Interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has spoken out about his unconventional living situation with his wife Jackie, their two daughters, their husbands and their four grandchildren
12:19, 03 Jan 2026Updated 12:20, 03 Jan 2026
Laurence and Jackie live with their kids and their grandkids
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has responded to critics who find his unconventional living arrangement ‘strange’. The 60 year old interior designer shares his home with his wife Jackie, their adult daughters, Hermione, 26, and Cecile, 29, along with their husbands Dan and Drew, and their four grandchildren, Albion, 8, Demelza, 3, Romily, 1, and Eleanora, 18 months.
Laurence sparked a mixed reaction when he first revealed the unique setup of the entire family residing under one roof in his six-bedroom Cotswolds manor house. The former Changing Rooms star expressed joy about his close-knit family unit and countered those who disapprove and find the arrangement ‘strange’.
They all live under one roof in his six-bedroom Cotswolds manor house
Laurence and Jackie have been together for over four decades
“I still think a lot of people think it is a bit strange,” he told the Daily Mail. “But actually, it is a very kind of straightforward and instinctive way of a family being together,” he insisted.
“It’s a very, very odd idea that came out of the 20th century, this idea of children leaving the home. Actually, traditionally, you stayed if you all worked on the farm together or you worked in the shop together, so in a funny sort of way, we just kind of reviving that, but it made great sense for us.
“You know, we live in a big house. It was very much just me and Jackie. Why do we not then bring the children and their children in with us?”
Discussing how the family manages being in each other’s space every day, Laurence added: “There are moments where you’ve got to work quite hard. But I think that happens in any family.”
Despite the chaos of his bustling household, Laurence manages to keep the romance alive with his wife Jackie. The enamoured pair, who have been a couple for over four decades, marked their 35th wedding anniversary this year.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has shared the joys of his whole family living under one roof(Image: BBC/Expectation Entertainment)
He shared: “In January, we will basically have been together for 41 years. So, I mean, that’s a significant portion of a lifetime.
“We were very good at making a commitment, and, you know, in those 41 years, there have been moments where we’ve had to work very hard to ensure that we were still getting on, that we were still sparking off each other. And I think that’s something that some people are quite quick to give up on.”
The designer went on to say: “You do have to find positives. It’s not a Disney movie You do wake up in the morning and you do feel grumpy. You do have moments where, you know, things p*** you off. I’m quite a tolerant person. That’s cool. That works really well. I’m quite laid back.”
“There are times when Jackie is very energised, but, I mean, after 41 years together, you know the ins and outs. You know the warning signs.”
Laurence is preparing for another release of his property series, House Of The Year, alongside judges Jane Larmour, James Fairley and Patricia McGinnis.
House Of The Year returns to BBC iPlayer and BBC One Northern Ireland with the first five episodes available to watch from Monday 5 January. In each episode, three new homes will compete for one of five places in the grand final where they could be crowned – House Of The Year. The grand final will broadcast February 9.
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