Wednesday 12 March 2014

London Design Week March 2014 Part 2 - Meeting Martyn Lawrence Bullard

I attended the London Design Week at Chelsea Harbour on Tuesday with the aim of hearing two talks - one which was with 
Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen.

The other person I went to hear was the talk with
one of the Millionaire Decorators Martyn Lawrence Bullard.
That is me cropped out  - we took a pic at the showroom

I love that show so much and everyone in it.
Martyn had a certain charm and a dramatic style that I admired so was interested to hear about his inspirations.  His talk was actually not free unlike the other talks as it was sponsored by House and Garden but it was only £10 plus there were drinks and canapes so it was well worth the price.

My two talks were several hours apart so I had a few hours to kill so I ended up attending a few other talks while I was there to make the most of it.

I attended Neisha Crosland's talk which was held at 
Turnell and Gigon who also happen to be the distributors for Martyn's wallpaper range.
I arrived early for Neisha's talk and was browsing through his collection not paying much mind to anything going on around me.

Then I hear laughing and a bit of commotion and when I looked up it was Martyn talking to the showroom staff.  I just smiled sheepishly and then he came over to introduce himself to me as he saw that I was going through his samples.

Then we actually chatted and he didn't do what I expected him to do which is look around and not pay attention but he actually spoke to me.

 I must say he was genuine and even when I said 
I am only a design enthusiast he didn't drop me like a hotcake like so many others did during the day.  
He told me about all his shows he is doing right now.
Via
I had to tell him I was a huge fan of the MD show and he said that he was going to pull out of Season 3 anyway because Bravo wanted them to fight and he wasn't going to have any of that stuff.
But he was doing lots of promo for this TV shows in the UK because they didn't know who he was here.
Then Neisha arrived for her talk and they chatted and caught up.
But he was so engaging and his charisma is undeniable.
No airs and graces and for someone who is so busy promoting all his ranges and people waiting around to meet him I was just so surprised he bothered to talk to me at all.
He now has a fully signed up fan here!!


The talk was an hour long so I will try and 
convey the talk to the best as I can.
It was interesting to hear that he had no formal training at all in decor.  But everytime I hear a successful person say that I always find there is a but...
He may not have gone to school but he bought and sold antiques since he was about 10 years old and had a weekend stall at Greenwich market where he made money reselling all his finds to tourists.  He found that the better decorated and if you draped a bit of fabric around the goods then it would sell better.
So next time someone says they have no formal training, 
I would dig a bit further!

But the first question was what his influence was and his response was travel, travel, and travel.  He says not only seeing different techniques but also which countries has better craftsmen for certain niches so he tends to get a lot of his woodwork custom made in Bali because of their intricate detailing for instance.

He talked us through some of his past projects.
The first was an Umbrian castle owned by a Russian billionaire.
To see better and the full set of pictures - please click here.

This was one of the many bedrooms.
He said the starting point was the turqouise armoire in the middle of the picture.
It was a local Umbrian antique piece and centered the whole room around it.

The original brief by the owner was to make it look like it was an inherited castle.  It most definitely wasn't as it was a ruins completely reconstructed.
But as there were so many windows in the main bedroom, he had to come up with a solution for the coverings. 
Apparently original antique tapestries to reconstruct curtains would have been half a million dollars.  So they digitally printed an original tapestry from a local museum and recreated a mock tapestry curtain.


 The brief for the kitchen was to be able to cook a lunch for 100 people...So he chose La Cornue to balance classic detail and modern functionality.
My dream cooker is a La Cornue so this custom piece just blew my mind.

The home below is the Malibu home of Cher who is one of his loyal clients.
He says that he has one person in his team that only goes to auctions to source and stock a good variety of pieces for future projects.  One of them was the pillars on the right of the picture.
He says it was one of the objects that didn't make the cut for installation at the famous home of Mr Hearst at San Simeon and they purchased it at auction.

He says the one thing he notices with big Hollywood stars is they take lighting very seriously even at home.
Cher likes diffused light so the glass panel is a light fixture with pitched light bulbs to make sure she is well lit at all times.
A trick for the trade he gave was that the installation should always be complete.
So even if the client asks that there be no superfluous accessories as Cher did to him - Martyn still wants to present the full vision as in his head.  He says if the client doesn't buy the extras then so be it but he won't show it in any other way but perfect.  
  But Cher did buy all these objects show above.  He said that most clients end up buying at least some of the extras so you should always do a full install.

This next story made us all laugh. 
Cher sometimes asked Martyn to come to her at bedtime as she was so tired doing other projects she didn't have any other time so he would have to get into bed with her to show her moodboards.
The arch on the right is her wig room - you know, the room with all her wigs naturellement.
Apparently, some stalker fan snuck into the house one time and lived in her wig room for three days.
Another feature is that there is a mesh tent that drops with remote control and shows the outline of her body as her dream was to be a maharajah's wife....

The next three photos are the home of Sharon Osbourne.
Not quite the look of the Prince of Darkness.
They have no carpets nor rugs as they have more than 20 dogs than are not potty trained!

The next two pics is the home of Kid Rock. Someone had given the services of Martyn as a wedding present to Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson.  When they divorced 6 weeks later,
Pamela kept the ring and Kid Rock took Martyn.
That long dining table serves as an impromptu stage for Kid Rock's dinner parties.


This is the original bathroom as was built by Gloria Swanson in his home in Los Angeles that he bought from Sam Mendes. 
 ( He doesn't mean to name drop, sometime it is what it is.)
Gloria Swanson was 4'11" and she had incredible back pain so she asked that the basin went up to her neck so she wouldn't have to bend down to wash her face and he has kept the bathroom intact.

Sorry for the blur but this his Martyn's garden where he has an outdoor screen to watch TV or a movie.
I don't think he misses the British weather...

I have never heard such a busy schedule by someone other than a few CEO's and politicians.
He is promoting his new wallpaper and fabric range.
But he also has a new range of tiles with Ann Sacks.
He is going to Switzerland to finish off another castle owned by a billionaire, then work on a boutique hotel in Istanbul, then goes to Kips Bay in New York then to look at another Connecticut home of Tommy Hilfiger in the next few days!

There was a party to celebrate Martyn's new tile ranges
 at the Ann Sack showroom.
Like I mentioned before, there was a lot of alcohol flowing.
Don't you just love this verre eglomise in leopard print?
I would have been so tempted to use this in the loo or in a hallway.
He has done zebra print and other designs for his mirrored tiles.
Please click for better pictures!

I bought a book after the talk and got it signed by him - 
I am not normally such a groupie except when it comes to interior designers, writers, and chefs.  Hehe.
 Isn't his writing so dramatic and full of flair?
I have never seen my name written like that!
Gotta love it - and I did.

I will post one more talk next week for those who weren't able to make it.  It was a presentation for Pierre Frey by two generations of the Frey family and also another talk by one of the best upholsterers in the UK. 
( A bit too detailed that I had no idea what he was on about...)

53 comments:

  1. Oh you lucky gel! I am in awe! He is a delight and I am so happy he was sweet to you! we would have had to something if he wasn't! I love all of his stuff! If I ever make it rich, I'll hire you and Tabs and Martyn can be your assistant!

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    1. I was so chuffed to have met him in the showroom and have a proper chat with him! I hope you win the lottery bc he would be so much fun to work with and Tabs and I would just go for drinks with him and then you would fire us but keep him...;)

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  2. luffed this post! luff his charm and kindness to you! luff the leopard tile! what a fabulous experience xxxx

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    1. He was luffly I tell you! And his makeup was superb. ( he was doing some tv) Can't get over how nice the big stars were! xx

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  3. I've never heard of Martyn before - but he sounds incredible.
    Had a good laugh at the idea of having a wig room!
    That Umbrian Castle is breathtaking!

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    1. You must must must watch million dollar decorators Ruth!! It is sooo much fun and incredibly camp and great tv. That wig room and the lighting stories were hilarious...

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    2. Love the story about the burglar/fan living in the wig room for three days! Martyn must be really hysterical in person. Also loved the one about Pamela Anderson keeping the ring and Kid Rock (whoever he is!) keeping Martyn. And how he had to get into bed with Cher to discuss decorating ideas.

      So pleased to discover he really is lovely after all. I luffed him on MD (really miss that show - almost never re-runs here in Oz) and was sooo disappointed when he started out saying what a famous decorator yada yada he was on the UK show. It probably was the producer pushing him into it. Thrilled to bits you had such a wonderful opportunity! I bought his book when in the throes of Martyn madness after MD. Love it. Wonderful to see how the stars live when Martyn's involved. Also admire him for pulling out of MD when the producers wanted them to fake fight with each other. Such integrity, dignity and restraint in behaviour - though often so gorgeously over the top in decorating.
      Decided I'd google to see if my memories about Neisha Crosland's mother were correct. Felicity Crosland did become Roald Dahl's mistress after her friend and Roald's wife, Patricia Neal, had the stroke. By the way, if you haven't yet read it, Sophie Dahl's autobiographical book "Playing with the Grown-ups" is super good and very interesting.
      Wouldn't we all love to hire Martyn! Pammie xx

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    3. He has an energy about him that certain people just have inexplicably. I would love to hear the unedited stories not for polite society!! Kid Rock is a rock star but they had three weddings and then they divorced 6 weeks later. Very rock star. I would love to hire him and Mary Mcdonald at the same time just to stir it up! BUt will put that book on my to read list so thank you! xx

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  4. love a few little anecdotes about the clients!! Martyn sounds lovely - I always liked him the most on the show. He's very talented too. I have no idea that his wallpaper was out with T&G, I thought he only had the Schumacher range. Shall have to investigate.
    I wish we had Ann Sacks tiles here in Oz. We have so few options.
    Next year I am coming over and we can go to some of these talks together!! I'm so envious! xx

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    1. I think TG are the distributors for the UK but it was Schumacher and there were a few that were sooooo nice! I was tempted. Something to keep in mind for your next project ;) I liked him and Mary McD the most - for some reason I couldn't warm to Kathryn Ireland - don't know why and oddly I felt bad about not loving her. Those mirror tiles were so cool - not very "family" tho but his ceramic range was a lot easier for especially men to like. Oh Heidi - please make sure that you time your trip for the OL sale and Design week and I will tick all the talks and map it out for you! But make sure to bring your business card so you can legitimize me bc I was one of the few civilians there...xx

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  5. I'm sure that the Russian Oligarch won't have any trouble convincing the locals he inherited the Umbrian castle. I'll bet Martyn is the first guy over 25 to be in bed with Cher since that day Greg Allman was sober. I'd love to see the notes from his little consultation with Kid Rock & Pamela Anderson.

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    1. Giggling about the Cher bed thing! The Umbrian castle is nice but I just find Umbria a bit blah - if I had billions it would have been in the Amalfi coast in Sicily but each to their own. Apparently Kid Rock is a pensive rocker and they went out and bought those antique sitars and hung them on the walls. But his rock star side made sure that the long dining table would be strong enough for him to stand up and do impromptu concerts!

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  6. So fun to know how nice he was to you, Naomi, and you may want to adopt that signature as your own! That show is so entertaining, so far removed from reality--love it! Thanks for sharing this.

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    1. He couldn't have been nicer and yes I adore how he wrote out my name! I loved MDD too and wish it would come back...

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  7. On one of my trips over I was able to include London design week, so loved it. Must say I am positively jealous of your personal time with my fav. Lucky you! Thrilled to hear he is a gentleman, lovely.
    Cannot wait to read more about the show
    Cheers
    Debra

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    1. Isn't it just so much fun? And if one is inclined one can go just go "bar hopping"! Yes I am so pleasantly surprised and he has a great energy to him for sure. Hope you get to go to another one in the autumn!

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  8. This is wonderful Naomi and I'm so glad you had the opportunity to attend this. It's always interesting to find out how people "end up" successful. Successful chef's and designers with no formal training likely grew up around it .. such as this kind gentleman:) Great pic and you are so funny to crop yourself out!!

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    1. Yes when he insisted he had no formal training but then told us about his antique hunting as a child then I knew he was still schooled nevertheless. Even with a great raw talented eye these things are a combo of many things. I was so not photoready that I will just keep that pic in my computer :)

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  9. Wow, I am seriously jealous! Love Martin and he is my favorite on MDD! What a sweet and genuine person he is. He does seem to love life. Interesting about all these homes- Cher's especially. What a great experience to get to do this Naomi. Thanks for sharing with us! xx Kim

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    1. He is so sweet - there was no need to say hello or talk to me even. The Cher stories were hilarious - I think she is a diva off stage as well. I am glad you vicariously came along maybe one day you can come IRL? xx

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  10. I have never before had an interest in decorating ,but you make it seem so alluring.I might need to start learning.And, I hope you are busy practising that fab signature...

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    1. I find decorating a more lasting art than fashion and I love being at home so it is an interest I have had for a long time. But even if you arent into it I would say these talks are fun and interesting anyway to hear people at the top of their game speaking about what they do. I dare not mimic his signature though :)

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    2. Remember TV show the Osbornes I wonder if he did their home then... I loved the shabby opulent interiors -robyn

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  11. I am enjoying your London Design Week posts. You make me feel that I am actually there with you.

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    1. Thanks Gallivanta - that was what I was trying to do - take you on an interweb field trip :)

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  12. This would have been my perfect day out, I am too many miles away fromcivilisation now, I read about these things, sigh then stare out of the window, I'm an OAP Rapunzel!

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    1. Oh you are in an amazing city but I think it just takes a shake to see what is offered. I even felt like that about London a few years back believe it or not. But I find these things so much interesting than nightclubs now! Yes to the Rapunzel and no to the OAP!

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  13. I am so happy he turned out perfectly for you. Sounds like a wonderful event.

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    1. It was great but probably because I am not treating it like a trade show which it essentially is!

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  14. Do not follow designers and certainly not the ones who design and decorate for the rich and famous but he sounds like the Richard Branson of design. Engaging and passionate AND nice to boot. Sounds like fun.

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    1. The way he gets such high profile and wealthy clients I would say that is a fair comparison Mary!

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    2. Lucky! I met Jeffrey Alan Marks at SF design week! Martyns Tamara Mellon pad was nice. He's got a great thing going! -Robyn

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    3. I love JAM - by the way is he still engaged to Ross? I can't tell - but one of the funniest episodes is when they buy that dickinson table and then it is too small!!!

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    4. Was trying to figure that out too can't tell from either of their instagrams! Ross just started his own design firm so maybe splitsville? Both very hot. Oh in my antique dealing dabblings I sold vtg map to Nathan Turner! I nearly died he was very sweet. If I met Martyn wow he's Mega. Robyn

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    5. Both very hot and Ross is prettier than most women!

      Amazing you dealt with Nathan Turner! His lunches with Mary must be soo fun and I would love to be that fly on the proverbial wall Robyn!! Do you have website for your stuff by the way besides your instagram?

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  15. Such an interesting post. The part about Gloria's sink was a fun little tid bit. Looks like you had a great time and learnt a lot! Thanks for sharing it with us.

    :)
    mikky
    www.todaloos.com

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  16. I love this post, thanks so much for sharing your amazing day with us Naomi! I am trotting over to Amazon right now to buy that man's book, he sounds fabulous! So busy, yet charming and friendly, he sounds like a person who has found his calling and loves his career to bits.
    Hilarious about sitting in bed with Cher and the nutter who lived in her wig room, my gosh!

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    1. Glad you liked it Dani! He is super busy but super nice as well. I think she is one of those stars that is very Hollywood even off set!

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  17. FABULOUS post. Now I am a fan of this guy too and I never heard of him before right now! Love the stories about Cher and I seriously love that he kept Gloria Swanson (!)'s bathroom just as it is. Wow. I think my favorite experts are the ones who were not formally trained, they always have an interesting tale of how they got to wear they are, full of unexpected journeys, and I always learn a lot by listening to them. I'm not surprised Martyn spoke with you, he sounds so charming, intelligent, and yet humble too. I wish the 3 of us could go out for champagne, wouldn't we have the best time?!? And maybe he could teach me about design and decorating because I am missing that gene, I think. Ha. Excellent writing, Naomi, I felt like I was there with you! XO, Jill

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    1. Thanks Jill - I was surprised Martyn did bc I am neither a trade client and there were loads of other people there who were rather snooty bc I wasn't a trade client. So it was such a pleasant surprise let me tell ya! You have to come one week and check out all of London's offerings and have champagne either way xx

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  18. aaaw that's amazing Naomi. I'm so pleased you had the opportunity to have a conversation with him. I didn't know who he was before I read this post but I can understand why you were surprised he acknowledged you, he's pretty much a celebrity and celebs don't tend to acknowledge us 'civilians'. What a lovely memory you now have xx

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    1. Colleen, even though I know you are more a fashion girl than a home decor girl - you still have to watch the show million dollar decorators - it is a hoot!!! xx

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    2. I do love my home decor as well though. I'd say it's a close second, it's just when I see a fashion piece I like, more often than not I can buy it, but when I see a home decor piece (e.g. a bed, a sofa, a lamp) it's not so easy to buy on impulse - cost wise and space wise. I will check the show out, I watch the channel Home xx

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  19. What a fabulous experience Naomi!! How lovely that he came over to talk to you... just shows he has never forgotten his humble start in life and it's refreshing to come across someone who is so accessible! I would have adored to listen to him and hear all the funny stories! So enjoyed this post!! How is your newly renovated home treating you? xxx

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    1. You would have loved it Jenny! You must try and organize your next trip to London around a design week. So much fun just listening to lots of different people in such intimate settins as well. I wish he did a weekly decor talk show! Post to come soon but I am exhausted and it's not even finished yet! Cant wait to see yours xx

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  20. OMG Naomi-this is major! I love that show and to meet Martyn in person is exciting. He has done some fabulous projects and it's fun to peek into his Umbrian villa project. Wow! He could have done some improvements on the Umbrian Villa we stayed in a few years ago-quaint but tired. I adored this post and am so happy for you girlfriend. Now let's talk about why you cropped yourself out of that photo.....;)
    xx

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    1. Hi there - thanks Heather - who knew he would be so nice? It was so good to hear properly how he designed rooms rather than him having to perform for the camera. He was so entertaining and I do think he needs another tv show! I am still very shy Heather!! xxx

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  21. I was a fan of Million Dollar decorators. Martyn was in my top 4. Am much more interested after reading this post. My favourite episode of his was when he helped his sister. Agree re no formal training. Also beware of those people that feel they never feel like they 'work' (b/c they love their job so much), My husband's one of those. I barely see him! Imagine staying in Cher's wig closet for 3 days!

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  22. I learn so much from your blog! I've been researching all these decorators now lol! And this tv show you speak of "millionaire decorators"? Well I shall get my partner to track it down for me! Sounds so fascinating to meet these talented people and hear them speak. The idea of being an interior designer sounds like such an awesome job though I am certain it is very very hard to do well! I don't understand the snobbiness at this event though - why on earth look down on someone who is exposing their mind to an artistic world? So rude! You have strength if character to go on and not let it phase you - sounds as if they were actively trying to make you feel uncomfortable enough to leave! Awful!

    Ps. Thanks for taking the time to reply to comments. So much appreciated!

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    1. That is so kind of you to say Anne! You just have to watch it - sooo much fun! I would have signed a petition for season 3 if there was one going you know :)

      Yes and oddly it was decorators and people who were small timers that had the attitude...Oh well, lucky I am quite confident so it didn't get me down but I did think it was funny and interesting that the big timers were chatting to me and they werent...

      And I understand those who don't comment as I didn't know how to comment properly before I blogged but I appreciate the time and effort that it takes to comment so if anything I appreciate it greatly.

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