SW Resident - February 2014

Lynn Llewellyn-Jones of we interiors in Battersea talks interior trends for spring and beyond.

we interiors is a joint venture between furniture manufacturer Andrius Minicius and sibling designers Lynn Llewellyn-Jones and Ian Christopher. They met a year ago and a plan emerged to transform the existing furniture outlet in Battersea to a bespoke furniture and interior design shop. The outcome is dramatic - a shop full of light, colour, inspiration, beautiful furniture and great service.

WHAT ARE THE LATEST TRENDS IN INTERIOR DESIGN?

Lots of texture! In floor coverings - wool loop carpets, seagrass and sisal. In furnishings, textured fabric combinations in upholstery and cushions mixed with natural wood furniture. Colours: a smoky blue / green / grey palette with highlights of brighter Cuban colours such as intense yellow, soft orange and peachy pink. Grey has well and truly booted out beige as a base colour. Geometric patterns are still an important part of this mix. Hints of vintage shapes in modern furniture and a softening of linear outlines.

IS STYLE SOMETHING THAT CHANGES WITH THE LATEST TREND OR IS IT TIMELESS?

Wow, that's quite a question! I think your style eminates from you. You choose how to dress yourself, how to present yourself and what to surround yourself with. When I work with clients, I can see their individual style and I start there, working with it, or an element of it to create an interior for them. The challenge is always in the co-ordination of all the materials and artifacts, the selection of what to leave out and what to include. Style is influenced by current trends but is not a slave to them.

DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

My personal style is classical and elegant with a surprising twist. Describing we interiors style I would say: practical, delightful, uplifting, putting the usual and the unusual together in a refreshing but not quirky way. My brother, Ian and I have worked together for many years and know each other's taste and style so well that it's intuitive. It made the sourcing and presenting the products in the shop so easy, everything came together seamlessly as we trusted each other's judgement implicitly.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE TIPS FOR GIVING OUR HOMES A SPRING MAKEOVER?

1. De clutter. You'll discover that you have more space than you thought.

2. Find an accent colour, choose accessories with this colour theme for the room, it's a very easy way to update.

3. Look at the lighting in the room - check for ambient lighting, decorative lighting and task lighting. Lots of people now just go for recessed down lights in the ceiling and leave it at that. Add a decorative lamp on a small table in the right place to give a new interest and different mood to the room.

4. Put in your personality - accessorise with your collections or unique car boot finds which should be framed and displayed beautifully and which will give your home character.

5. Avoid the depersonalized show home look. Identify areas of high visual impact and put a picture or something exciting to look at in that spot to create drama. Use mirrors positioned to reflect colour, shape and pools of light.