Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is gearing up for his role as the interiors ambassador at this year's Ideal Home Show. Joining an expert panel including Katie Piper, Gregg Wallace, Alan Titchmarsh, George Clarke, Suzi Perry and Martin Lewis, Laurence is ready to advise and inspire the public with his design know-how. Speaking exclusively to HELLO! Online ahead of the show's launch day on 20 March, Laurence has revealed the trends keen interior decorators should look out for this year as well as his top five tips on how to spruce up your home in time for spring.
Laurence is the interiors expert at the Ideal Home Show
1. Clean your windows The first piece of advice I'd give is to get your windows cleaned! It sounds boring but it really makes a big difference as it allows for more light to come into the room. 2. Spring clean That's what spring is all about after all! Audit your room and clear things out, take things off shelves, give everything a good clean, and then think carefully about where to put them back. 3. Ombre This is where one colour gradually goes into another colour, a big trend we've recently seen in fashion and hair. Ombre your cusions – go from blue to green or grey to white. It's a more airy way of decorating that people are interested in right now. 4. Colour Make sure to look at colour carefully. In the past we saw black and plum were very popular, but now we're seeing grey, peacock and flamingos – colours that have a more glamorous look and make up shape. 5. Bring the outside in Bring in houseplants and spring plants and put them in old pots and tea cups – keep them well watered and near the light, and it will put a lot more life into your room.
One of Laurence's top tips is to adorn your home with pot plants
What are the design must-haves people should look out for this year, and how can people create them in their own homes? I think that this year there is a real theme of coming out from underneath. As the economy is looking more optimistic the vibe now is more outgoing, and people are decorating in a more energised and positive way. We're seeing a more autumnal room – a burrowing, cocooning from the outside world and less indulgent decorating than in previous years, which is more useful I suppose. What are you doing at the Ideal Home Show this year? Obviously it's a really important year this year as The Ideal Home Show is going back to Olympia, which will make a real difference in how the show will feel! As interiors ambassador, I will be doing talks on colour, something people tend to get a bit worried about – we're seeing a lot of 'colourphobics' recently. I hope that when people come to the talks they will feel inspired to be more creative and able to make better choices when it comes to decorating their rooms. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is the interiors expert at this year's Ideal Home Show, returning to their original venue, Olympia London, on 20th March 2015. For tickets visit www.idealhomeshow.co.uk or call 0844 858 6763
