Pineapples, leopard print fabrics and Louis chairs. Not much goes untouched at the hands of London based interior design studio Barlow & Barlow. With projects across West London and as far as New York and Jamaica, we managed to sneak some time with Lucy Barlow, her husband Josh and their dog, Figaro.
Tell us a bit about Barlow & Barlow?
Barlow & Barlow was established in 2013. I’d been working for myself on a big development job on the strand for about a year, while my brother was working for a famous lighting design company, John Cullen. We suddenly had a light bulb moment to join forces and set up our own interior design studio. We mainly do residential jobs in London and also abroad including Dublin, Marbella, New York and more recently Jamaica.
My brother has since created his own lighting company but we still work very closely on the same projects. My husband, who is an architect and builder, has since joined Barlow & Barlow and we run the business together.
How do you find working with your husband?
I mean, it is amazing and we are so lucky to get to enjoy working creatively together. We are good at totally different things. He looks after the more technical aspects of a project, and I’m more decorating and soft furnishings.
Yes, what I consider the fun stuff! We compliment each other really well. I can’t lie, sometimes it’s tough when we go a day and work is all we talk about, but so far so good.
Can you describe your style in three words?
Maximalist, (I always want this, but sometimes clients don’t), classic or traditional but with a quirky twist.
What’s been one of your most challenging projects so far?Working in Jamaica is really hard because of the time difference and the island mentality. It’s a private beach house almost in the middle of nowhere, very James Bond-esque.
Oh, sounds dreamy.
I noticed that you’ve named all your projects on your website by occupations?
Yes! As there has to be a real level of privacy so not to give away a location or name of a client, I decided to use their profession to label projects. I think this gives a project a lot more context, once you know about the people who live in the spaces. 
What’s the best piece of advice when it comes to interior design?
What I always say is to have a bit of fun. People can get so stressed and caught up on choosing a paint colour or a fabric for their headboard, as if they don’t get it right it could be the worst thing to happen. I understand that it can be quite overwhelming, but it’s important to just take a step back and realise no one is going to get hurt, so just have fun and be brave!
I like that.
One of our values at Bailey Nelson is to ‘look different’. How do you feel Barlow & Barlow reflects this?
That’s exactly what our mentality is. I think it’s really important not to follow trends too strictly, which can be hard when we are so over stimulated by Instagram and Pinterest showing us ‘what’s hot right now’. It's good to take on board what’s going on in the fashion world, but to then also stick with your own vibe.
Yes, I think Barlow & Barlow has definitely found it’s vibe.
What new and exciting things are coming up for Barlow & Barlow?
Well we are always trying to increase our product line by collaborating with exciting brands, so keep your eyes out for that. In terms of projects, we will hopefully have some of our amazing London projects in magazines for the end of the year. 
To see work by Barlow & Barlow check out barlowandbarlow.com and to keep updated with what Lucy’s up, to follow her instagram @barlowandbarlow
Lucy wears Isabelle in Candy Red. Also pictured is Margot in Lilac Crystal & Isabelle in Yellow Tort. Josh wears Lincoln in Havana.
Photos by @calumheadfilm