THREE GENERATIONS UNDER ONE ROOF

Celebrated interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and his wife Jackie restyle their beautiful Cotswolds home for their expanding family

- TRACY SCHAVERIEN

There is seldom a dull moment at Laurence and Jackie Llewelyn-Bowen's colourful and eclectic manor house in the Cotswolds. The interior designer and TV personality has always been an extrovert but the addition to their household of the couple's two daughters, their husbands and four small grandchildren means that life is anything but quiet.

For the past five years the three families have lived under one roof, with Laurence and Jackie taking on the role of hands-on grandparents and all ten members of the family getting together over dinner.

FAMILY MAGIC

"I think this is exactly where families were 150 years ago," Laurence tells HELLO! as he shows us their recently refurbished home.

"It was only the 20th century that came up with this rather silly idea that you had to leave the nest and that old people would be left to get older, and more and more lonely, while young people would be forced to live crazy existences in cities where they didn't have time to look after their children.

"I came to this idea that it would be foolish for them all to start househunting; the money involved is absolutely crazy. And we lived in a house that I felt was big and flexible enough to be able to accommodate three households.

"We've got the most spectacular garden, and we've got a lot of love, a lot of time and a lot of experience. To be able to pool that among all the generations is a really good thing. The dynamic works incredibly well, because it means that if anyone has a problem, it's now a problem that is shared."

Laurence and Jackie, who recently celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary, relish their roles as "naughty" grandparents.