The current owner of the Laura Ashley House in Machynlleth has announced that the attraction will be closing.

Linda Bretherton, a long time fan of the famous designer and owner of the property, announced on January 3 that after celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Laura Ashley company, she has made the decision to close the house.

Linda and her husband acquired the property in 2015 after searching for a holiday home in the Machynlleth area. They then renovated the property over the course of three years. Their aim was to restore it as authentically as possible, eventually opening the house to the public in 2023.

Commenting via social media, she said: “It's time to let you know that the Little Laura Ashley House is closing.

“It's been a year of fun, travel, and excitement, which was for Laura's 70th year. To be frank, the LA House was a hobby that took over, and my real work began to suffer.

“The last couple of months, my Ayurveda healing work has got busier, and more people want my healing services.

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“It's been a fun time travelling and collecting Laura clothes. I've always loved and bought and sold vintage, and owning the Laura Ashley House made it obvious in her 70th year to stock LA. It was another great tick on my bucket list.

“But Lauras 70th year has passed, and it's time to move on.”

The house was one of several Machynlleth events to celebrate the famed designer in 2023, who lived in and opened her first shop from the Powys town in 1961.

These included Elin Angharad, a designer who works from Machynlleth and opened a shop from  the same location as Laura Ashley’s first shop, being asked to contribute to the Museum of Modern Art’s ‘For the Love of Laura Ashley’ exhibit.

Also in 2023, Sharon Wells, a former seamstress at the fashion designer’s factory, was reunited with a vintage Laura Ashley wedding dress she helped make in Machynlleth more than 30 years earlier while it was on display at the museum.