Ashtons Interiors

Ashtons Interiors is a giant grey shop on the corner of a tree lined residential street. The first thing to be said of it is that it is an emporium of wonders — there can be no doubt of this. Delicate glassware, curlicued furniture and vintage pictures and textiles are all displayed beautifully with nigh-​on museum precision. 1930s cocktail shakers and sets of liqueur glasses coloured like sweets reflect the light in shafts through the rooms. It is a lovely place to go into.
However, I cannot imagine how anyone manages to get to the stage of actually buying anything in here. Firstly, there are (or indeed aren’t) the opening hours, which total about two. Secondly, when it is open, this means the door is unlocked and that seems to be about all — hallooing into the pre-​Kidstonian white parlour produced no ghost of a reply. Thirdly, it is catastrophically expensive. To buy anything from here requires that you have a hereditary income, purely because after parting with that much cash for a side table you would have to have a couple of months off to deal with the shock. How do they survive? I suppose they only need to sell one needlepoint armchair (gold, with putti and white embroidery) per year. Still, go in and gaze — it’s a lovely place to stare at.

Staying on a home décor tip, Ashton’s is a sophisticated home and garden boutique that’s diagonally opposite the Duke of York Cinema. If it was located in The Laines rather than Preston Circus I’d envisage it would be packed with tourists and locals. As it is, I rarely see anyone visiting or buying anything there.
It’s a shame as Ashton’s seems to sell a compelling mix of French period furniture, modern vintage and antique style. There’s stuffed leather and fabric arm-​chairs, coffee tables and nickel plated lamps at reasonable prices alongside ornate silver mirrors, dressing tables and vases. They also have a selection of bold vases, bowls and kitchenware. Prices range from cheap to expensive and the window displays change regularly to incorporate new pieces.

Ashton’s is certainly on the kooky end of the antique market. It’s location is not the best for passing window shoppers and it’s opening hours do not help either, especially as the window is filled with some appealing novelties.
This is the kind of shop I would turn to if I was decorating a study. There are a number of bespoke decanters and random ornaments. They are certainly carrying a themed stock and I think that Alice sums up the style of this well by the shininess! If you had a relative to buy a birthday/​christmas present for and were struggling, then you may well find something to do them proud from this shop.
Thus far, I’ve never got beyond a decent window shop, but with my Mum’s birthday approaching soon, I think I may try to catch them when they are open and pick her up something a little bit different for once!

Just off Preston Circus by the Duke of York Cinema, Ashton’s is a rather mysterious and intriguing shop.
It’s the kind of place that you walk past and stare in the window, checking out the eclectic goods on offer like a kid looking through a sweetshop window. It’s certainly not a standard antique/​gift shop — they sell a range of items, but including lots of crystal, white painted furniture, pretty but stylish ornaments, paintings…
Everything they sell seems to be light coloured and a little shiny, and there is a fair amount of tat, but also some quality to be found. My friend bought a lovely antique ironwork garden furniture set here.

This shop must be serving a very niche market, which perhaps explains why they only open three days a week. Inside it’s, well, a little baffling, honestly. It’s not that I dislike what they’re selling particularly, but it just seems very over-​priced. The vibe is brand new shabby-​chic mixed with a bit of imitation retro… both of which are fine, but mixed together it all feels a bit inauthentic and plastic. On the cheaper end of things, there are some nice gift ideas… candle sticks and glass sets etc., but the bigger items– furniture, tables, mirrors and the like, seem extortionate! However, its highly possible that £230 for a painted mirror is normal– maybe I’m just suffering from residual student thriftiness. Maybe.