Lucy Searle
Lucy Searle, formerly Global Editor-in-Chief of Homes & Gardens, overseeing the heritage UK magazine brand and the Global digital brand, is now Content Director across Homes & Gardens, Woman & Home, Ideal Home and Real Homes.
Lucy has written about, edited and commissioned interiors, property and gardens content for over 30 years, starting within the interiors departments of women's magazines before switching to interiors-only titles in the mid-1990s, when she also appeared on TV as the decorating expert on an interiors and cookery show. Lucy spent five years as Associate Editor on Ideal Home, one of Britain's biggest and oldest interiors titles, and was Launch Editor of 4Homes magazine for Channel 4, one of the UK's top TV channels, before moving into digital in 2007, launching Channel 4's flagship website, Channel4.com/4homes, covering everything homes and gardens-related. The site went on to win many early web awards.
In 2018, Lucy took on the role of Global Editor in Chief for Realhomes.com, taking the site from a small magazine add-on to a global success, with a large US audience. She was asked to repeat that success at Homes & Gardens, where she has also taken on the editorship of the magazine, which is the UK's oldest interiors magazine at 103 years old.
Lucy earned a BA Hons in French and Spanish at the University of London, after which she spent a year on campus at the University of Maryland. Lucy is a serial renovator – she has flipped six properties – and also owns rental properties in the UK and Europe, so brings first-hand knowledge to the subjects she oversees.
She has many design heroes, but if forced to pick two on each side of the Atlantic, they would be Jake Arnold and Irene Gunter – both create beautiful homes that are inviting and practical.
Interviews with Lucy:
Walls & Floors: Talking Design
Inside Stylists: Talking Interiors
Foam & Bubbles: Bathroom Advice & Ideas
Latest articles by Lucy Searle
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Interior designer Emma Sims Hilditch reveals imaginative ways with wall tiles
Adept at adding character to country interiors, the designer shows how wall tiles can lift your schemes further
By Lucy Searle Published
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Planning a winter garden – expert planting and design tips
Start planning a winter garden so you can enjoy a backyard that is still full of interest, color and scent in the colder months
By Lucy Searle Published
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Home decor ideas – 47 chic interior design schemes
We show how seasonal updates, simple home decor tricks and more dramatic room makeovers will help you transform your rooms
By Lucy Searle Published
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5 exciting ways to totally transform your home with paint – in a weekend
Paint and color expert Annie Sloan shares her favorite ways to reboot your rooms, fast
By Lucy Searle Published
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Fireplace ideas – 18 fabulous ways with fireplace design
These imaginative fireplace ideas will transform the look and feel of any room in your home
By Lucy Searle Published
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Textured wall ideas – 13 surfaces you'll want to reach out and touch
Using textured wall ideas in your interiors can create luxurious, layered looks for any and every room
By Lucy Searle Last updated
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5 lessons this remodel will teach you for designing an apartment with character
Interior designer Anna Agapova from O&A London on how to decorate for impact, from creating intriguing open-plan spaces to introducing drama with wall finishes
By Lucy Searle Published
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Repairing patches in grass – an expert guide
Bare, yellow or brown patches in grass can ruin the look of a lawn. These are the best ways to repair them
By Lucy Searle Last updated
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How to fertilize a lawn – an expert guide
This expert guide to feeding and fertilizing a lawn will ensure lush, thick grass in the season ahead
By Lucy Searle Last updated
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When is Labor Day?
Here's when Labor Day sales start this fall
By Lucy Searle Published
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6 colorful interior design teachings you'll soak up from artist Heather Chontos' home
Interiors stylist and writer visits the artist's rural French home to explore how her self-expression influences her home's interiors
By Lucy Searle Published
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Natural swimming pools – everything you need to know
From the basics of making a natural swimming pool to its size and safety features, this guide will help you start planning your own watery idyll
By Lucy Searle Last updated
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Happy room ideas – 11 spaces designed to make you smile
Every room should be a happy room, created to make you feel energized, positive and well. These spaces will do just that
By Lucy Searle Published
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Mudroom ideas – 34 tips and pictures for a super-organized space
Use these mudroom ideas to create a space that's super practical but beautiful, too
By Lucy Searle Last updated
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How to make bowl covers – easy steps with upcycled fabrics
Making bowl covers will mean no more covering food with plastic, and pretty-looking bowls on the countertop
By Lucy Searle Published
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How do I add interest to my kitchen? 7 design experts reveal their top tips
Adding character to a kitchen starts with the basics and ends with the details. Here's how you can add interest to your space
By Lucy Searle Published
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Sustainable fabrics – the fibers to look for and questions to ask
Recycled textiles expert Jules Haines advises buying sustainable fabrics for your interiors project
By Lucy Searle Published
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Homemade moth repellent – get rid of moths, naturally
You can make your own moth repellent using herbs and essential oils. It's easy to do and more sustainable than products sold in-store
By Lucy Searle Published
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Homemade kitchen cleaner – an easy eco step-by-step
Creating your own homemade kitchen cleaner needn't be a chore – here, author Jen Chillingsworth shows us how; it can be used in bathrooms, too
By Lucy Searle Published
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How to make laundry detergent – a recipe for eco-friendly washing powder
Author Jen Chillingsworth shows how easy making your own laundry detergent at home is – and you can add essential oils to create a fragrance unique to you
By Lucy Searle Published
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9 ways to be sustainable at home
Being sustainable at home is more important than ever – writer Ida Magntorn is making it easier with these considered points
By Lucy Searle Published
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Decorating with antiques – 12 design tips plus advice on buying antiques
This advice for decorating with antiques will help you add character and charm to your home. This is how top interior designers go about it, and how they shop
By Lucy Searle Last updated
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Renovation ideas – 9 dream home remodelling projects to inspire you in 2022
These magnificent renovation projects from top designers have plenty of inspiration and ideas for your schemes
By Lucy Searle Last updated
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Renovating a house: an expert guide
Restoration expert Owen Pacey advises on renovating a house – to preserve its original character and period features
By Lucy Searle Last updated