Kew Gardens retail goes vintage with revamped Pavilion store
Release date: 21 April 2021
With non-essential shops newly opened after nearly four months of closure, the retail team at Kew Gardens are pleased to unveil the newly relaunched Pavilion store.
The shops at Kew Gardens - Victoria Plaza, the shop at White Peaks, and now the Pavilion store - are much loved among long-travelled visitors and West London locals alike. Offering a wide range of unique gifts, often botanically inspired, Kew’s retail offer has remained strong throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with its online store providing a bounty of lovely goodies. Now that customers can once again browse in person, they will discover that the freshly curated Pavilion store is something different…
From vintage 1940s French garden furniture to Royal Doulton 1950s botanical inspired china, classic gardening books from the late 19th century to a vintage Ukrainian wheelbarrow, the Pavilion store, nestled in the heart of Kew’s stunning Arboretum, is a mini treasure trove of the quirky and the beautiful.
Designer, author, stylist and shop owner, Michelle Mason, has curated an inspiring selection of totally unique collectibles that will be refreshed throughout the year. The specially selected horticultural edit features vintage garden furniture, salvaged plants pots and tubs and antique glassware for floral arrangements.
Of the venture Mason said “I’m delighted to have curated a special collection for Kew’s Pavilion store. Plants, the great outdoors and the beauty of nature have been a constant source of inspiration throughout my career, and it is a delight to take the look and feel of my East London boutique to the iconic West London location of Kew Gardens.”
The store also features a beautiful hanging paper floral display made from biodegradable and recycled tissue paper created by Pom Pom Factory, who count Selfridges, Sketch London, Spitalfields Market, and Merci Paris amongst their clients. Pom Pom Factory’s DIY floral kits are available to buy in the store, so the look can be replicated at home.
2021 will see big changes across all of the Retail spaces at Kew Gardens with the newly launched Pavilion being the first of many exciting innovations to come, including the new Family Kitchen & Shop which is due to open in the Autumn.
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Notes for editors
About the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. Kew Gardens is a major international and a top London visitor attraction. Kew’s 132 hectares of landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden, attract over 2.5 million visits every year. Kew Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrates its 260th anniversary in 2019. Wakehurst is home to Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world. RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales.
About Michelle Mason
Michelle Mason is a designer, author, stylist and shopkeeper. In 2013 she opened her vintage store Mason & Painter in Columbia Road, home to London’s famous Sunday Flower Market.
In 2019 & 2020 Mason & Painter was voted one of The Shopkeepers Best 10 Vintage & Antique Shops worldwide. Michelle’s second book, Vintage Shops London is published April 22nd by Pimpernel Press.
About Pom Pom Factory
Karen Hsu is the founder and creative director of Pom Pom Factory. Karen was born in Hong Kong and educated in Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. She first came up with the idea of Pom Pom Factory when she was working at Mercantile store in Shoreditch. It was there where her work was recognized by bloggers, stylists, and photographers who saw her unique window displays. Fusing tactile sensibility with innovative concepts, Pom Pom Factory turns paper into handcrafted bouquets, sculptures, and installations. For the re-opening of the Pavilion Shop, Pom Pom Factory have created a Paper Floral Hanging display that is inspired by the softness of nature.