Lucy Gough is a London-based, Australian born Interior Stylist. Having worked in-house for Livingetc magazine and freelancing for various glossy titles including Marie Claire and Sunday Times Style she has worked at the centre of the interiors industry for 8 years running. Lucy also writes a successful interiors blog creating unique weekly content for her readers at blog.lucygoughstylist.com.
My philosophy?
Style your home exactly the way you want to. Don’t style your home because of a trend – your home should incorporate things that you have collected over the years and tell your personal story.
She also likes to use an Alternative rug, so time for a chat to get some insider tips.
Here’s our Q&A…
Rug Stars: Lucy’s rug is a Quirky B Cube Hawksmoor by the Ben Pentreath for Alternative Flooring collection with a Whipped border. Photography © Oli Douglas
AF: WHERE DOES YOUR DESIGN INSPIRATION COME FROM?
LG: I take a lot of inspiration from nature as nature never lies. If you see an odd colour combination do some research and see if it is found anywhere in the natural world and if it is then it will definitely work. For example, purple heather and yellow ochre are found in the foliage of Scottish Highlands and look amazing sitting next to one another!
AF: DESCRIBE THE STYLE IN YOUR OWN HOME?
LG: I can’t put a label on my style as I am inspired by so many different things but 90% of the walls in our house are dark (navy, black or dark grey), most of the furniture is vintage (a 1960’s ladderax, a weathered trunk from a coastal town and a well-loved old brown leather club armchair are a few examples. But, the kitchen units and all the bedding in our house are all bright white. Some things need to feel crisp and clean all the time from a hygiene perspective!
Lucy’s gorgeous son playing on his new rug. Photo © Oli Douglas
AF: WHAT PART DO RUGS PLAY AND HOW DO YOU USE THEM?
LG: We have rugs in every room as we have 150 year old floorboards that are very draughty (we even have one flower that grows back through the floor every year next to the stairs!) so we cover up most of the floors with rugs. It’s also an inexpensive way to add colour or interest to a room that might otherwise feel boring.
Rug Stars: Lucy’s rug is a Quirky B Cube Hawksmoor by the Ben Pentreath for Alternative Flooring collection with a Whippet border. Photo © Oli Douglas
AF: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR PARTICULAR RUG DESIGN?
LG: I love the Ben Pentreath designs as they are bold and playful and counteract all the dark walls in our home. I love the mix of yellow, pink and teal- it’s one of my favourite colour combos right now!
AF: WHICH ROOM WILL THIS RUG GO INTO?
LG: This rug has pride of place in our sitting room which happens to be the first room you walk into when you enter our home so it’s in-your-face colour!
AF: HOW DID YOU FIND THE MAKE ME A RUG SERVICE?
LG: I found it genuinely very simple and easy to use. It only took me about 15 mins to pick out what I wanted and order it.
Alternative’s Quirky B – Ben Pentreath Cube Hawksmoor Carpet
AF: FINALLY, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ALTERNATIVE FLOOR AND WHY?
LG: It has to be the rug I have chosen by Ben Pentreath. I would ideally like it as runner carpet up my staircase. It is comfortable underfoot but also hard wearing and I absolutely love the pattern.
You can see more of Lucy Gough’s work on her blog and website and follow her on Instagram
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