – which is both restorative and invigorating at the same time.

As well as nourishing our minds by displaying the best that culture and creativity have to offer, museums have had to provide more and more. It’s almost ten years since our major institutions waived their admission charges but they quickly realised that they needed to look elsewhere to fill that financial gap. Thus no self-respecting museum opened its doors to the Great Unwashed without also tempting them with an expensive coffee and a slice of carrot cake. Even before that, the V&A’s ad campaign read ‘an ace caff with quite a nice museum attached’.

Here at Kitchen Desires we do love our food and there are a great many museum restaurants that deserve more column inches here. Instead, for now, it’s all about retail therapy because once you’ve replenished your mind with culture, then re-fuelled to the gills with Modern British cuisine, the museum shop is not only irresistible but a fantastic hunting ground for homely treats.

The Design Museum in London has hosted exhibitions on talents as diverse as Constance Spry and Dieter Rams. It’s shop is similarly eclectic but carefully thought out. A bit like a mini-SCP or Skandium, it stocks modern and contemporary classics from Arne Jacobsen, iittala and People Will Always Need Plates amongst others.

Whilst it’s hard not to get distracted by the amazing selection of books, the Tate Modern store is great for standard museum shop fare such as mugs, but it’s the designer collaborations that set it apart. The Ally Cappellino range has been very successful and her apron would make a chic chef of anyone. Keep an eye out for products by Orla Kiely and Tatty Devine as well.

As part of its FuturePlan, the V&A relocated and expanded its shop, making it this reason enough to visit (as if we needed one!). It stocks lovely gardening items and kitcheny things in Arts and Crafts prints along with ranges which tie in with whatever temporary exhibitions are on. It’s also strong on ceramics and homewares by quirkier contemporary labels and independent designers. On a recent trip, a big selection of teapots – particularly Chinese and Japanese, as well as delicate vases were especially tempting.

Despite all of this being rather London-based, do not fear! From the comfort of your armchair the all the galleries mentioned above have excellent online shops but for everything under one ‘www’, it’s worth checking out Culture Label. Describing itself as “The new high street, as imagined by the world’s best museums, galleries and artists”, it does a brilliant job of selecting items from not just most of London’s big institutions but also several from around the UK including Baltic, Ashmolean, Ikon, the National Gallery of Ireland and many more, plus a slew of small boutiques and designers.

So if you’re seeking inspiration, start with the museums but even though the entry may be free, don’t forget your purse.