When Friends Sleep Over, This Playroom’s Double Bunks Are Also Front-Row Movie Seats
Across the way, the play gym secretly stores toys.
Olivia Lidbury
Writer
Olivia Lidbury is a freelance writer based in the UK. She has been regularly contributing to Domino since 2021, pitching charming British houses, whimsical apartments and must-see vacation lets. Olivia also regularly writes for a number of national UK titles, such as The Times, and The Sunday Times Style magazine. She lives just outside of London in Kent.
Highlights
- Loves nothing more than snooping around a beautiful home under the pretext of ‘work’, and discovering how people choose to live and embellish their surroundings. She also loves the challenge of fleshing out an idea into a must-know trend.
- Personal interests include exploring restaurants and new openings around Kent and the East Sussex coast.
- Prior to being freelance, Olivia cut her teeth on the fashion desk of The Daily Telegraph, where she worked for eight years. She has also written for the London Evening Standard and vogue.co.uk.
Experience
Having worked for a national newspaper under a very exacting fashion director, Olivia understands the value of good communication and a hard deadline. Stepping away from catwalk and celebrity reportage to go freelance in 2016, she made a gradual switch to interiors and decor, her fashion contacts providing a unique dimension on ideas and access.
Olivia has an affection for craft and of small businesses, and relishes how championing their work can impact their exposure. She is also a cheerleader for shopping sustainably, and spoke at the 2022 ATG (Auction Technology Group) Art & Antiques conference.
Education
After graduating from high school in Manchester, Olivia took an art foundation year, where it was confirmed that her fine art and sculpture skills were questionable. But she found an affinity with photography, and was accepted to study at the London College of Fashion. After a term she had a wobble and switched to the journalism degree—and hasn’t looked back.
Most Successful DIY Hack
As a mid-term stop-gap, I painted the dark blue tiles I inherited in my main bathroom a crisp white. It took about six coats! Two years on, the makeover is still going strong and makes being in the space less oppressive.
Notable Work
- The Brits Do Everything Better, Including Tiny Vacation Rentals Domino
- Upgrade Your Spare Room and Make Your Guests Feel at Home Sunday Times Style
- Why It’s Worth Restoring Original Features Back into Your Home The Telegraph
- Inside Bell Hutley’s West London Basement Flat The Evening Standard
Get the Latest From Olivia Lidbury (Page 4 Results)
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Plus a vent hood wrapped in galactic-looking granite.
The Living Room Layout This Melbourne Home’s Designer Will Definitely Use Again
And the bedroom detail her clients sold her on.
The Monochromatic Bathroom Idea That Gave These Designers Their “Bingo!” Moment
Frankly, this countryside retreat is full of them.
A Glassed-In Home Office Sits in the Center of This Family’s Hardworking Brooklyn Loft
Clever furniture placement delineates the rest.
In This Designer’s Home, a Pink and Saffron Powder Room and Bouclé Banquette Are Like “Little Winks”
Every space features a sense of play.
How a Mom Pulled Off a Superhero-Themed Bedroom Without a Cartoon in Sight
An artsy IKEA bed hack is involved.
An Old Art-School Hack Helped This Designer Mom Customize Her Kids’ Wardrobe
The bedroom ceiling got its own crafty treatment.
Try Not to Be Charmed by This Cotswolds Home’s Crooked Walls and Fairy-Tale Fireplaces
The kitchen, thankfully, doesn’t date to 1680.