Since appearing on Love Island back in 2016, Olivia Bowen has easily become one of the most memorable contestants from the hit ITV show. Although she's built up success in lifestyle and beauty, what a lot of people don't know is that Olivia is actually quite the interiors enthusiast.
Frequently taking to her home account on Instagram, Olivia has long been keen to share her home renovation journey with fans, getting stuck into easy DIY projects and more.
Just like us, Olivia has learned to navigate the many ever-shifting home decor trends flooding our social media feeds, having gone through the same cycle of once adoring the millennial-beloved trends of grey and crushed velvet to gaining the courage to go bolder with her interior choices at The Bowen Home.
Speaking exclusively to Ideal Home, Olivia tells us about her interior style, and how it's changed over the years, revealing her biggest piece of advice for those looking to make the same leap.
You can follow Olivia on @oliviadbowen & @thebowenhome.
'I think my personal taste has really changed,' begins Olivia. 'I think maximalism is coming back and I'm really about it because we've gone for a lot of pattern, clashing colours, a lot of wood, and a lot of texture. Personality is coming back into homes.'
'We've seen the grey and the beige, and I think it's now disappearing a little bit,' she adds. This is something we've seen as well through recent colour trend forecasts for this year, in particular. 'I still like them because it gives a really nice base to add colour, but I think if you can, be a bit more crazy with it because it's fun. It's a fun project to have in our new house.'
'I'm designing my office and it's definitely giving me 70s/80s vibes with lots of colours and lots of random things picked up from antiques. So for me, I think maximalism needs to come back in. I love it,' says Olivia.
Well, Olivia's in luck because we're seeing personality-driven, maximalist interiors taking centre stage more and more among this year's design trends.
However, while the prospect of reaching for braver interior choices is easy enough to imagine and put together on a Pinterest board, it's not always that easy to put into practice – especially if you've been tied down by grey living room colour schemes for so long.
Asking Olivia how she made the leap, she says, 'I don't know what happened. I think I grew as a person and saw more of the world and went to different countries, and I think it just came with age. I know that sounds really funny to say. Also, confidence is a huge thing and in the same breath, confidence comes with age.'
'So, I think it was believing in myself more and believing that if I liked the way something looks and thought it might work, to just go for it. I think a lot of people are so tuned into trends that they forget your home is an extension of you,' she continues.
'Now, I find that I want to look at things that are really interesting in a house now. I appreciate it when I walk into a home and I see something that has a story behind it.'
This isn't to say that you shouldn't not consider current living room trends and the lot bobbing around social media because they do serve as inspiration, but rather, remember that they aren't everything.
'The thing is, I still do follow a lot of trends, but I only pick up the ones that I really love. Trends only come from people trying things that are new or giving something a go, and I feel like anyone can do that, so long as you stay true to yourself. A trend can influence something, but ultimately, it should be something that you love,' urges Olivia.
'You always need to go with your gut and your heart. Your home is meant to be an extension of your personality and an extension of you. So, I feel like anything that speaks to you, you should go for it.'
