‘Some hero items deserve a spot outside the wardrobe’

Tom Leeper, creative director of New & Lingwood

Given his day job, Leeper’s interest in the details of clothing is more than a passing hobby. “I love having clothes out – perhaps on a screen or hanging on the wardrobe door – so that I can look at them and get a sense of how they’re made, the fabrication,” says the 39-year-old designer, who helms heritage British house New & Lingwood, makers of sumptuous dressing gowns and silk pyjamas.

Leeper’s own style sensibility is geared towards British-made, with a focus on textiles, although given his expertise in the world of pyjama-making, he’s also fond of incorporating a pyjama top or soft-fit gown into everyday life. The countryside setting informs his clothing choices as well.

“You can’t be too precious about things here, and there’s richness and character in a waxed jacket that’s seen the elements or boots that have been roughed-up,” says Leeper. “I split my time between London and Suffolk and, in the latter, tend to mix up vintage pieces with cashmere knits and flannels.”

Leeper’s handsome Georgian home is undergoing renovation, but his wardrobe set-up focuses on intelligent use of space and celebrating certain “hero” items. “Clothes can be showpieces in their own right,” he says. “It’s a shame to keep things shut away that you really love, so I like to hang them out – I’ve got a great 1970s leather jacket from France that’s a real statement in my dressing area.” Once his renovation is complete, his grandfather’s

Irish Guards jacket will also take pride of place. “Clothes can carry so much emotion and symbolism that some deserve to be on display.”

Leeper’s other tips include never hanging knitwear – “it tends to sag and billow on the hanger” – and to replace the anonymous, usually black hanging bags that suits come in with clear plastic ones, so what’s inside is more easily identifiable. “Otherwise you’re unzipping 10 garment bags to try and find what you’re after,” he says. In an old house, lavender bags are essential in the ongoing battle of moth destruction.

For his new wardrobes, Leeper opted for a system whereby seasonal items can be “pulled forward” – an ingenious design whereby rails are layered and easily manoeuvred – so that in changing weather the relevant clothes are easily accessible.

As a new year dawns, thoughts start to turn to what we want to achieve, or change, in the coming months. Time spent at home over Christmas can bring a sense of urgency to those decorative tweaks, or more significant renovations, that have been on the backburner in the run-up to the festivities; and a new season brings with it new inspiration.

The concept of interiors “trends” has become, in itself, rather old-fashioned, due to the cost of living crisis and a general rejection of badly made fast furniture; but for those with an interest in interior design, it’s interesting to see what the leaders in the field are doing to bring a feeling of freshness to their work. Here are seven examples of what the experts will be bringing to stylish homes in 2024 – that, crucially, won’t look out of date a year from now.

‘All the warm shades are coming back, and not in a Seventies revival’

Tom Leeper believes some clothes are too good to put away