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Table Top: Lucy Gough

Table Top Lucy Gough Arlo and Jacob

Interior stylist Lucy Gough believes every successful scheme starts with a story. Discover her tips for styling with confidence.

Dynamic interior stylist Lucy Gough takes a 360-degree approach to her creativity. She lives and breathes interiors as both a professional stylist and when running her online course.
The virtuoso Australian, known for her eye-catching schemes, has carved out her own career path since relocating from Sydney to London. Her captivating interiors have featured in Livingetc, Marie Claire and The Sunday Times Style, alongside numerous commercial and residential projects.

Style by Lucy shares her styling tips with Table Top and gives us a glimpse into her striking Victorian family home.

Table-Top-Lucy-Gough

Tip One: Take creative risks because everything is reversible

Oozing with confidence, Lucy has worked with some of the biggest brands in the homewares game. Her passion for design is such that not even lockdown could slow her down. Rather, she channelled her skills and experience into developing an online interior styling course that since launch constantly sells out.

Following her own best advice, Lucy embraces change with aplomb and always experiments with colour and layout at own home.
“I always say everything is reversible and if you want to try different colours, there's nothing to say you can't paint them back again," she shares. "Have confidence in your choices but don’t feel they are permanent.”

Table Top Lucy Gough

Tip Two: Maximise what your home can do for you

"People are trying to be as entrepreneurial as possible with their homes," shares Lucy. "Some people have created new businesses during the lockdown; for example, developing their houses as locations to be hired out."

Further, leveraging one's home includes investing in a home office or adding value by converting unused space. “People are putting more money into their homes because they are spending so much time in them.”

Table Top Lucy Gough

Tip Three: Create depth and mood in an interior with a story

A natural story-teller, before Lucy leapt into professional interior styling, she worked in publishing. Despite the career change, Lucy admits her love for stories still influences her styling methods.

“There is always a story to the image I create, and I like to be able to imagine the person in the shot," she shares. "I’m also not too fond of things being too serious, and there needs to have a playful side to things."

Tip Four: Interiors should feel timeless

“Don’t fall into the trap of selecting things instantly and going to a few shops and furnishing a home by buying an entire look from the showroom floor," Lucy advises. "It won't feel personal at all, and it doesn’t feel like much of a soul."

Similarly, one way to achieve a timeless look is by featuring modern pieces side-by-side next to traditional ones. "I always recommend doing that, and I think it's really nice to show things that you’ve collected over your lifetime. It's really nice when you buy new furniture like a sofa and add other pieces together that tell a story."

Table Top Lucy Gough

Tip Five: Embrace change in your home

Based in eclectic south London, Lucy shares her busy family home with her partner Christina and their two young boys. As both their careers continue to evolve whilst also juggling family life, Lucy has learnt that our homes need to grow and change too.

“People change their houses every week and play around with their stuff day in and out," she says. "So why not experiment with what you and get inventive."

Lucy remembers when she was growing up in Sydney; her mother was always changing their house, "I think that’s why I became a stylist because she was always moving things around, and she wasn’t necessarily acquiring things, it's just more she was embracing the idea that with our homes a change is as good as a holiday.”

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