Laurence Llewelyn‑Bowen has redesigned a wing of his 17th‑century Cotswolds home to accommodate his extended family and told the Daily Mail he has transferred the property deeds to his sons‑in‑law.
The 60‑year‑old interior designer, best known for his flamboyant maximalist aesthetic and his television work on Changing Rooms, said he and his wife Jackie now occupy one wing of the house while other parts of the property are configured for his daughters and their families. On the opposite side of the house live his daughter Hermione, 26, her husband Drew, 28, and their two young children, Romilly, three, and Eleanora, 20 months. Across the drive, his elder daughter Cecile, 30, and her husband Dan, 30, live with their children Albion, eight, and Demelza, four.
Llewelyn‑Bowen invited the newspaper to be the first to see the refreshed wing, which he said he redesigned in his signature colourful, pattern‑heavy style to suit multigenerational living while preserving the character of the 17th‑century building.
The redesign follows the division of the house into separate living areas to provide privacy and autonomy for each family unit while keeping them close. Llewelyn‑Bowen said he had handed the deeds to his sons‑in‑law; in interviews he framed the move as part of ensuring continuity for the household, though he did not set out legal or financial specifics in detail.
He also used the interview to weigh in on the home improvement broadcast landscape, telling the paper that the public should be cautious about taking decorating advice from celebrity presenters Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer. Llewelyn‑Bowen has been a prominent voice in British design for decades and has often positioned his theatrical, maximalist approach as an alternative to more restrained tastes popularised by other television decorators.
The Cotswolds property reflects Llewelyn‑Bowen's long career and public profile. He first rose to prominence on television and built a reputation for bold colour combinations, layered patterns and theatrical interior schemes that contrast with the minimalist trends that have been prominent in recent years. His decision to adapt the historic house for multiple households underscores a broader pattern of intergenerational living arrangements in the UK, where families sometimes consolidate properties to remain close while maintaining separate domestic spaces.
In the tour, Llewelyn‑Bowen described both practical and aesthetic considerations behind the changes: creating independent wings with distinct entrances and amenities, while retaining communal outdoor space and the property's period features. He characterised the result as a balance between personal expression and functional family living.
Friends and followers of the designer have long associated him with flamboyance and theatricality, and the recent work draws on that established signature. The move to place deeds in family members' names and to reconfigure a historic house for multiple families fits a pattern among established homeowners who are addressing succession and long‑term care of heritage properties without necessarily selling.
Llewelyn‑Bowen's public comments and the home's redecoration add to ongoing conversations about the role of television personalities in shaping public tastes and the practical realities of housing for multigenerational families. He remains a visible commentator on design and lifestyle, combining media appearances with commissions and personal projects that continue to draw attention to his maximalist approach.