Changing houses: Prince of Chintz, Laurence Llwellyn-Bowen puts family home on the market and we get a chance to snoop around
Ever wondered if Llwellen-Bowen, of 'Changing Rooms' fame, practices what he preaches? The evidence is in and it seems his home is as every bit as characterful as the homes he designs on TV.
Laurence Llwellyn-Bowen never shies away from making a statement. The flamboyant designer who shot to fame on the infamous BBC show Changing Rooms could always be relied upon to encourage homeowners to up the glamour stakes of their homes and experiment with colour, pattern and texture.
As scores of contestants discovered on the hugely popular BBC show, if there was a way to add flocking, damask or gold leaf
to a room scheme, Laurence would do it. Nothing was safe from his
dramatic and bold interior style.
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But that was the 1990s when we were all
a little braver, so in this age of cool neutrals and clean minimalism,
we were intrigued to see if the Prince of Chintz was still
decorating with acres of toile and swathes of velvet. And where better to look than his very own home?
So when Laurence put his family home on the market it was the perfect opportunity to have a snoop around and see how the designer actually lives.
Would it be a rococo masterpiece dripping with velvet, toile and crystal? The answer is a resounding (and very pleasing) yes!
Just take a look at these photos. The
orange kitchen! The black and red living room! The sky blue dining room!
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The Grade II listed building also has a Cotswold prettiness on the outside, with beautiful walled gardens that have been featured in magazines and on television and even has a starring role in the BBC coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
So there's no doubt that this pretty home has been
sprinkled with a liberal amount of TV stardust. We'd love to see what
the next owner decides to do with it. They'll have big design shoes to
fill.
The six-bedroom manor is on the market for £1.75 million with Strutt and Parker and is situated in the picturesque Cotswold village of Siddington.
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