Cotswolds, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
Interior designer and television host, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen renovates his 17th-Century family estate with Black Walnut from our Deco Parquet collection.
TV presenter and interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has always been known for his flamboyant designs that craft the perfect balance of personality and elegance, and his own family home design is no exception. Nestled in the tranquil countryside of the Cotswolds, Laurence and his wife Jackie have lived in their 17th-century estate for nearly two decades along with their children. Now that their family is growing, the couple has decided to develop the estate, converting a stone-style outbuilding into an annexe property for their family to continue to grow. Along with this renovation, Laurence and Jackie have also redesigned their own living space using Black Walnut herringbone floor from our Deco Parquet collection for a rustic yet elegant finish, as Laurence explained âI wanted to give our new living area and bedroom suite a stronger sense of rural luxuryâ, before going on to sayâŠ
"We've been in the house for nearly 20 years. It was built in the 1570sâa Cotswold manor house. But we wanted to divide it so that actually, my daughter and her family had space, and we had our own space. It was great because it meant we could kind of revisit a lot of the interiors we did all those years ago and, you know, have a bit more fun. There's something about really bringing a breath of fresh air into the family home."
When it came to the inspiration for the flooring design, Laurence drew upon the interiors he had seen throughout his travels, as he went on to say: âIn the back of my mind I couldnât help but think of the kind of indulgent and opulent floors Iâd seen in country estates in France. As well as the luxury living of a French chateau, I also like the idea of making a reference back to the agricultural and industrial floor types you see in Cotswold traditional buildings. So, laying the floor as a herringbone has a strong resonance with the vernacular of the Cotswolds areaâ.
To that end, Laurence Chose Black Walnut from our Deco Parquet collection. Available in both plank and parquet, this is the only walnut floor in the collection, and offers a unique charm thanks to the rustic grade of the American walnut wear layer, which has been smooth sanded before being sealed with a hardwearing and protective UV oil. Born from nature, our walnut parquet is bursting with character, making it the perfect base for any show-stopping design, as Laurence explainedâŠ
âI opted for Black Walnut as a herringbone to give that reference point to French chateaus. V4âs Black Walnut parquet has a fabulous chocolatey unctuous richness which is the perfect springboard for the colour pallets I have chosen for the area. Downstairs is pale greens and blues which bounce perfectly off the Black Walnut and Upstairs reds chorales and greys feel very at home with the luxurious orangey tones of the floor.â
Along with the playful use of colour throughout the home, Laurence paired the black walnut flooring with a variety of textures, from the original stone to his own hand-designed wallpaper, creating a design that was sympathetic to both the houseâs heritage and the familyâs personal style. The blend of historical elements and contemporary design choices was perfect for creating a timeless yet modern feel in the home, as Laurence notesâŠ
âPeople are in no doubt when they see the interiors that I have created that they are very Llewelyn Bowen, there are plenty of historical reference points, so colour pallets and integrational technology all feel very contemporaryâ.
We recently had the pleasure of being welcomed into Laurence and Jackieâs 17th-century manor house for an exclusive look at their new flooring design, so keep your eyes peeled for the full video tour coming soon to our Instagram and YouTube Channels! Meanwhile, why not watch our most recent interview with Laurence, the host of the 2024 V4 Cube Awards, where we discuss the importance of sustainability in flooring design?
Featured Flooring
ZB205 Black Walnut
The American Black Walnut top layer is smooth sanded and sealed with UV cured natural oil. Unlike traditional parquet blocks, the Deco Parquet range of floors are engineered with a thick oak top layer with bevelled edges bonded to a hardwood ply base, which means they can be bonded to any flat surface including over low energy underfloor heating systems. Their unique sizing means they can be installed in many different patterns. ZB205 Black Walnut is also available in a matching plank.
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