Holloways of Ludlow
A store in the city of Bath is a new era for this salvage shop-turned-design institution
Amid tales of retail woe, the arrival of a 370-squaremetre design store feels like a breath of fresh air. Housed in a Georgian building with original plaster walls, Holloways of Ludlow’s new opening in Bath is a striking backdrop for brands including B&B Italia, Cassina, Gubi and &Tradition.
Though it launched at the same time as a revamped online offering, CEO Mark Holloway is convinced ‘customers still want to touch and feel’. The guardian of a company founded in 1985 by his stepfather Bob Dickinson as Dickinson’s Architectural Antiques, he’s adamant that, while ‘the business has changed enormously, the core values remain the same’.
When Mark took over 20 years ago, his priority was elevating the now-vast lighting range (think Bocci and Moooi), but adding furniture in 2015 propelled the brand to new heights. Perhaps that sense for sniffing out exciting design is courtesy of his antique-dealer grandparents, or days spent doing up ramshackle cottages with his stepfather and mother. Either way, it’s been rewarded with a roster of industry-leading brands and exclusive releases.
Head to the new Bath store for Carl Hansen & Søn’s ‘CH24 Wishbone’ chair in a black satin finish, or to shop from Norway-based Northern at their only UK outing. Next up for the bricks-andmortar treatment? All eyes on Winchester...
(hollowaysofludlow.com).