Stumbled across your fabulous video; what a delight, thank you! I grew up in a house in a Dorset village filled with Victorian antiques (they were dirt cheap then because they were so unfashionable) in the 60’s & 70’s with a mother who loved Laura Ashley’s designs and clothes and going to her shop was treated as a kind of pilgrimage and I loved it too. It was a oasis of good taste in a sea of hideous brown & orange psychedelic fabrics & wallpapers that as a family we all heartily LOATHED. Laura Ashley kind of re-invented Victorian design & made us love it. An inspired lady.
How magical your childhood sounds Albert! Laura is such a design heroine and inspiration to me. Like you, I have so many fond memories of visiting the shops, and poring over the catalogues. I wish Victorian antiques weren't quite so fashionably priced as they are now!
Always love your videos, Isla. As much as I love Laura Ashley, their take on dark vitoriana isn’t my favourite. I do love that morning room and the sweetpea room though! I much prefer their countryside look with lighter, fresher, floral fabrics. I grew up devouring Laura Ashley catalogues (there used to be a LA shop in Lisbon in the 80s and 90s and I still remember the excitement when the new catalogue arrived each year) and I was always mesmerised by the bathrooms. Keep in mind that in Portugal every bathroom was covered in tiles (or marble, in you lived in a upmarket 1940s-50s flat) from floor to ceiling. So those bathrooms that felt like proper rooms felt very exotic and very lovely!
I have had this same book and I wondered what your opinion on that would be. The last few pages, the "French Bedroom" and the following, are quite nice, otherwise I did not really like it. Certainly it is very interesting to see the transformation in the last pages´ pictures. Unfortunately the other text is too difficult to read / understand (for me, because of the language). I still keep the fly leaves because i like the pattern, which I know from the charming old catalogues. There is the book "LAURA ASHLEY Decorates an English House in the Cotswolds" which I love very, very much. I am excited if you own this as well. If so, will you discuss it some day? Thank you so much for sharing, love your videos! Greetings :)
At first I'll admit I didn't like the book at all, every time I tried to read it I feel asleep, it was such a dense read, and I think it's difficult to relate to that very heavy, dark Victorian style they wanted to replicate in the house. But as soon as I launched my own wallpaper and fabric range I started to appreciate what an undertaking it was from a marketing perspective for the business. I had a new found appreciation. I have made a note of that book and must get it, thank you for recommending it to me Gabi.
Stumbled across your fabulous video; what a delight, thank you! I grew up in a house in a Dorset village filled with Victorian antiques (they were dirt cheap then because they were so unfashionable) in the 60’s & 70’s with a mother who loved Laura Ashley’s designs and clothes and going to her shop was treated as a kind of pilgrimage and I loved it too. It was a oasis of good taste in a sea of hideous brown & orange psychedelic fabrics & wallpapers that as a family we all heartily LOATHED. Laura Ashley kind of re-invented Victorian design & made us love it. An inspired lady.
How magical your childhood sounds Albert! Laura is such a design heroine and inspiration to me. Like you, I have so many fond memories of visiting the shops, and poring over the catalogues. I wish Victorian antiques weren't quite so fashionably priced as they are now!
I love these Laura Ashley books, they remind me of my youth. So sentimental ❤
aren't they just so nostalgic, thank you for watching.
Always love your videos, Isla. As much as I love Laura Ashley, their take on dark vitoriana isn’t my favourite. I do love that morning room and the sweetpea room though! I much prefer their countryside look with lighter, fresher, floral fabrics. I grew up devouring Laura Ashley catalogues (there used to be a LA shop in Lisbon in the 80s and 90s and I still remember the excitement when the new catalogue arrived each year) and I was always mesmerised by the bathrooms. Keep in mind that in Portugal every bathroom was covered in tiles (or marble, in you lived in a upmarket 1940s-50s flat) from floor to ceiling. So those bathrooms that felt like proper rooms felt very exotic and very lovely!
Yes I live in a small Victorian Terrace and I love this style ❤
It's so classic, the bare bones of Victoriana have stood the test of time.
I have had this same book and I wondered what your opinion on that would be. The last few pages, the "French Bedroom" and the following, are quite nice, otherwise I did not really like it. Certainly it is very interesting to see the transformation in the last pages´ pictures. Unfortunately the other text is too difficult to read / understand (for me, because of the language). I still keep the fly leaves because i like the pattern, which I know from the charming old catalogues.
There is the book "LAURA ASHLEY Decorates an English House in the Cotswolds" which I love very, very much. I am excited if you own this as well. If so, will you discuss it some day?
Thank you so much for sharing, love your videos! Greetings :)
At first I'll admit I didn't like the book at all, every time I tried to read it I feel asleep, it was such a dense read, and I think it's difficult to relate to that very heavy, dark Victorian style they wanted to replicate in the house. But as soon as I launched my own wallpaper and fabric range I started to appreciate what an undertaking it was from a marketing perspective for the business. I had a new found appreciation. I have made a note of that book and must get it, thank you for recommending it to me Gabi.