INTERVIEW

Llewelyn-Bowen: If you’ve got a big house fill it with the whole family

The TV designer, who lives in the Cotswolds with his grown-up children and their families, says multigenerational living is the natural way
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and his wife Jackie, centre, with their daughters Hermione, left, and Cecile, their sons-in-law and their grandchildren
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and his wife Jackie, centre, with their daughters Hermione, left, and Cecile, their sons-in-law and their grandchildren
ADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE TIMES

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has long encouraged us to banish the beige, bring out the bright paint and inject more maximalism into our homes.

Now, perhaps more horrifyingly for those who do not relish the idea of moving in with their parents or their grown-up children, he is encouraging multigenerational families to live together under one roof.

The interior designer shares his Cotswolds home with his wife, Jackie, their two daughters, Cecile, 28, and Hermione, 25, two sons-in-law and four grandchildren, aged between seven and six months. They enjoyed living together so much during the pandemic they decided to carry on.

“We have found a route to make this work and I love the idea of that being inspirational to people,” Llewelyn-Bowen, 59, said. “So many of