BUYWalk up and down any well heeled road and you might find skips stuffed full of John Lewis furniture, thanks to the Prime Minister’s fiancée’s scathing remarks about the inherited items in her 11 Downing Street flat.
The dumping of the dependable department store’s furniture – rumoured to have been installed by Boris Johnson’s predecessor - was a small part of a much bigger interior design scandal, with widespread outrage at the reported £200,000 cost to renovate the PM’s residence.
If you are aghast at sharing the same side table as Theresa May and, instead, prefer to align yourself with the busy and bold design work of Lulu Lytle – Carrie Symmonds’ chosen interior designer - you can achieve a similar aesthetic at a fraction of the cost. Here are four places to start shopping if you want to follow the Downing Street fashion:
- Flouncy sofas: Lulu Lytle’s sofa of choice harks back to chintzy country houses in the 1980s, featuring classic lines and brazen patterns. You can emulate the look with Sofas & Stuff, who offers a myriad of upholstery fabrics and traditionally shaped sofa frames. Try the Lambusa, Grapevine or Wildflower fabrics for the Lytle look.
- Patterned wallpaper: Little Greene has an amazing collection of wallpapers, featuring a collaboration with the National Trust and a number of authentic heritage designs in its ‘London’ range. And yes, there are gold wallpaper options – try Bayham Abbey for a metallic hit.
- Florals: Anthropologie’s artworks, cushions, throws and rugs feature a vast array of florals for those wanting the maximalist approach to flowers. The Delissa crewel rug teamed with a few Jules fringed cushions will have the desired effect.
- Gold: there’s no such thing as ‘gilding the lily’ in Lulu Lytle’s world but you can enjoy metallic accents without busting the budget thanks to MADE.com. Search for ‘gold’ on its website and discover opulent accessories and richly-pigmented fabrics.
We have blank canvases and already-styled interiors waiting for home movers. Contact Aspire for available properties for sale and to rent.
