Flamboyant interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has a fun and eclectic taste in home design, so it’s little wonder that his new collaboration with wallpaper brand Galerie is as bold and vibrant as the man himself. To mark the launch, in an exclusive chat, he talks about creating a living space that’s as individual as you are, how to prepare it for winter – and his rather surprising home must-have as the darker nights draw in…
Personal touch
“Surrounding yourself with personal items heightens the senses and creates a visual journal that communicates the soul to a room,” he says. “From family heirlooms to newly acquired pieces, their worth is sentimental rather than monetary. These choices often elicit memories and milestones from our lives.”
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Followtheflow/Shutterstock)Follow the patterns
“Pattern is the little corner of interior design that separates a man from the animals,” states Laurence. “A room without pattern is a room without romance, without storytelling. Charles Eastlake, the Victorian tastemaker, said that if humans occupy rooms without ornamentation, they develop intense neuralgia. So, that’s why minimalism gave everyone a headache.”
Works of art
Interiors this winter are “a chromatic feast, with the sort of colour-combining earthlings haven’t seen since the Joan Collins heyday of the 80s,” the interior designer says. “It won’t be long before we bring back wallpaper borders as well. My approach to pattern-making starts with my own fine art and when you use one of my papers, you’re papering your room with art. The walls become main characters in a storybook.”
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Shutterstock)Cocktail hour
Laurence’s top three tips for your winter home are: “Clean your windows – this time of year the sun is low, so you need to maximise light. You’d be amazed by the difference. “Heavy curtains with decent lining make all the difference to the way the home feels, but also help immeasurably with your heating bills. And make sure you have a well stocked drinks tray!”
Festive flair
What does Laurence love surrounding himself with over the festive season? “I have an issue with Christmas,” he admits. “It can be terribly claustrophobic. I fill the house with spring bulbs. I’ll plant them in anything – even making little gardens using bun moss. If you plant them all a couple of days before Christmas Eve, they will actually take you through into the New Year with a sense of optimism and energy – exactly the things that are usually sapped by all those carbohydrates.”
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Followtheflow/Shutterstock)Bright ideas
When it comes to colours, Laurence says, “It’s difficult not to be obsessed with the scintillatingly sexy combination of peacock and blood orange. Of course, it goes without saying that you should never have room in your world for anything that’s grey on grey.” And when asked what is the one home decor product he simply couldn’t live without, Laurence unexpectedly declares, “Gin!”
Shop Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s Off The Wall Collection from Galerie at galeriehome.co.uk. Wallpaper from £48 per roll
English (US) ·