Just the other day we had a newspaper delivered to our house. It’s a newish publication looking to pick up subscribers in our region. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the sofa reading an old-school print newspaper.
When it comes to home furnishings and great interior designs from yesteryear, you won’t go far without seeing a reference to Laura Ashley. The quintessentially British brand features furniture, wallpaper, textiles, and decor that is both refined and timeless. Since the 1950s Laura Ashley has provided consumers with inspiring decor and patterns that both call upon inspiration from the past while remaining fashionable and soothing. With florals and delicate lines, Laura Ashley furnishings are chic, feminine, and forever.
Related: Furniture Catalogs | Ethan Allen Catalog | Plow & Hearth Catalog | Mail Order Furniture Catalog | Lakeside Collection Catalog | Williams-Sonoma Catalog | Jonathan Adler Catalog | Frontgate Catalog
What type of catalog is it?
Laura Ashley Home Furnishings provides customers with beautiful decor for their homes worldwide, with their signature British style. Laura Ashley, however, has a licensing agreement with distributors and merchandisers in North America. Laura Ashley, LLC services residents of North America with their eCommerce site and retailers nationwide. Unfortunately, there is no catalog available for residents in North America. If you reside in the United Kingdom, France, or Germany, you can order a print catalog shipped to your home. Residents in Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Belgium, or Australia, Laura Ashley Holdings provides both a digital catalog that you can download. They are also available in English, French, or German.
How to request it a catalog
For residents of North America, there is no catalog available. However, visit LauraAshleyUSA.com to shop the collection.
For Residents in the UK, France, or Germany, you can order a print copy of the catalog here:
- United Kingdom: https://www.lauraashley.com/en-gb/order-catalogue
- France: https://www.lauraashley.com/fr-fr/en/order-catalogue
- Germany: https://www.lauraashley.com/de-de/en/order-catalogue
Also available for European customers is the digital catalog. You can download the PDF version at the following locations based on which language you prefer:
- English: https://www.lauraashley.com/en-gb/view-catalogue
- French: https://www.lauraashley.com/fr-fr/view-catalogue
- German: https://www.lauraashley.com/de-de/view-catalogue
How much does it cost?
Laura Ashley Home Furnishings print catalog is available to residents of the UK, Germany, and France for free, and you can order it directly from their website. If you prefer a digital catalog or reside outside of the UK, Germany, or France, you can also download them for free using the links above based on your preferred language.
How does one subscribe to the catalog to get each new edition automatically?
Once you sign-up to receive a print catalog, you will continue to receive each new one at your home as they’re released. If you sign-up for the Laura Ashley mailing list, you will also receive a notification when the digital version is available for download. If you’re a North American resident, you can sign-up for the Laura Ashley USA mailing list, where you’ll get emails for deals and their new collections as they’re released.
Is it a good catalog?
Laura Ashley is a timeless brand that has created beautiful catalogs for furnishings and home decor for decades. Many of the older catalogs can be found on eBay, and are considered collector’s items. That’s how beautiful and historical the content is. By requesting a Laura Ashley catalog, you’re also requesting a future piece of history. The gorgeous interior designs and pieces invoke a timelessness that you will rarely find. It’s more than just a catalog. It’s a collector’s piece that defines current trends, offers insight into today’s aesthetics, and something you’ll want to hold onto for years to come.
Who can request the catalog (anyone, professionals, both)?
Whether you’re designing your home, are an interior design professional, or are interested in collecting a piece of future history, anyone can request a Laura Ashley catalog. However, remember that you need to be a resident of the UK, Germany, or France to do so. In North America, if you want a Laura Ashley catalog for your collection, you’re best bet is to find one through an alternative site like eBay or Etsy. Sellers in Europe oftentimes have current and previous catalogs for sale, so you can get your hands on one.
Why request the catalog?
When you request a catalog from Laura Ashley, you’re not just getting something that you can pick things out and shop from. You’re getting an experience and a piece of history. The quintessentially British brand is known for its Victorian-inspired patterns and Northern French Country couture. A sure collector’s item in the future, the catalog provides a glimpse into the current trends and fashions of the times while evoking a timelessness that will be relevant for decades to come.
Today, you can find older catalogs on eBay and Etsy. These collector’s items not only explore the long history of the Laura Ashley brand in print, but they also evoke the aesthetics of the time. For nearly 70 years, the Laura Ashley brand has evolved and is the prime example of interior design trends and how they have changed over time.
How to view the catalog online
For customers in the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Belgium, or Australia, you can view the catalog based on your native language at the following locations:
- English: https://www.lauraashley.com/en-gb/view-catalogue
- French: https://www.lauraashley.com/fr-fr/view-catalogue
- German: https://www.lauraashley.com/de-de/view-catalogue
If you reside in North America, you can view the Laura Ashley collection online at their eCommerce store: https://www.lauraashleyusa.com
Other ways to shop Laura Ashley
While the Laura Ashley catalog presents full interiors and is a collector’s item for interior design historians and enthusiasts, you can of course shop at the Laura Ashley eCommerce site. You can browse, order, and ship directly to your door.
How often is a new catalog released?
The Laura Ashley catalog is released bi-annually each year. The Spring/Summer edition features current trends for summer interiors and patterns, evoking a light, airy feeling. The Fall/Winter edition is focused on creating a warm and cozy home. Each one showcases the current and new line of Laura Ashley’s interior designs expertly curated and on-brand.
Does the catalog showcase full interiors or just individual products?
When it comes to generating ideas for home decor and design, the Laura Ashley catalog features full interior photographs, expertly designed and curated. The front half of the catalog is full of rooms that evoke luxury and coziness, matching products together so you can choose the feeling that’s right for you. The second half of the catalog focuses on individual products and gives you more information about each one. This part creates a wonderful pairing with the interior pictures – you’ll get a feel for what your room will look like, while the individual products provide more useful information about the product itself. Not only will you be able to visualize how your space can be transformed, but you’ll also have all the details necessary to make your decision on both form and function.
Are there any restrictions on requesting the catalog?
Since Laura Ashley is licensed to a different manufacturer in North America, you cannot order a catalog if you reside in the United States or Canada. All North American residents can shop via the eCommerce site. Additionally, there are department stores and retail locations that carry the Laura Ashley Home Furnishings line, among others.
What are similar catalogs?
- Restoration Hardware: The American home furnishings store features an upscale, gallery-style experience for interior design. They offer retail, catalog, or eCommerce shopping experiences.
- Ethan Allan: Founded in 1932, the American brand offers customized options for furniture and home furnishings, with over 300 retail locations worldwide.
- Pottery Barn: This American company is owned by William-Sonoma, and offers high-end home decor in their retail locations throughout North America, as well as the Philippines and Australia.
- Pier 1 Imports: Curating imported furnishings and decor from throughout the world, Pier 1 Imports provides beautifully crafted pieces for the home. They operate 900 stores in North America, offer a catalog, and online shopping experiences. In the UK, you’ll find their furnishings at their sister company, The Pier.
- west elm: Another offshoot of the William-Sonoma brand, west elm features modern furnishings via catalog, online, or at one of their retail locations throughout the world, including the Middle East and Australia.
You can find more information on these catalogs and other fine home furnishing retailers by visiting my list of favorite furniture catalogs
A brief overview of Laura Ashley
After a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s handiworks exhibition in 1953, a 28-year-old Laura Ashley was so inspired by what she saw she decided that she wanted to try it herself. She and her husband, Bernard, began experimenting with painting linen at their kitchen table, creating geometric patterns that turned into headscarves. With a small investment of just £10 to purchase a wood frame, dyes, and linens, Laura set to work on her vision.
The Ashley’s found success in their venture off the bat, especially thanks to Audrey Hepburn’s appearance in Roman Holiday, where she donned a beautifully patterned headscarf. The fashion icon inspired so many women, that when Laura and her husband started churning out gorgeous Victorian-inspired geometric patterns and turning them into headscarves, they could barely keep up with the demand. Everyone wanted one, and business was booming.
By 1955 production had taken over their tiny flat and they moved to the rural area of Kent, where they had room to expand the production. Then disaster struck. When the River Derwent flooded, their entire operation was nearly wiped out. Faced with certain ruin, Laura and Bernard doubled-down and invested every spare cent into their business to build it back up. They continued to see success, and by the 1960s, production had grown so much that they were able to move to Wales, where they opened their first stand-alone shop in Machynlleth.
Laura took this opportunity to start delving into fashion, where she used her Victorian inspiration to create feminine styles with long silhouettes, creating flowing, dresses in patterns that were delicate and feminine, and evoked a feeling of yesteryear. The company’s switch was well-timed as the 1960s brought fashion trends from mini skirts to max dresses.
Over the next decade, Laura Ashley had exponential growth and success. They expanded from their small shop in Wales to having over 79 worldwide. By the 1970s, the company turned towards manufacturing home furnishings and designed. Inspired by their family’s move to northern France, the look and feel of the Laura Ashley brand combined the Victorian inspiration of her roots, while evoking the feel of her French Countryside air, which is still very much present in the designs of today.
Tragedy struck in 1985 when Laura died suddenly following an accident falling down a flight of stairs. Her husband, Bernard, took the reins and pushed through on Laura’s dream. Just two months after her death, Laura Ashley Holdings PLC was launched for public offering and was oversubscribed 34 times.
By 1987, Laura’s husband officially opened Texplan, a printing plant for their textiles and wallpaper. The business flourished, launching the “Mother and Child” and “Laura Ashley Home” collections. In 1999, the 94 United States and Canadian stores were bought out by a management and investor team from Laura Ashley Holdings, and became Laura Ashley, Inc, turning to a licensing distribution model. This separated Laura Ashley Holdings, which operates in the UK and across Europe, with Laura Ashley, Inc. which operates under a licensing model for all North American customers.
Today, North American customers can shop Laura Ashley Home Furnishings through their eCommerce site. Items are also available for purchase at specialized department stores like Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Target. European customers can shop online, by catalog, or at one of the retail locations throughout Europe and Australia. Also, Laura Ashley expanded into hotels, offering a curated experience that is quintessentially on-brand in the UK.
