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OUR STORY

Independent Shops Like us, inspire you by giving you something different to look at in a unique setting and a great overall shopping experience .. but what is our story?

We are an Independent Boutique on a small high street, in the market town of Wokingham, which recently underwent a major regeneration. We now sit on the edge of the new Peach Place shopping plaza but began life 10 years ago next door. We are passionate about the high street and keeping it local, saving our planet and are closely involved with our local community and charities.We have however, bucked the trend and have not just survived the recent retail downturn but thrived, whilst creating an online presence. We are so grateful to still be here and owe this in part to our loyal followers, who have grown with us and love our unique style and quirky product ranges, so keep coming back. Another factor is our fantastic team of lovely ladies, who are knowledgeable and friendly and will always greet you with a smile. But above all our success is born out of the style, creativity, passion, hard work and determination of our fonder Georgina.

WHERE DID WE COME FROM?

Antique Rose shop front

Antique Rose is nestled away in a hidden corner of Wokingham along Bush Walk which is a quiet pedestrianised walk way in the heart of town. An independent boutique founded by Georgina Hustler, a former interior designer and IT professional, she brought her passion for beautiful things to the high street in 2009. Originally selling home accessories and gifts from her design studio on Rose Street she found that her customers were crying out for a boutique style shop which specialised in pretty things for the home, themselves and to give as gifts. She took her love of interiors and Shabby Chic and transitioned it from interior design to retail, founding our shop as you see it today in 2010. Originally the upstairs floor was a furniture show room and the overall focus was more on home accessories but over the years the key focus has moved to gifts. Antique Rose now has many loyal followers, who use us as the go to place for gifts and treats for themselves. When asked what the key to our success is Georgina responded “We listen to our customers, over the years we have learnt what people want and listened when they ask, after 8 years of choosing products for our customers our collections now always hit the mark in style, quality & price”

OUR SISTER SHOP

Maison Rustic shop front

Wanting to get back to her roots, as Antique Rose was becoming more and more gift focussed, Georgina decided to open our sister shop Maison Rustic in 2013. This shop has moved on from Georgina’s original Shabby Chic style to a more modern rustic look. Still focusing on beautiful painted furniture and selling chalk paints so you can do it yourself, Maison has a more grown up air, furniture and home accessories with natural materials and a soft palette of Greys and Blues to create your perfect home. Our shops are designed to work in tandem, across the two you can always find the perfect gift or treat for yourself or your home.

COMMUNITY

Our business is always looking to support the community and the high street where possible. Georgina has been heavily involved with the local Town Team and is now a member of the local business association. We also look to raise money where we can for local charities such as Wokingham in Need (WIN) , who focus on helping vulnerable and homeless people in Wokingham, it really is a charity that is at the heart of the town and Wokingham’s community and Christmas spirit at our recent Christmas Launch Event raised a staggering £700 for the charity on the night. We also support British Legion with the sale of our gorgeous crystal and enamel poppies for remembrance Sunday. We like to get involved in local community events and are proud hosts of the Living Advent Calendar, 24 live performances around the town every day in December at 6.15pm put on by Moore Arts and the Town Council to raise money for local charities and provide arts and culture in the town. This year (2017) we will be hosting on the 23rd December at 4pm (as it’s a Saturday). We also support the local fireworks display, organised by the Lions, and will be selling programmes in our sister shop Maison Rustic in the weeks running up to the event, we are also looking to sponsor more events in 2018 and assist with charities and community organisations. We are always happy to donate Raffle Prizes where we can to worthy local causes.

EVENTS

Every year around the 1st of October we host our annual Christmas Launch party, while this may be too early for some, it’s never too early to take advantage of a ‘3 for 2 offer’ and support a local charity, while sipping on Prosecco and listening to live Music! Held every year this event showcases for the first time Antique Rose’s Christmas Wonderland a whole floor of Christmas Loveliness, a rare find in the local area. This is a ticketed event as demand is high but tickets are free and this year you got a free goody bag with your purchase worth £30. In 2017 our event was a huge success where we raised £700 for local charity Wokingham in need.

Other events that take place are the launch of our Easter Bunnyland, our annual Christmas shopping evening being held this year on Tuesday 5th December and in 2018 we are planning more events with the other shop in the walkway.

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