Whinnie Williams on the interior design trend she'd banish
Pop singer, interior designer and presenter Whinnie Williams talks to House Beautiful about renovating her 1950s bungalow, the design trend she'd banish for good, and the bedroom furniture she can't live without.
Not just a familiar face on our TV screens (Channel 4's Changing Rooms reboot, BBC 3's Flat Out Fabulous), Whinnie is creative director and co-founder of retro-inspired interior brand Poodle & Blonde, which is home to nostalgic prints across wallpapers, cushions and fabrics.
Over on social media, Whinnie's home renovation projects has captivated her followers. Her latest being Follywood, a 1950s English bungalow on stilts in the Kent countryside, which is being transformed into a Palm Springs-inspired location house, with fun, retro interiors and lots of Hollywood glamour.
As the newly-appointed Interiors Expert at Dreams, we grab a chat with Whinnie for a reno update, plus she shares useful advice on decorating new-builds, knowing when to embrace design trends, and must-have storage solutions.
How is the renovation of Follywood coming along?
WW: Follywood has just been so exciting; it’s such a cool project. Our amazing architect has given us the plans, so now we’re in that phase of having fun with it. We’re working on a tight budget which I actually think encourages my creativity. We’re holding off on the big projects, as we know they’ll cost a lot, so right now we’re all over the mini projects.
Speaking of mini projects, we love the laundry-room-turned-coffee-shop...
WW: I’ve just had my daughter Daff, so with a new baby we haven’t really been wanting to go anywhere. Our laundry room is this tiny spice under the house, so we just transformed it into Daff’s Caff – a little coffee shop of our own. It was so much fun, and all in all only cost about £200: Secondhand vinyl flooring, then we raided our nans’ houses for cups and saucers and other bits they didn’t want.
So what mini project will you tackle next?
WW: Our next plan is to convert our garage into a pink chapel. Inside will be an office – my husband wants more of a serious studio vibe – but I’m creating a façade on the outside, my very own pink palace!
What's the biggest mistake people make when decorating their homes?
WW: A lot of people get really excited and go straight to Pinterest. I get it, I love Pinterest, but you’ve got to look at the bones of what you’re working with. A lot of my friends will show me something they want to recreate, and I have to say, ‘Babe, that’s a French chateau, which you don’t have!’ It's important to consider the strengths in the architecture you do have.
How do you strike that balance in a new-build?
WW: There’s nothing worse than living in a new-build and trying to force in proper old features. You can definitely get a cottage look in a modern place, you can bring your style into any architecture, but I think moodboards need to be really precise and personal. If you’re unsure of your style, look in your wardrobe: what colours and prints are coming up a lot? People get distracted by trends – trends are great, but your house is for you. When I’m decorating I always ask myself, if I were movie star what would my set look like?
So what's your take on interior design trends?
WW: I think design trends are really fun to engage with because you can really get inspired by the fresh and the new, especially with seasonal styles. But I think you’ve got to make it work with your existing pieces. Nowadays, it’s so easy to buy cheap furniture – but it’s important to spend money considerately when it comes to investment items. I would express trends with small-scale soft furnishings, like cushions and rugs. Just make sure it’s something you truly love – I’ve been guilty before of buying something I think is cool, only to get it home and realise it’s not really me.
What design trend would you banish for good?
WW: I think it’s too easy to say, hey, banish grey and banish that crushed velvet look – we know we all hate it! More controversially, I remember a couple of years ago graphic paint trends were everywhere; you’d paint a circle, and then a squiggle or something. I’m putting that in the bin. Keep paint on your walls, on your ceiling in a proper block colour – do a feature wall if it’s a wallpaper and you don’t want it too full-on, but I’m not about paint fads.
We'd love to know, are you a hoarder or a declutterer?
WW: I'm a natural-born hoarder – I love vintage, I love retro: I’m a collector! Having my business, I’m constantly thinking about styling and set design, so I literally can’t throw things away in case one day I need it. I love it when my friends come round and they’re after something, and I just know I have it somewhere. That being said, your home does need to be your sanctuary. Life is mad!
What would you say is the best way to conceal clutter?
WW: We all have clutter, but don’t set yourself up to fail – storage is super important, especially in your bedroom. I think too much furniture in a bedroom can make it feel like it’s closing in on you. I just got the House Beautiful Chloe bed from Dreams, and being an ottoman bed, it’s just such a win. I think every bed should be an ottoman! I love shoes, but they’re an awkward thing to store, so it's great being able to bung mine in the ottoman.
Great choice! What's your favourite bedroom furniture?
WW: The ottoman is great, but it’s the matching bouclé side tables for me. I love upholstered furniture, and it can be styled in so many different ways too. That motel, retro look with a dash of kitsch is totally me, but you can go either way – it also lends itself to a more minimal, Soho House vibe. It’s just really luxe. I’ve also genuinely been sleeping better. Since having Daff, I’ve discovered babies need a lot of stuff, so getting a chance to restyle the room has been amazing. She loves the bed too – she gets in every morning for a cuddle.
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