BlooMen Marvellous

Who needs a garden when your home can feel like spring? Interiors stylist Martin Bourne's New York pad is a ravishing riot of colour and patterns.

My wonderful and super talented friend James Merrell photographed this gorgeous story for me.

all pictures by James Merrell

British interiors stylist Martin Bourne and his boyfriend Leilin Lopez, a fashion stylist, live in a raw, ex-industrial space in Dumbo, Brooklyn that's been transformed into an eclectic, playful and permanently spring-like home filled with colour and quirky finds."The vibe around here is gritty, rough and raw so walking off the street into our home is like walking into a whimsical serene fairytale," says Martin.

He's a man with an outlook as sunny as his home, full of enthusiasm for a host of colours, pattern and eras, which he throws together in a happy-go-lucky way to create an original space in a style he describes as "vintage romanticisim". "I am drawn to nostalgic pieces full of colour and texture reminding me of my childhood and places I've been," he says. There's a "happy accidents" feel about the space. "We buy things we like and then work out what to do with them. I have discovered that nice things should stay in the shop and you should only buy the things you react strongly to", says Martin.
With an overlapping passion for fashion interiors the couple's home has become one big moodboard, where they hang pictures, try out colours and use the space as a laboratory. Soft tones of blue, pink and green in the living area keep the space light and fresh. For the bedroom a shade of a warm brown has been applied to keep things calmer and simpler.
The sources of their look can be traced back to Martin's British heritage and Leilin's Guatemalan traditions. "I have a more historical, eccentric outlook while Leilin loves mid-century, colour and slightly more crazy things than I do," explains Martin. These days the couple get a buzz from the diverse people in New York. "It's a constant source of inspiration with what people are wearing or carrying," says Martin.
And at the end of the day, this is a space that proves home is where the heart is. "The fabric of this building doesn't mean anything to me. It's about the bits that I have collected inside. They represent my memories: fun times, hauling furniture up the stairs, people in my life and my travels. It doesn't matter where I am; these things follow me."