Countryside Utopia

The allure of the countryside is a robust feature of the British image. Our longstanding passion for florals and the 'roses round the door' country dream has long been indulged by several designers. Laura Ashley's success lay in allowing professional city women to buy into a romantic ideal and a fond nostalgia for a mythical past, which has endured through every generation.

While true country folk value its practicality, its connotations of continuity and simplicity have ensured its status amongst city dwellers as a comfort blanket for modern life - with people turning to it now more than ever.