British interiors and lifestyle brand to open in Edgbaston

Neptune, a leading British interiors and lifestyle brand, is the latest prestigious company to confirm the opening of a new store at Edgbaston Village.

Set to start trading in autumn 2017, the Neptune store will be located in a newly refurbished property next door to OKA at 16-18 Harborne Road, offering timeless, beautifully- made, solid timber kitchen designs, furniture collections, lighting and interior decorations.

Established in 1996, first trading from a farm workshop in Wiltshire, the company has grown rapidly since then and increased its total number of aspirational retail outlets to 20 with the addition of Edgbaston.

Tim Buxton, Head of Property at Neptune, said: “Over the years Neptune has become well known for occupying distinctive properties that create a ‘home from home’ experience for customers. Calthorpe Estates’ sympathetic refurbishment of the Edwardian period building we have selected makes the property the perfect addition to our current portfolio.”

The new store has retained the original external features with a number of special features added inside, including a bespoke Edwardian oak and iron grand staircase to suit the period of the building and a beam pitched ceiling. Neptune has also added a bespoke lift that has been specially designed.

The store will cover 700 square meters (7,534 square feet) in total across three floors, with a studio at the rear showcasing the carefully crafted kitchen collections. There is an outdoor balcony terrace at the bank of the first floor, lovely bay windows, Edwardian fireplaces and replaced period coving and skirting. The refurbishment and features provide an ideal backdrop to show Neptune’s collections in a home setting.

The new lease is indicative of the quality of retailers Calthorpe Estates is bringing to its Edgbaston Village development, signalling a new era of leisure and lifestyle services situated in a vibrant area of the city.

Ralph Minott, Director of Development at Calthorpe Estates, commented: “Neptune is an important addition and reflects our vision for Edgbaston Village, which we launched in 2011. It complements the exciting mix of restaurants and bars created over the past two years, alongside our high-end retail and services offer that continues to grow.”

Calthorpe Estates started the investment programme for Edgbaston Village around three years ago and is transforming properties along Harborne Road, Greenfield Crescent, Highfield Road and Islington Row to open up fresh opportunities for retailers. Integral to establishing a vibrant leisure and lifestyle destination has been improving car parking and developing a village with character, period properties, attractive paving, street lighting and signage.

Minott added: “By continuing to work closely with Birmingham City Council, we are able to review the mix of outlets, scale and overall balance of Edgbaston Village while making further advancements to the surrounding infrastructure.

“The arrival of new retailers like Neptune, helps boost the Edgbaston economy through the creation of additional jobs and bringing new people to the area. This contributes greatly to building a thriving community, as well as resulting in a vibrant daytime, evening and weekend atmosphere. Over the past two years, and certainly by the end of 2017, we estimate that around 500 people will have been employed by the new businesses based in Edgbaston Village.”

Just a mile from Birmingham city centre, Edgbaston Village is adding a new heart to this prosperous catchment area, defined by its leafy spaces, period properties, excellent educational facilities and world-class leisure facilities, including Edgbaston Priory Club, Edgbaston Golf Club and Edgbaston Stadium.

Work is underway for The Boston Tea Party, a modern independent British café, to open down the road from Neptune and OKA this summer. Just around the corner on Greenfield Crescent, Calthorpe Estates is also renovating a row of properties that will provide six new retail units, from 81 to 343 square meters (871 to 3,692 square feet).

SPACE, the specialist retail agency appointed for Edgbaston Village, is currently in talks with a number of interested parties in preparation for occupation of the other newly refurbished properties this autumn.