Doesn’t surprise me at all that Laurence Llewllyn Bowen has had to swallow his pride and give his Cotswold farmhouse the magnolia makeover he’s always dreaded, in order to sell the pile.
His style has always been Marmite. Over the top and pretentious, and downright smothering to many. At the same time, lavish and luscious to others. That’s why his house, whilst gorgeous and traditional on the outside, is a bit of a multi-coloured nightmare inside – with all of the bits you’d expect from LLB – like chandeliers, velvet cushions galore, daring drapes and lugubrious wallpaper prints, even in the kitchen! So it’s been a no-brainer that he’s had trouble selling it. Apparently, in over a year, he’s had no serious buyers. So what’s he gone and done? He’s taken out most of the ornate furnishings and given it what’s reported as a magnolia wash.
Phew! That’s better! I predict it’ll sell quickly now. It’s a lesson many have to learn. That no matter how much you love your house, and admire your own decorating style, it probably won’t appeal to prospective buyers. You have to anonymise a house to sell it – so that the buyer can envisage themselves living there. That, and the fresh smell of baking in the kitchen, and lots of indoor plants and mirrors, placed feng-shui style.
