An award winning, English interior designer, Martyn Lawrence Bullard is renowned for his decorative fantasies and magically diverse styling. For over 30 years he’s reimagined homes for celebs and stars. Here Martyn chats with our Homefront’s design editors:
Q) Your story is a bit of a rags to riches, actor to designer tale that has you winning a big assignment for fashion designer and supermodel, Cheryl Tiegs. Can you tell us how you were lucky enough to have that happen?
A) We met at a wedding of my first ever client, Liz Heller when I jumped in to help design the look of her at home wedding. Liz invited stay for her wedding and sat me next to Cheryl. By the end of the wedding Cheryl had hired me for her Balinese Pavilion in Bel Air home. The rest is history.
Q) Today, you work with ‘big names” from around the world. Which recent projects were the most fun for you?
A) It’s got to be my total fantasy project with RuPaul last year and this year so far it has to be Sylvester Stallone. He and his wife Jennifer have been a delight to work with in Palm Beach. Currently I’m working with Pink, Machine Gun Kelly, Ellen Pompeo, the Four Seasons and Red O restaurant chain for Master Chef Rick Bayless. Tommy and Dee Hilfiger are wonderful to work with because of their constant evolutions. As creatives they always want to experiment. There’s never a dull moment.
Q) Individuality is key—especially with the type of clientele you work with. How do you keep clients coming back?
A) I believe the vital ingredient is understanding a client’s personality. That way you can add that so they get the feeling that they not only have a beautiful home, but also a personal sanctuary. I always say, the most important person in your design team is your accountant.
Making sure we take care and be respectful of our client’s money and keeping perfect records is essential. It’s easy to lose your way with design and forget the money part on both sides of the project equation…mine and theirs.
Q) Your decadent wallpaper designs for Cole and son are referred to as eclectic and opulent. Can you share your thinking behind them?
A) My collections are always about my world travels and my favourite spots. Next up, Six Senses Hotel in Ibiza and dinner at Nobu Malibu. It’s about people and places…from Istanbul to Morocco, from London to Paris. My travel influences my designs, colours and textures.
Q) Castles, boats and mansions? Would you like to have a go at Buckingham Palace?
A) I would love to do a Royal Palace. I have worked on palaces in the Middle East and historic houses and castles in Europe, but an assignment for the British Royals would be utterly wonderful.
Product design is now also a major part of my brand. It stimulates another part of my brain. To see others using and designing with things I’ve created is not only amazing but flattering. I love it all but I especially enjoy a challenge—something new, wild and unusual.
Q) Your decadent wallpaper designs for Cole and son have been referred to as eclectic and opulent. Can you share your thinking behind
the collection?
A) My collections are always about my world travels. They are inspired by the people and places I see and visit, from India to Morocco to London to Paris and all the rest of my worldly travels influence the designs, colours, textures and feel of it all.
Q) Star Style, your recent coffee table book gives us a sneak peak into your world, homes, luxurious private commissions and product ranges. Things range from the serene to Hollywood glamour, pop art and Moroccan-inspired to Mexican. How did you find the time to manage such an undertaking?
A) I was passionate about my book and publishing my third book and I’m thrilled with how it came out. I had a wonderful team, including my photographer Douglas Friedman, who got it done in a year.
Q) Is it hard to stay out of the drama and the requisite mob of paparazzi that comes along with the celebrity lifestyle?
A) I’m so used to it now, it’s just part of the job. And there are always mad moments. The worst one was when a wallpaper installer put up a very expensive paper in the wrong room. We nearly had a collective heart attack when we discovered it and figured out that the client’s teen had swapped the room numbers on us as a joke. Fortuitously the client found their child’s prank hilarious and decided to keep the paper in the “wrong” room. Another paper was ordered for the original room. There are also wonderful moments as well with my special clients. I recently went to Diana Ross’s 80th birthday. She was so amazing, changed 5 times and danced the entire night under the most beautiful white orchid covered marquis in her garden. Such energy, poise, glamour and style. She is the most ultimate icon, diva and a dream client…cause their just ain’t no mountain high enough.
