Meg Mathews: Once best known for the man she married and her party lifestyle, she is now a force to be reckoned with in the world of interior design. Her celebrity client list includes the Beckhams, Kate Moss, Jo Wood and Cher and as if that weren't impressive enough, she also designs her own rock 'n' roll-inspired wallpaper range, silk scarves and is launching a new soft furnishings brand, S&M, later this year.
We grabbed ten minutes with Meg to talk home style:
Meg Mathews. Pic: Caroline True
1. Where do you call home?
Primrose Hill, London.
2. What drew you to your current house?
I used to live in a townhouse, but was looking for somewhere with a loft-type feeling but couldn't find it in Primrose Hill. So I started to look at East London, which had the warehouse feel and the space I was looking for, but there just wasn't the villagey feel there that I wanted - it just didn't feel quite right. Then someone told me about this 'mini estate' that was built in the 1960s in Primrose Hill that I hadn't known about before and that's where I found the place. It's great, because it's open-plan with a spiral staircase and great outside decking – it's huge.
3. A friend is popping round for a cuppa and a catch-up. Is it a frantic tidy-up or can they take you as they find you?
Frantic tidy-up.
4. What three words would you most like people to use when describing your home?
The Pop Box. It's my style – lots of bright pink, lots of pop art, silver shag pile carpets, white ostrich leather chairs - that kind of thing.
5. Apart from your own, whose is the nicest home you've visited and why?
Sting's house in Malibu is amazing - it's in The Colony, so it's right by the beach and just incredible. The other one is probably Kate Moss's house in St John's Wood, just because it's pure style.
6. Where do you tend to shop for your home?
Pink snakeskin wallpaper by Meg Mathews. Pic: Courtesy of Meg Mathews
7. You're a successful interior designer – have you had any celebrity clients you're allowed to tell us about?
Yes. Posh & Becks - Beckingham Palace, Jo Wood, Cher, Kate Moss, Myleene Klass, Davina McCall and I'm about to work with Henry Holland and Nick Grimshaw.
8. What was the last thing you bought for your home?
A 7ft pink bunny from Japan.
9. What's on the walls in your home?
Pop art.
10. What's the worst decorating decision you've ever made?
The worst mistake I ever made was to lacquer a room completely in black – it was a disaster and looked terrible, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me businesswise.
I was standing there looking at this mess and I was so ashamed of it, I found myself saying to the builders: "Oh you don't think I'm going to leave it like that do you? No – I've got wallpaper I'm putting up." Then I looked down at the Alexander McQueen scarf I was wearing and said: "Skull wallpaper."
I then said to my business partner that we had to find a factory quick and get some skull wallpaper made, which we managed somehow to do within a week! And my wallpaper company was born.
11. What's the most you've ever spent on a single item of furniture?
I bought a bed for £6,000.
12. What's the most amazing furniture bargain you've ever found?
The 'diamond'-encrusted skulls I have from Dwell. They look a bit like the Damien Hirst ones and people are always commenting on them. I've got two in my bathroom.
Black skull wallpaper by Meg Mathews. Pic: Courtesy of Meg Mathews
13. Which room in your house did you last decorate and what look did you go for?
I painted the whole house white about a month ago. Every room in the house has my wallpaper in it, but where there's no wallpaper, it's white.
14. In which room at home are you happiest?
My bedroom.
15. Where do you spend the most time at home?
The lounge.
16. Your signature looks as a designer include snakeskin and skulls. Are these reflected in your home?
Definitely - and pink too - pink snakeskin walls, pink Ligne Roset sofa.
17. You have designed amazing wallpapers and scarves, but if forced, could you knock up a pair of curtains or a cushion cover?
Absolutely not, no - I'm rubbish at that stuff. My daughter's just gone off to school and I think she's the only one there without the hand-sewn name labels in her uniform – hers just have "AG" scrawled on in marker pen.
18. Is Anaïs allowed to style her own bedroom?
No. I have to say I do like my house to be a bit of a showcase for my work and my wallpaper is everywhere – she does have one wall that's already covered in Twilight posters and I reckon I've probably only got about another two years before I have to let her, but until then it's me.
Russian doll scarf by Meg Mathews. Pic: Courtesy of Meg Mathews
19. Where and what would be your ultimate fantasy home?
I would love to live in Venice Beach, California in one of those amazing concrete and wood houses.
20. What next for Meg Mathews the interior designer?
I'm about to launch a new range called S&M [stands for Sean, her partner, & Meg] – it's sofas, soft furnishings and also these amazing old-style trunks - kind of a Ralph Lauren/Hermès feel but a rock 'n' roll version.
They're great for hallways, sort of a sexy 'sofa come chest' – great for sitting on to take off riding boots, that kind of thing. We'll be launching it at the Ideal Home Exhibition and it will be available at Liberty.
To see more of Meg's work, visit: www.megmathews.co.uk
Meg's range of wallpapers and scarves are available to buy online at www.liberty.co.uk