Get the Lowe down
Romantic chic and cool rock ‘n roll in a Somerset mansion
SINGER–turned-fashion designer Pearl Lowe is renowned for her quirky, individual style – so it’s no surprise she dances to her own tune with her decor choices too.
Her home – a rambling 11-bedroom Georgian mansion in Somerset – showcases her trademark blend of grand, romantic chic and cool rock ‘n roll.
“Many people regard my style as ‘eclectic’,” observes London-born Pearl. “That’s fine by me, I don’t believe there should be any rules – unless you want your house to be a hotel,” the 49-year-old declares with a smile.
She sums up her style as “faded glamour” – also the title of her new book, which celebrates her approach to decor and creating spaces she loves.
Faded Glamour also gives us a glimpse into the homes of designer friends, including Solange Azagury-Partridge, Alice Temperley and Sera Hersham Loftus.
There are colourful living rooms, intimate bedrooms, and plush bathrooms which showcase the many different ways ‘faded glamour’ can be interpreted.
“I’d say it’s a gloriously decadent yet well-lived-in decorating style. I think of rooms that are elegant yet whimsical,” says Pearl.
She shares her own home with her musician husband, Danny Goffey (of the Nineties band Supergrass), and their children Alfie, 23, Frankie 20, and Betty, 15. Her daughter, model Daisy, 31, is a regular visitor too.
Throughout the property, Pearl has deftly mixed precious pieces of antique furniture with contemporary colourful pieces from flea markets, and 1950s plastic retro.
Wear-and-tear and the patina of age aren’t hidden. Instead, they’re revered and deliberately embraced.
“To me, an object that was once the height of elegance but is a bit battered has far more allure than something new,” says Pearl.
As a designer, she draws inspiration from many quarters: art, film, photography, music, travel and – above all – her friends, especially Rachel Ashwell, the designer and writer who introduced us to ‘shabby chic’ in the Nineties.
Rachel, says Pearl, “taught me how to create spaces that are not just decadent and stylish, but deliciously inviting and alluringly comfortable”.
Here, we take a sneak peek at some of the homes bringing ‘faded glamour’ to life...
BOHEMIAN FADED GLAMOUR: Sera Hersham-Loftus
FASHION and interior designer Sera Hersham-Loftus has transformed her London apartment into a giant living space, divided into areas, not by walls but by beautiful panels of fabric.
Hand-made muslin curtains – appliqued with vintage lace and hand-dyed – hang over windows, and ceilings are painted black. She’s furnished with day-beds, antique furniture and a jungle of vast potted plants throughout, which conceal subtle lighting effects.
The designer’s style, says Pearl, is ever evolving “sumptuous, seductive, exotic, and highly individual”.
COLOURFUL FADED GLAMOUR: Solange Azagury-Partridge
THIS interior literally “sets your spirit soaring”, enthuses Pearl.
It is a home where sofas and chairs are covered in a giddy array of colourful fabrics and throws, with a style that takes influences from the East.
It’s a harmony of surprising contrasts – a sofa in a Sanderson flowery chintz sits alongside one dressed in an Ikat print, while yellow velvet clashes with shocking pink toile de Jouy wallpaper, and mismatched Moroccan rugs form a rainbow patchwork across the floors. Fabric used for walls adds to a sense of warmth as well as enriching the palette of shades, while the woodwork is painted baby pink. “Solange’s bold use of colour is full of wit and wonder and brings a smile to your face,” says Pearl.
CHIC FADED GLAMOUR: Alice Temperley
AWARD-WINNING fashion designer Alice Temperley, who dresses some of the most stylish women in the world – from the Duchess of Cambridge to Beyonce – playfully mixes old with new in her home, a Regency mansion.
Giant disco balls hang from original plaster roses on the ceiling, and blackand-white photographs and contemporary art line the walls of wood-panelled reception rooms.
A mix of intriguing finds from local flea markets – twinkling candelabras, vintage glassware, bespoke china and stacks of rare books – are just some of the treasures that embellish the space and enhance character and interest.
“What I love about this house is that despite the grandeur of the building itself – which in other hands could look austere and formal – Alice has, with her inherent romantic aesthetic, created a whimsical, enchanted world here,” Pearl says admiringly.