LauraAshley

Laura Ashley's Home May Become A Museum

The late designer Laura Ashley found much of her inspiration in her Victorian manor in Wales. These days Ashley's children are finding the upkeep of the historic home is too expensive and they are turning to England's National Trust to save the home. The Ashleys are hoping they can sell the 700-acre estate to the trust and have it restored and opened to visitors. Jane Ashley describes Rhydoldog House in the Welsh county of Powys to the Sunday Times as "a bit shabby but that's part of its charm." Reportedly many of the rooms haven't been changed since Laura Ashley's death in 1985 (Ashley's husband, Sir Bernard Ashley died earlier this year).

A restoration would offer tourists a look at original Ashley designs in the setting that begat them and the home would also celebrate crafts like quilting and screenprinting. The family home had also served as a studio and office for Ashley. The Laura Ashley brand reached its peak in the mid-1980s but has fallen out of favor in recent years and is mainly represented in the U.S. through licensing agreements selling bedding, women's clothing and housewares. Still the nostalgic factor is high as many people who grew up with Laura Ashley designs remember the brand, and the woman who created it, fondly. The Sunday Times reports that the National Trust and the National Museum of Wales would likely find a private investor to buy the property for an estimated £1 million -£3 million with another several million pounds earmarked for restoration. The museum could open in several years.

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Tags: laura ashley, LauraAshley, wales

Darwin Wood Arm Chair

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Laura Ashley gets it right pretty often, but she definitely did something great with this effort. Overall I just love this Darwin Wood Arm Chair. It's a mix of retro and modern with a nice sense of earthiness, it's cheerful without being obnoxious, and it's surprisingly stylish considering in this print it has such a neutral color scheme. But it comes in 4 color options, is easy to clean and care for, and its curved wooden arms and puffy rounded seats make it more than just a little inviting -- it may become the favorite seat in the house. £525

Via Retro to Go

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Tags: ashley, chair, darwin, dots, laura ashley, LauraAshley, lounge, polka dots, PolkaDots, seat, seating, sit