INDEPENDENT Welsh retailer Driftwood Designs is venturing north with the opening of their new high street shop in Y Bala.
The shop is located at 63 High Street, next door to The White Lion Royal Hotel. It will open its doors at 9.30am on Saturday (May 2) and will have a special offer of 20% off everything all day, to welcome new customers.
Driftwood Designs is an Aberystwyth-based company, run by old school friends Lizzie Spikes and Becky Barratt. It was formed at Becky’s kitchen table back in 2012 and the opening of the latest store in Bala marks the expansion to their fourth physical shop. All four premises are complemented by a large e-commerce store.
The stores offer a large collection of cards, prints, homewares, gifts and more, all designed by artist Lizzie Spikes and manufactured in the UK. Lizzie’s passion is creating beautiful illustrations that can be transferred on to affordable items which can then be incorporated into people’s everyday lives.
The vast range includes tea towels, oven gloves, chopping boards, tin signs, cushion covers, lamp shades, coasters, bottle openers, aprons, clocks and watches and even deckchairs, to name a few. Many of Lizzie’s myriad designs are inspired by her Welsh roots and love of the landscapes and language, making them perfect for locals and tourists alike.
The move to open a new shop in the beautiful lakeside town of Y Bala is something that has been in their minds for a while.
Co-founder and business manager Becky said: “Business-wise we had been looking north for a location for the next shop for some time. A friend asked if we had considered opening a shop in the area and the idea began to take shape.
“We visited a number of towns, but none matched Bala for its real town feeling. We quickly fell in love with the Old Chocolate Shop and everything just seemed to fall into place”.
From a creative perspective, Lizzie finds the landscape and culture of Eryri (formerly known as Snowdonia) an inspiration and has created a large body of work based on exploring the National Park’s many mountains, lakes and trails.
Lizzie said: “I love the drive north to the mountains of Eryri and the shift in the colours and shapes of the landscape, from the more mellow coast near Aberystwyth up to the craggy beauty of Dolgellau and beyond.
“Y Bala sits in a beautiful place with the striking Aran Fawddwy mountain range and the ever-changing reflections of Llyn Tegid”.
Lizzie and Becky hope that their new shop, which sits in the middle of Bala’s long strip of a high street, will add some Driftwood Designs sparkle to the rich selection of small independent retailers already celebrated by the town.
