Matthew Williamson

Matthew Williamson on being inspired by English nature for his new homes collection and his love of painting

Peacock Ikat Shade, Orange, £80, Reactive Glaze Lamp Base £125, John Lewis + Matthew Williamson. Plannets 5 Light Pendant, Green, £225, John Lewis + Matthew Williamson. Palm Lamp Base, £115, Peacock Ikat Shade, Red, £50, Woodland Red Twig Mirror, £200, John Lewis + Matthew Williamson

Sam Wylie-Harris chats to the designer about his favourite pieces and why creativity is his happy place.

Famous for his amboyant fashions on the catwalk, bold designs and feather peacock prints, interior designer Matthew Williamson says his latest collection for John Lewis feels like a lovely tick.

“If you were to say, ‘What would be your dream job?’ One would be the John Lewis collaboration because I think it really sort of cements what I’ve been trying to do for a few years.

“It’s a solid proposition with a very respected, known brand,” says the Manchester-born designer.

It’s been two years in the making, “So a reasonably long, very enjoyable, creative process for me,” notes Williamson. And it’s the largest designer homeware collaboration of its kind for the department store, with 90 artfully curated pieces spanning a variety of homewares, from cushions to bedding to mirrors and lighting – decorative, eclectic and joyful.

“ e brief was really open to be honest,” re ects Williamson. “Obviously, I’ve been in design my whole adult life, and fashion into interiors more recently.”

He closed the chapter on his 20 year plus fashion career about seven years ago when he decided to take the leap and fully immerse himself in the world of interior design.

“So there’s quite a lot of history,” he continues. “ ere’s a sort of rich pot if you like, and I think it’s that they [John Lewis] were drawn to, as they recognised it’s quite a di erent DNA to their DNA. I think they saw I could bring a much more decorative element to the John Lewis table, if you like,” he observes.

e collection is inspired by the great British outdoors, but also further a eld. e 50-year-old – who lives with his partner Joseph Velosa and their daughter Skye – in Mallorca, says he’s o en drawn to di erent cultures and countries that have a very rich palette.

“You know, ornate decoration, so strangely or not, I decided with this collection to stay rooted in the UK and therefore, look at what I started to say in my head was ‘doorstop design.’

“So whether that be an English meadow or foraging in a hedgerow, or looking at a starlit sky at night, or the quintessential English country garden, all those very sort of English touch points of nature were my inspiration.”

Despite being in Spain for the majority of lockdown, Williamson says, “I’m England born and bred, so it wasn’t too much of a leap to imagine. So yeah, an English-based design collection, but I did it in Spain.”

Alongside beautiful blooms, signature peacock prints, butter ies and oral meadows to inspire and leave a lasting impression, there’s also a focus on woodland themes, hacienda-style textiles and exuberant touches such as leopard print and exotic bedding sets.

Majestic Peacock Blue Duvet Set, £90, Celestia Duvet Set (pillows shown), £90, Curvaceous Lamp Base, Teal, £85, Peacock Ikat Shade, Orange, £50, Planets 5 Light Pendant, Blue, £225, Cala Scented Candle, £35, Leopard Print Teal Cushion, £50, Peacock Ikat Cushion, Teal, £60, John Lewis + Matthew Williamson

Dark Duvet Set, £90, Enchanted Garden Duvet Set (pillows shown), £90, Reactive Glaze Lamp Base, £125, Ellwood Pleated Shade, £80, Wild Cat Cushion, £60, Leopard Teal Cushion, £50, John Lewis + Matthew Williamson

“I’ve lived in Spain for six years now. So during that time, my work has de nitely had a more shall we say, rustic approach. A more sort of authentic Spanish quality to it.

“If you’re going to generalise I would say India, Spain and the UK are the three consistent places in the world I look to for inspiration. I love that melting pot of those three countries.”

With the aim to create an artistic interplay between stand-out pieces and Williamson’s eclectic aesthetic, all the products (priced from £16 to £250) prompt a second look – and can e ortlessly be introduced to existing schemes to elevate the every day, or by combining colour with comfort.

“ ere’re two mirrors I love in particular, ” says Williamson. “One’s like a gilded peacock mirror. It’s sort of a gold frame. It’s pretty large scale and it has two ornately carved peacocks. So that’s a real statement piece that would elevate any space. It’s kind of grand, it’s a talking point. It’s a little bit whimsical – it’s de nitely got a real character.”

He says he also loves another mirror made out of a cast iron frame and nished in a glossy pillar box red.

“It’s made up of a sort of arrangement of twigs, metal twigs, and it’s such a cool, contemporary, modern piece. So those two mirrors are de nitely on my list of things I want to have myself.”

“I’d probably say the lights as well. ey’re these gorgeous dome, sort of spheres that you’d see in bars all around the world, quite classic glass domes. I reworked those into a mint green colouration and they’re also a favourite.”

DNA Leopard Cushion, £30, John Lewis + Matthew Williamson.

Matthew Williamson seated on Majestic Peacock Duvet Cover Set, Red £90, Leopard Rose Duvet Cover Set (pillows shown), £90, Kantha Indigo Bedspread, £195, Cloud Mirror, Blue, £120, Ikat Pou e, Red, £150, Planets Table Lamp, Blue, £65, Wild Garden Scented Candle, £35, Leopard Print Cushion, Red, £50, DNA Leopard Cushion, £50, John Lewis + Matthew Williamson, landscape. And as he points out, then there’s the bedding within the collection, as well as lots of cushions and quilts and so on. “I de nitely would have one of those printed bed sets to enliven a bedroom.”

Today, Williamson is slowly but surely building his portfolio and spends 50% of his time on interior design projects, commercial and domestic, and the other half designing homeware goods. “Whether that be wallpapers with Osborne & Little or various other licenced partners I have across the homeware ranges,” he explains.

e designer has also recently returned as a guest judge on Interior Design Masters, and a recent addition to the brand is his beautiful artwork on his website and online boutique, Matthew Williamson Design, where he sells some of his paintings which he describes as, “Actually putting my paintbrush out as it were”.

Like most creatives, he nds it di cult to switch o when it’s time to relax.

“ e switch o button is not an easy button for me to nd.” admits Williamson. “Not good at it at all. So it’s a good job I love what I do, because cliché as it might sound, I guess I’m relaxed when I’m working.

“I love painting. I have a studio in Spain where I suppose that’s not necessarily work but it would be to paint, you know, creativity is my happy place.”

“So that’s going really well and I’m enjoying those pockets of time which are rare with a six-year-old. But when I can get time, that’s what I do to sort of tune o from work, but I am really busy. And there isn’t much downtime.”

From Le , Peacock Ikat Cushion, Teal, £60, DNA Butter y Cushion, £50, DNA Monkey Cushion, £50, DNA Leopard Cushion, £50m Planets Single Pendant, Green, 396, John Lewis + Matthew Williamson

Gold Peacock Mirror, £250, John Lewis + Matthew Williamson