Join The School of Flock
“I’d like to inspire people to decorate their homes with more individuality, more personality”, says Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen – and to give us the confidence to embrace our own individual taste, the interior design guru has produced a series of glossy, gossipy Youtube tutorials, The School of Flock
“School of Flock is about giving a view through the keyhole, about the history, culture, alchemy of interior decorating, what makes it special – it’s all about the backstory,” explains Laurence.
“The aim is to discuss in general and flirty terms some of the background to the decisions we make with interior design, based on 150 years of experience since the renaissance.” Topics include colour, wallpaper, styles such as Hollywood Regency and Art Deco and Laurence’s own design heroes such as William Morris. The films are shot in Laurence’s library and have a cosy intimacy. They are short, highly informative and very entertaining; no matter what the subject you’ll find yourself hooked. Then there’s the man himself. “If I’m going on television I’m going to look my best; brush my hair, polish my shoes, put on a 3 piece suit made of the 3 piece suite.” Indeed.
Laurence believes the lockdown has made us reassess our homes. “We should focus on how lucky we are to have a home, celebrate the safe harbour that our homes provide. Yes they are frustrating and rather claustrophobic but nonetheless protect us. We should celebrate the bond, that relationship by doing something for our home that sets it apart. Interior design has been very dull for a couple of decades but we have a big emotional investment in our home – it should reflect our personality.
We are beginning to see this happening – people are buying stronger, darker, weirder colours with crazier patterns. We need to get back our eccentricity; we live in an island where the traditions in decoration made generations ago were so much more interesting than now. My modern heroes are all dead, but all created innovations in their time, we should look to them to inspire us not the mid-century clichés of what modern is. It’s up to us to decide what modern is and start evaluating what is important in our world and celebrate that.
My School of Flock videos are very personal and I make no apologies for that. I want it to be like me popping round for a gin and bit of a natter!”
Join Laurence now at The School of Flock
Audrey Patterson
Having started my career at My Weekly on Real Life stories, for the past 8 years I have been Beauty and Fashion Editor. I also write Travel and Homes features, plus the odd book review. We’re a flexible team! I also write features for Your Best Ever Christmas covering a variety of topics.
