Going Wild & Changing Rooms with Linda Barker!

From cabin crew and designing TUI cruise ships’ first-class cabins, to presenting game-changing ‘Changing Rooms’, ‘60 Minute Makeover’ and cooking up storms in ‘Celebrity Masterchef’ and the ‘Celebrity Jungle’, award-winning interior designer Linda Barker always has her talented fingers in a plethora of projects.

Angela Sara West chats with the top TV designer about what’s in and what’s out, how our homes can restore us, and why she’s going wild in her garden.

As the ultimate ‘do-er upper’, Britain’s longstanding interior designer Linda has been inspiring the nation with her home makeover shows for decades.

An avid investor in bricks and mortar, with a plethora of property in Blighty and abroad, her property portfolio began in Battersea, southwest London, where she bought her very first flat which, when revamped, featured in House Beautiful magazine.

With her impeccable taste, incredible eye for colour and unrivalled ability to create amazing interior spaces quickly on tight budgets, the commissions consequently came rolling in…

Yet Yorkshire-born Linda’s working life actually started up in the air. “I was cabin crew, which was great fun!” she tells me. But having studied Fine Art, a career in creativity beckoned. “I was art-trained and creative and did interior design on the side. I wrote interior features for a few house titles as homes were my passion, but wasn’t sure which path to take in design until I got that first flat and started decorating…

CHANGING ROOMS & 60 MINUTE MAKEOVERS

The highflying star started designing retail outlets and celebrities’ houses and the 90s saw the start of her small- screen career.

Along came landmark BBC show ‘Changing Rooms’, which Linda co-presented alongside Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, and BOOM… Britain got bitten by the home improvement bug!

“’Changing Rooms’ kicked off a lot of interior design programmes and it was fantastic to work on so many of them!” she says. “My first ‘Changing Rooms’ was mindbogglingly terrifying but exciting. I LOVED the challenges.”

Linda and her co-stars became international sensations practically overnight and she went on to star in a string of BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 TV shows, including ‘House Invaders’ and ‘60 Minute Makeover’. Always up for a challenge, she’s taken part in a number of reality TV shows, too, and has been a familiar face on DFS and Currys commercials.

Ever the busy entrepreneur, hardworking Linda also consults on interior brands and private property developments, while her insights into modern interior design make her a popular speaker on the corporate and design seminar circuit, squeezing in styling restaurants and retail stores alongside writing bounteous design books.

CURTAIN & SHOWER POWER!

Linda’s corporate clients include Terry’s Fabrics, an online curtains and blind company for which she has just launched a fab new fresh floral collection, while she’s currently working on a cool new range of shower panels for Multipanel.

“My Multipanel collections are doing incredibly well, which is nice because when we first started not many people had heard of or used waterproof panels for their bathrooms instead of tiles, but that’s now really taken off.”

GO-TO INSPO

Decorating “since childhood”, she’d also make clothes and soft toys to sell at school. “I’ve earned my own money from a very early age, around 14, and always loved being completely independent.”

For inspiration, Linda looks at many other designers’ work. “Not just interior, but ceramic designers and furniture makers. I visit design museums and galleries, plus travel provides loads of ideas, as do the big national and international trade shows.”

LIVE THIS MORNING MAKEOVERS

Continuing to promote craft and design on TV, she carries out living room makeovers for well-deserving people live on ITV’s ‘This Morning’, meaning the pressure is on more than ever. “We thought ‘Changing Rooms’ was good – a two-day makeover for £500 – and ‘60 Minute Makeover’ was good, but for this, we actually complete a WHOLE living room makeover LIVE in just over two hours!”

PROPERTY PROGRESSION – TWISTING MODERN INTERIOR DESIGN

Linda and her husband, ex-TV exec Chris, have made a mint from property. “It was very much that whole property ladder scenario where you buy a cheap wreck, do it up, sell, put your investment into another property and do the same. That was our progression.”

The pair have also owned properties in southeast London, while overseas they recently sold their contemporary investment property in Cyprus, having successfully combined a typical Cypriot feel with a stylish contemporary twist.

Since 2008, the couple’s also co-owned a stunning Roman- style villa in the South of France with friends, lovingly transformed from a basic B&B into a barefoot high-end holiday hideaway. Boasting a typical Provençal/French feel with a modern take, showcasing her simple but elegant style, Linda runs yoga retreats at their ultra-glam abode near sensational hotspot St. Tropez.

YOGA IN YORKSHIRE

Over the past few years, the design doyenne’s been busy restoring their latest property purchase, a gorgeous large Georgian character house in East Riding, Yorkshire, now close to conclusion with its renovations.

“It’s essentially just the exterior outbuildings to finish now, one of which will have a kiln for clay-based workshops, and I also run residential yoga retreats with qualified teachers, if any readers would like to join us!”

Keen cook Linda loves carrying out the catering at her five- bedroom property. “I do all the healthy cooking etc. and run craft workshops for people staying, too. And we recently did a shoot for my new collection with Terry’s Fabrics here.”

THE KEY TO COOL KITCHENS

Colour-wise, Linda says kitchens are becoming less white, cream and beige. “They’re more likely to be blues and greens. Mine’s olive green, which I’ve paired with concrete work surfaces made from Caesarstone, a composite granite which is incredibly hardwearing and strong. I’m fortunate to have a big kitchen, but even small kitchens can carry these dark rich colours, and really bring a sense of identity, reflecting the homeowners’ personalities.”

She says it’s crucial to get this special space just right. “The best kitchen in the world is the one that works for that individual person, not a replica. Everything should be bespoke and personalised; that’s key. Whether you’re spending £3,000 or £50,000, it’s about creating an individual kitchen which will improve our lives.”

This mantra became particularly key during lockdown. “In times of uncertainty, our home is really important as it’s our sense of security and comfort. I try to encourage people to think like that and get it right. Design has the capability to transform people’s lives!”

INTERIOR RESTORE YOU!

Tips for keeping interiors on trend all-year-round? “I think interiors in general make us feel REALLY great. A beautiful home has a quality of spirit which makes you feel well. And, in this day and age where there’s a lot of stress and anxiety, if your home is something that restores you, it’s a fantastic gift.”

“It doesn’t have to cost much money… Paint, wallpaper, fabrics are always great vehicles for transforming an interior. Go to boot fairs, buy antique fabrics and salvage furniture… It’s about being passionate about your own home, bringing in what you really want.

Linda no longer sees people copying designers’ interiors. “That trend for going around showhouses to see what interior designers have done and then copying them is disappearing Now, it’s about creating a very individual look for YOURSELF. So, create your own space, be your own curator. Social media platforms… Pinterest… Instagram… help you gather ideas and make your interior very much your own.”

ANCHORING AUTUMN TRENDS

Natural light-wise, roof lanterns remain popular and it’s now all about creating intimate spaces. “Sliding doors rather than folding, with less huge flat panes of glass, instead dividing it up Crittall-style into real or faux panels. It’s a very beautiful look which creates such an interest at the window,” she says.

“A little Crittall detailing is a nice way of opening up the outside and bringing it in, but also introducing intimacy within a room, creating these kind of cocoon spaces which make us feel safe.”

WOW FACTOR LIGHT LAYERS

Creative Linda always layers light. “Arc lights… tabletop lights… it’s much more interesting and balances natural light with artificial light, making it atmospheric from day to night. Tiny lights look very pretty on a shelf, dresser or sideboard, even on a kitchen worktop, creating beautiful little pockets of light. I’ll aways put dimmers on overhead lights, and recently bought a tiny £6 light from Dunelm, with a small olive-green shade and base.”

She says those thoughtful little details add so much to a room. “When guests walk into your home and it’s carefully lit, it’s definitely a wow factor… Atmospheric and SO much more interesting than just flicking on the switch for the overhead lights!”

Outdoor spaces look great lit, too, drawing focus from dusk. “I’m seeing a trend for very low-level, delicate lighting in gardens. Subtle, so it’s not disruptive to nature.”

WINDOW DRESSING & PLAYING WITH PATTERN

Window dressing is also important and, working with Terry’s Fabrics on cosy curtains and blinds, Linda’s loving the strong interest in pattern and texture for windows. “This layering of strong pattern is SO beautiful, warm and about creating interest and adding your personality into a room. I’d combine different patterns from my Terry’s collection, and perhaps have a patterned blind and a different pattern on the curtains.”

Minimalist? The star designer recommends a white-on-white pattern or cream-on-cream pattern. “Whatever suits your vibe!”

INTERIOR RESTORE YOU!

Tips for keeping interiors on trend all-year-round? “I think interiors in general make us feel REALLY great. A beautiful home has a quality of spirit which makes you feel well. And, in this day and age where there’s a lot of stress and anxiety, if your home is something that restores you, it’s a fantastic gift.”

“It doesn’t have to cost much money… Paint, wallpaper, fabrics are always great vehicles for transforming an interior. Go to boot fairs, buy antique fabrics and salvage furniture… It’s about being passionate about your own home, bringing in what you really want.

Linda no longer sees people copying designers’ interiors. “That trend for going around showhouses to see what interior designers have done and then copying them is disappearing Now, it’s about creating a very individual look for YOURSELF. So, create your own space, be your own curator. Social media platforms… Pinterest… Instagram… help you gather ideas and make your interior very much your own.”

ANCHORING AUTUMN TRENDS

Natural light-wise, roof lanterns remain popular and it’s now all about creating intimate spaces. “Sliding doors rather than folding, with less huge flat panes of glass, instead dividing it up Crittall-style into real or faux panels. It’s a very beautiful look which creates such an interest at the window,” she says.

“A little Crittall detailing is a nice way of opening up the outside and bringing it in, but also introducing intimacy within a room, creating these kind of cocoon spaces which make us feel safe.”

70S’ VIBES!

What colours, vibes etc. should be on our radar right now? “There’s a lovely move towards colour, pattern and texture. It’s VERY exciting in interiors at the minute!” Linda reveals.

“I’m really loving this passion for these brown colours, like cinnamons, ‘paper bag brown’… Lovely on walls as paper or paint. I’m seeing a lot of botanical wallpapers in designs, which I adore.”

Linda reveals there’s a little 70s’ vibe happening, but with a modern twist. “We’re borrowing from the 70s a lot more and I really like that, but it’s definitely anchored in 2024 with a kind of modern slant. The colours are much more punchy, definitely not dated.”

“So, for the autumn, I think we should be looking at these lovely honeyed browny colours, rust and burnt oranges… Lovely natural colours but with a big kind of power impact, which is great and go very well with salvage and antique furniture, which I’m passionate about. Renovating or just buying in general, I think it makes a modern home very kind of anchored.”

A PENCHANT FOR CHALK PAINT

Wow factor-wise? “I think it’s always colour, and it’s always cheap, really, if it’s paint.” Linda particularly likes chalky paints. “Annie Sloan is magnificent at them and a little goes a very long way. I LOVE layering colour. Almost patchy layers of colour are super. It’s a very appealing, sensory way of painting your walls.”

WALL ART WOW!

According to this super-stylish designer, it’s also about creating ‘art spaces’ on walls. “I’m a huge collector of original art, which doesn’t have to be expensive. Collect it from friends, frame your kids’ pictures, create an art wall… I think that’s the most beautiful way of decorating walls.”

“I’ve noticed lots of print shops popping up, unique artist printed posters, many limited-edition, very beautiful… And again, you are your own curator. Create your own look, a wall of seven or nine pictures, or maybe even three (odd numbers work well). I’d pop them in just cheap frames from boot fairs or charity shops. Each frame can be quite different, lending a beautiful individual look, this very strong hint of personality into a room.”

“Visual focal points with a collection of vases also work well!”

TOP YEAR-ROUND INTERIOR TIPS

“Always fabrics,” Linda advises. “We’ve started to fall in love with pattern fabrics, which I’ve noticed while developing my Terry’s collection throughout the years. I now use pattern really heavily.”

“I’ve still borrowed from botanicals, trees, plants and flowers, and patterned fabrics are really beautiful, anchoring to the here and now. A lot of curtains were always very plain, even just a few years ago, and now they’re very definitely patterned.”

INVEST IN YOUR KITCHEN, BATHROOM & GARDEN

Investment-wise, she says kitchens have always been good. “It’s very much about adding your own detail and making your home personable. Kitchens really are the centre of the home, and the more individual they look, I think it’s more interesting for you and can add a lot of value to your home,” she explains.

“You can have a beautiful kitchen on a budget. I still love the IKEA units… You can twist and turn and use them in different ways, so they are very much your own, individual, and don’t look straight out of a showroom.”

Bathrooms are incredibly important, too. “We’ve seen a huge shift away from just clinical white with the use of something like my Multipanel panels rather than tiles if you’re on a budget, but much more pattern coming into bathrooms, even wallpapers.”

Linda recommends wowing bathrooms with incredible IP47-rated (necessary for safety) lighting. “There’s much more choice to be more creative with light now. I like layering light even in bathrooms… A pair of wall lights against a mirror around the basin area, spotlights if needed, but also lovely water-rated pendant lights.”

She says gardens are also great investments. “Beautiful gardens have HUGE kerb appeal, whether large or just a tiny driveway front garden, with big pops of flowers it’s an investment of the human who lives in the house because it makes you feel good every time you walk in.”

“A really nice way of adding value to your home, it shows potential visitors/ buyers how important home is and how much care you’ve taken.”

“All the above advice adds an enormous amount of value without costing much at all!”

GOING WILD WITH GARDENS

“I LOVE the wild look!” reveals Linda. “And it will only get stronger and stronger as we think about the environment we’re living in. We’re considering nature more, allowing more wildness into gardens, and conserving beetles, worms, earwigs, butterflies, moths… everything we really want in our gardens.”

With her “great two-acre garden”, she’s a big fan of ‘No Mow May’. “I don’t always have time to cut grass, which also eliminates habitat. So, although there are certain
areas I have to mow, I’m really trying to reduce those. This doesn’t mean it’s no maintenance… far from it. Sometimes, these wild areas take a lot of curating and looking after. But it’s such a beautiful look, and a summer garden full of butterflies is just heaven sent!”

Linda reckons we should reconsider the use of chemicals, too. “We don’t want to be putting them inside our home, and the same goes with gardens. No chemical interference, or very minimal. I think we need to improve our gardens in that way.”

“And I love garden furniture and moving furniture from inside to out. Again, look for longevity.”

NATURAL SWIMMING POOLS

Totally on trend, cold-water swimmer Linda’s creating a natural swimming pool. “I’ve been building a garden which now looks like it’s been here forever… Big trees now growing to maturity, lots of new planting areas… I want a wild garden for nature and wellbeing, for planting yourself on the earth, and loving that kind of connection.”

Her golden rule? “Just live in your house and love it! If YOU love your house, other people will, too!”