It’s one of the most stunning corners of Altrincham, and walking into The Ivy House can feel a little bit like you’ve tumbled into a fantasy world straight from the pages of Alice in Wonderland.
Once the clinical home of Rowlands Pharmacy, this unique building has been transformed into a three-in-one shop that offers an atmospheric refuge from the hubbub of Market House just yards away.
And the Alice comparison is not just an analogy: part home interiors shop and part manicure salon, The Ivy House is also home to a completely handmade collection of Alice-themed accessories, one the actress Kelly Brook was so taken with she didn’t leave the shop for an hour and a half.
The Ivy House is owned by Bowdon-based Maria Jenkins and partner John, who ran a hotel business before setting up shops under the Jolly Good Ideas name at Willow Pool Garden Centre in Lymm and Blakemere in Northwich.
They jumped at the chance of moving in Altrincham when the quirky corner shop became available on the corner of Regent Road and Normans Place. “It’s such an attractive building and we just felt it would suit our style,” says
Maria, who originally trained as an accountant and was once the finance director at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
The Ivy House’s style is “slightly shabby and distressed”, but “more dramatic and atmospheric”, she says. It’s a treasure trove of interior furniture with a particularly impressive array of clocks. “Someone said we’re full of things you don’t need but are desperate to have, and that sums us up quite well.”
Within the interiors shop is the Alice collection – All Things Alice – which is created in their workshop. Here, brand new pieces of furniture and accessories are painted or decoupaged into a style straight from the world of the White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat.
“It’s wonderful because apart from it being a nursery story, Alice in Wonderland has a deep-seated appeal for adults through words and images that offer many different layers of meaning,” explains Maria. “Alice products are widely available in America but there aren’t many in the UK, so this is all very novel.”
Completing the trio of shops is The Manicure Salon at The Ivy House, which continues the Alice idea with a secret garden theme. “The whole approach is not like a conventional beauty salon or the nail bars: it’s an experience,” adds Maria.
The salon specialises in natural nails rather than nail art or extensions, with treatments starting from £12.
Visit The Manicure Salon for more details
