You don't have to be rich to enjoy good design

British interior design guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen will be sprucing up local homes soon.

He has teamed up with Courts - Singapore's largest retailer of electrical, IT and furniture products - to produce a range of furniture and accessories to be launched later this month.

Courts will also be retailing a limited-edition furniture piece designed by Llewelyn-Bowen to commemorate SG50, inspired by elements of our local culture.

Said Llewelyn-Bowen: "I'm 50, too. I like the idea of celebrating the two birthdays at once!

"We'll have 12 pieces, 12 looks and a limited edition SG50 collection.

"Singapore has always had such an incredible glamorous association. It's always a fusion of the best of the West and the best of the East.

"We are keen to explore a much more sophisticated and opulent look but with a streamlined shape."

Llewelyn-Bowen added that he will have a "huge collection" for the May launch and, in a couple of months' time, he will be adding new items including accessories.

CHANGE

"There is tremendous sense of change in Singapore and generally in Asia. As a designer, it's wonderful to reflect that.

"You don't have to throw out anything but you can rearrange things and add some accessories." Llewelyn-Bowen is more than just a designer.

He is also a television personality who was last seen as head judge in Star World's The Apartment: Celebrity Edition. He helms design company LLB Design and in the UK, his home furnishings products are carried by top retailers such as John Lewis and Harrods.

But Llewelyn-Bowen stressed that design is "not just for rich people".

"People are looking at what they can do in their home to celebrate their own success. It used to be that design was just for kings and emperors.

"Now, anyone who works hard can treat themselves to get what they deserve and what they want.

"I did a lot of high-end projects in the UK and Thailand, but the minute I started with the television programme (popular interior design programme Changing Rooms in 2003 and 2004), I felt that satisfaction is actually getting it to as many people as possible for them to enjoy.

"This is the real joy in teaming up with a retailer like Courts where I can make on a big enough scale to get to as many people as possible and to keep the price really keen."

And he has in mind how the Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen shopping experience will be like.

"It's very difficult in Singapore to go into a store and have an end room in front of you. You go into a sofa store, you go to a carpet store, you go to a wallpaper store.

"What we're going to do with Courts is to put it all together into a lifestyle choice.

"We want customers to feel happy and comfortable coming into Courts and seeing how they all fit together."

This article was first published on May 18, 2015.
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