Kevin McCloud: 'Panelling? I was doing that kind of stuff in the 80s'
When he's not advising visitors to Grand Designs Live on self-build, architecture and eco improvements, Kevin McCloud admits to browsing the exhibitors' stalls, picking up a few nice bits for his own home in rural Herefordshire.
'At Grand Designs Live, our point of view is to offer diversity of expertise and advice,' TV’s best-known architecture and design guru tells House Beautiful. There are events and live theatre talks with access to specialists, architects, building suppliers and designers, plus expert advice from how to build your own home to how to add the finishing touches. 'It's a great place to research but that doesn’t mean to say you don’t go shopping – I’ve bought a set of placemats there,' reveals Kevin.
Speaking ahead of Grand Designs Live at London ExCel, Kevin, 64, also shared his views on current interior trends – and the one that just won't go away.
'There's a lot coming into fashion which is crazy and wild, and I like a lot actually, because it takes me back to my decorating/design roots in the 1980s when anything went,' he says. 'The thing I’m a little sceptical about? I’ve seen enough plywood kitchens – I like them, but I’ve seen enough of them, it's going to get a bit tired.'
Kevin is equally sceptical about the craze for adding panelling to plain walls. 'Panelling? I was doing that kind of stuff in the eighties,' he says. 'There is all kinds of fun to be had if you want to dress your room up and enjoy some theatre. But if you’re going to do it, and want that 18th century look, go and look at some proper 18th century buildings.'
Admitting to a 'puritanical' streak, Kevin finds it frustrating that people mix up design with architecture and vice versa: 'Don’t confuse the sticking on of plastic mouldings to your wall and fancy wallpapers and bling cooker extractors with a building which is going to make you feel wonderful and lift your spirits and continue to do so for as long as you occupy it.'
Kevin's biggest interiors pet hate is definitely the 'bling' trend (something he has previously expressed disdain over). 'The thing that hasn’t quite died, and I must trample on whenever I see it, is bling,' he says. 'I don’t like it, and I’ve never liked it, ever since I saw a cooker extractor hood that looked like a giant earring. It was crystal, like a crystal chandelier, like a modern, spherical thing and I thought, this is getting ridiculous.
'We're getting to the point where we're tricking up the most everyday functions. Soon it will be light switches and sockets that look like jewels or cuff links. Design should be about making the world better, not more twinkly.'
Grand Designs Live, the premier home exhibition, is at London ExCel, 4th May – 12th May 2024. Visit granddesignslive.com for more information.
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