The Great British Designer | The Journey Of Lily Paulson-Ellis

Okay right off the bat, Lily Paulson-Ellis is a boss! We had the pleasure to interview the Interior Designer and all round Superwoman to find out a little more about the woman behind the name, and what that morning playlist looks like! We fell in love with Lily after seeing her Barnes Townhouse, Elm Grove Road SW13, I mean seriously… you haven’t seen it – thank us after!

Okay, lay it on us, 3 songs your morning playlist must contain.

I tend to listen to Radio 4 in the mornings as depressing as the news is at the moment! But if I need a bit of song motivation it would be ‘Start Me Up’ by The Rolling Stones every time.

Okay, now pleasantries: tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?

I live in Barnes, London with my husband, 2 (soon to be 3) children and 2 labradors. I established LPE Designs in 2015 and we create homes that have comfort and practicality at their core and that stand the test of time. We enjoy getting rooms to work practically at a really detailed level. We don’t believe in imposing a signature look onto our projects and instead work closely with our clients to establish how they will live in their home, their values and their identity. Our clients are mainly private residential families who know what they like but might struggle with pulling everything together or lack the time required.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Gosh everything from a vet to a dinner lady when I was very young! But our home was destroyed by a house fire when I was 9 and my parents let me choose how my bedroom was re-decorated and that really sparked my passion for designing interiors.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? and the worst?

That you can achieve anything if you work hard enough. Similarly the worst advice was probably careers advice at school, which at the time was very limited to pushing everyone into law or finance. I think these days we are all much more aware that you can have a great career in such a wide range of fields.

What is your favourite creative outlet to get the juices flowing? Where does all that great writing come from?

Walking my dogs! If ever I feel a bit stuck on a design problem , leaving my desk and taking the dogs to the tow path really helps clear my head and invariably helps me find the right answer.

Jump in the Tardis and fast forward 5 years – where are you and what are you up to?

I’d love to have a bigger studio and team with some international projects

What’s one thing other people may not know about you?

I’m just about to have my third child!

Who or what are some of your influences? Are there any peers or creatives that you admire or draw inspiration from?

Absolutely – there are so many fantastic Architects and Interior Designers out there and even though we may all differ in style there is much to take inspiration from in terms of detailing and finishes.