Happy birthday, dear Liberty!

"I was determined not to follow existing fashions but to create new ones." 

- Arthur Lasenby Liberty

Don't you find that sometimes the best part of a trip is the anticipation of it?

I lunched recently with friends who are preparing for the Cotswolds and wanted to hear my little tidbits.

And tomorrow, Chris and I are going to dinner with a couple who are headed to London this June to chat about their plans and our most recent jaunt there earlier this year.

When I am asked my favorite places to shop in London, it's so hard to answer: There are the little shops in Belgravia, Chelsea, and Pimlico. There are the fancy arcades, and Old Bond Street, and Portobello Road. And so much more!

But my very favorite store to explore is Liberty, the iconic Tudor-style department store founded in 1875 by Arthur Liberty. (Really, Liberty is neck-and-neck with Fortnum & Mason, but since this week is Liberty's 150th birthday, it's on top today!)

What do I adore about Liberty? Let me count the ways:

1. First of all, the building itself is breathtakingly beautiful. Built from the timbers of two ancient battle ships, and designed around 3 atriums ~ it's huge, but somehow feels cozy with beautifully crafted rooms filled with architectural details like fireplaces.

2. Liberty keeps an archive of over 45,000 in-house designs, meticulously documented and frequently updated. (We are not quite there yet at The Hare & The Hart with our original collections. 😉) And their design offices are right there, across the street, and connected by an arched walkway!

3. To that end, the fabrics are endless ~ the 4th floor is an entire level dedicated to bolts and bolts of all sorts of patterns and color ways, as well as other textiles and domestic items.

4. The hustle and bustle of activity is contagious everywhere in the store. There's way more than fabric (there are six floors to explore!), but my mind sometimes lives in the beehive of creativity that is the 4th floor!

5. I adore the garden/flower shop at one of the Marlborough Street entrances. So now we have our own floral displays at The Hare & The Hart, and on Saturday,s we are delighted to have fresh bouquets at our entrance.