We were shown around the store by the lady who oversees much of the design process, and it was great to have the stories behind each design explained - it's surprising to hear how much thought there is behind each display. Often we just browse around absent-mindedly and don't realise what goes on behind the scenes.
I am a huge Next fan and almost kitted my house in it when we moved last November, so I was like a kid in a candy store and kept pointing out my previous purchases. I was already aware that Next offered wallpaper and paints and have several of their themes in different rooms of our house, but it was interesting to see how these have been developed in the SS13 range.
What I haven't seen before with Next is their garden range. In this new store they have added an outdoor section with displays as well thought out as their indoor layouts. You could very easily go into the store and pick out the perfect plants for your beds without knowing much about gardening yourself.
Plants were laid out in sections - those that enjoy the sun, those that enjoy the shade, those that are year-round plants and those that will only last one season, etc. There were also various colour schemes set out as well as some beautiful features on display such as a summer house, water features and impressive planters.
This store is my local store and I am so happy to see the expansion. It is now all under one roof and you could easily spend a great few hours there, and then head to the coffee shop for your lunch.
Of course the best bit of the day was the afternoon. We were sent to a lovely hotel for spa treatments, afternoon tea and then a meal. Above of it was fantastic to spend some time without the children where we could all chat easily and without constant distraction. We had a great time and I would like to say a huge thanks to the Next team for an incredible day.
*I received a voucher for the store, a spa package and meal from Next. However I was not asked to write my review and all opinions are my own.
