The New John Lewis Home Store, Chester

At the end of September, I was invited to check out the new John Lewis at Home Store in Chester which was opening 28th September 2011. I am lucky, I have a three floors of John Lewis loveliness just down the road from me at Cheadle. But I have never been to a “John Lewis at Home” store and as a girl who likes to shop this I had to see! Chester is only 40 minutes away so I thought I’d whizz over and check it out, new house and therefore new home furnishings to dream about!

It was just me, the store manager and the PR and 38,000 sq ft of perfectly stocked John Lewis with the very latest and best products across furniture, homewares, furnishing accessories and electrical and home technology. Not a pair of shoes, a top or latest toy to distract me from its perfection. Although I did wonder about the shoes, top and toy – never fear – free click and collect is available here for those items. So anything else I wanted I could order online and pick up at the John Lewis at Home store, perfect. Being the only one in the store was just like a calm relaxed online shop but I could touch, turn, feel and see everything.

I sort of forgot the manager and PR girl were there as I had my first glimpses of John Lewis Christmas. It may have only been September but I was truly festive within moments of stepping into their Winter displays. I loved the Advent Calendar House

I thought the John Lewis Brights Photo Frames in Red, Pink, Lime, Turquoise and Silver were great value starting at £6 with childrens photos and drawings in they would be great Christmas presents.

I was stopped in my tracks by the Rob Ryan ceramics if a new tumble dryer and a new dishwasher weren’t on the list I’d be asking Santa for some new loveliness for my dresser, except a dresser would have to also be on the list! Tumbler dryers, dishwashers, furniture, technology and a lovely cafe can all be found upstairs.

I felt like some sort of peculiar honour to witness the John Lewis towel wall which took a team days to create its perfection and when I say perfection I mean perfection! No sooner than the doors open this towel wall will never again be quite so perfect. The clock wall was pretty fab too, but the towels had the edge. I was also able to indulge my love of lighting with its galmourous aray of sparkles and colour too, like the Jolie table lamps in red, pink, blue, green, yellow and white for a very reasonable £35.

Having never been to a John Lewis at Home store before, I really liked my experience in Chester, its was great to have a preview and when I am ready to do some homewear spending I will go back. The Chester store is on the Greyhound Retail Park where you have a huge choice of all the usual out of town furniture suspects if you want to check out and compare plus you can also park and ride from there into, the notoriously difficult to park, centre of Chester. So even though I have John Lewis Cheadle on my doorstep this is different and a change is as good as a rest as they say. Thank you John Lewis at Home in Chester for showing me round.