We loved to upcycle before upcycling was a thing. Still do
Celebrity stylist thinks big on a budget
Mark Heyes may have built a successful career around his love of dresses, shoes and accessories but he could just as easily, he admits, have flourished pairing wallpapers, sofas and lampshades.
The celebrity stylist and television presenter from Glasgow has always had a passion for interior design and when the cameras aren’t rolling he can be found working on decoration projects for his immaculate townhouse.
His home style, the 44-year-old says, is inspired by old school glamour usually found in luxurious upmarket hotels – Claridge’s and The Connaught are particular favourites – and overnight trips are often where he finds new ideas.
“When we could actually travel, I would just fill my phone with photos of different hotels,” explained Mark, who lives with Robert, his partner of more than 20 years. “I just love that luxe, chic vibe that you always see in boutique hotels, and that’s very much the look we’ve gone for in our current home.
“Our house looks like an Edwardian townhouse but it’s actually modern – the last five houses on our street were made to look like the originals, so the front looks very traditional but at the back we have bi-fold doors that open out on to a private garden. It’s all high ceilings and clean lines.
“However, I always wanted a more traditional room, so the ‘grey room’ was designed to have a gentlemen’s club feel with parquet-style flooring, dark panelled walls, cornicing and glass shelves built into the window ledge.
“The house almost dictated how it would be designed in some ways. The front part was always going to be more traditional but still slightly glamorous, while towards the back we were able to go a little bit more modern.”
The contemporary aspect of Mark and Robert’s London home is an open-plan kitchen and entertaining space at the back of the property where a faux brick wall, completed during lockdown, takes centre stage. It’s where the couple can be found most nights relaxing or, more recently, bingewatching Line Of Duty.
He continued:“The last DIY we did was the fake brick wall in our kitchen-diner area. I shared pictures on Instagram, and people kept messaging to ask how we did it. Then the guys I bought the bricks from contacted me to ask if I had posted anything online – apparently they had been inundated with phone calls!
“That’s the really lovely thing about social media, you can connect with so many people. In lockdown, all my usual fashion work just went so I turned my attention to our home and started sharing more interior design posts.All of a sudden everyone seemed to be obsessed with their personal space, so the response has been quite incredible.” Mark’s long-held passion for interiors has now made its way into his work life, too, as he recently collaborated with Next to create a curated “edit” of indoor and outdoor furniture, dinnerware, textiles, lighting and accessories from the brand’s 2021 summer range.
The campaign was even shot in his home rather than a photography studio, and Mark says it was a “dream come true” to share his styling with fans.
“It was really nice to do the shoot at home and so lovely to see some new people – even if everyone was wearing masks and there was a St John’s ambulance outside taking temperatures,” he explained with a laugh.
“It was quite difficult to choose items from the new range because
everything is so beautiful but I went through and picked out pieces I would want in my own home.
“One of my favourite items is the Piano sideboard, which is made from mango wood and has a marble top. It’s exactly what we had been trying to find for five years now and it’s so versatile.
“In the bedroom, where we have Farrow and Ball’s Elephant’s Breath on the walls, we went for a more Scandi vibe, so I picked out this incredible rocking chair with a soft, faux sheepskin fabric.
“I just love that rocking chairs are back in trend – it’s almost like the interior world’s answer to the lockdown jogger. We’ve all needed a bit of comfort, lately!”
Although he is now a successful stylist, regularly appearing as an expert on shows like ITV’s Lorraine,
Mark still knows how to work to a budget – something he learned and honed when he first moved to London in his 20s.
He said: “When we first moved down to London 20 years ago, we had nothing – we were living in the worst little one-bedroom flat which we were just lucky wasn’t a studio. But we made the space beautiful on an absolute shoestring. It was upcycling before upcycling was a thing, really.
“At the time we thought,‘ OK we won’t get the deposit back on the flat but this carpet is so ugly we can’t not get rid of it’ and we painted the floorboards dark black. We made it our home on a budget, and that’s something we still do now.”