Linda Barker on work, life and her love of East Yorkshire

Buyers of new-build homes are often enticed with added extras but the Quattro Property Group has an especially compelling one for those who purchase an apartment at its Southfield & Ellis development on Station Parade in Harrogate.

Everyone who reserves one of the 20, one and two-bedroom homes will be eligible for an interiors consultation with celebrity designer Linda Barker, who will create mood boards for three rooms of the buyer’s choice. The properties, which are on the market with Linley and Simpson, range from £215,000 to £649,500.

“It’s something I love doing,” says Linda, whose main home is now in Yorkshire. “Sitting down with a client, creating a scheme and getting an idea of the style and look they want is really enjoyable. Plus interiors trends are ever-changing and there’s always something new. I love that aspect of the job.”

Private client design and consultancy is something she has always done alongside other design projects and the TV shows that she is best known for, including Changing Rooms, which made her a star in the 1990s, followed by 60 Minute Makeover and I’m a Celebrity, among others.

Her latest venture is her own brand of eco-friendly, non-toxic paints, which she has developed in collaboration with a small, independent manufacturer in the north.

Made with earth pigments, they are breathable, virtually odourless and mineral-based with an exceptional depth of colour. There are three finishes: ultra matte, classic eggshell and contemporary satin plus 90 shades to choose from.

“I have always wanted to do my own paint range so this is a passion project. I found an amazing manufacturer in Lancashire with fantastic eco credentials and their paint is heaven to use. Decorators love it.

“The palette has been designed so that any two of the colours are guaranteed to go together. It is called the Colour Compass and it takes the worry out of combining colours. You can put any two together and they will be harmonious,” says Linda, who also gets top marks for creativity when naming the paints, which is now a must thanks to Farrow and Ball’s sterling efforts.

Many are inspired by Yorkshire landscapes and by Linda’s favourite walks. So there is Malham Tarn, a deep blue, Ilkley, a gorgeous teal, and Pen Y Ghent, a grey blue.

While some predict that grey may slip out of fashion as everyone’s favourite neutral, Linda disagrees: “It has been around for a few years and I don’t think our love affair will fade. People adore it because it goes with everything and it looks far better than brilliant white.”

She has also named one of her colours Dorothy, after her mother. It is described as “an eternal companion in blue-grey”, while Moor , “catching a lilac glimpse through rain showers”, is inspired by the moorland close to her childhood home in Shelf. She grew up on a farm there before leaving to study fine art at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design in Farnham, now the University for the Creative Arts.

Among her current favourite shades is Borrowdale, an olive green paint inspired by walks in the Lake District. “I am going to paint my kitchen in it and I’ve used it in my bedroom, along with Kissing Gate pink and Little Voice, which is a soft grey I have used on the ceiling and woodwork,” says Linda, who is enjoying using her own paint in her Georgian home on the Holderness peninsula near Hull.

She and husband Chris have been working on it for over three years since they sold their house in Ellerton, near Howden. The property served her well during lockdown. “It was a lovely place to be in lockdown as it has a big garden, where I am growing veg, and we did a lot of work on the house as we are very hands on with the renovation. There’s still a long way to go with it but it will be worth the wait,” she says.

The location has also brought much joy. “A lot of people don’t realise that Holderness exists. They think everything stops at Hull but there’s another 20 miles to go and that’s where we are. I love the quietness and the wildness of it and it doesn’t get any wilder than Spurn Point, which is at the end.”

While many are oblivious to Holderness, Linda is pleased that other parts of East Yorkshire are now on the radar for visitors and home buyers and that it is giving North Yorkshire a run for its money. David Hockney’s paintings of the Wolds put the spotlight on the natural beauty of the area and house prices are lower than in North Yorkshire.

Developers have woken up to its many charms, which include fabulous countryside, pretty villages, great market towns and easy striking distance of the coast, along with good transport links. They have been busy buying up land for building.with beautiful Beverley, the jewel in East Yorkshire’s crown, along with the towns of Driffield and Pocklington, now hotspots for housing development.

“The East is amazing,” says Linda. “It’s good to see it getting the recognition it deserves.”

A few of Linda ‘s favourite things:

*I love natural fabrics and try to be as environmentally aware as possible when I buy things for the home.

*I like work by artists and makers. The hand of the maker makes such a difference and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Having a coffee in a hand thrown mug can bring a lot of joy. I love visiting craft fairs and exhibitions. It feeds the soul.

*I enjoy upcycling furniture, especially now I have my own paints, and anyone can give it a go.

*The Southfield & Ellis apartment development on Station Parade in Harrogate has 20, one and two-bedroom homes from £215,000 to £649,500. Buyers are eligible for an interiors consultation with Linda who will create mood boards for three rooms of the buyer’s choice. Contact Linley & Simpson for details, tel: 01423 540054.

*For more information and colour charts for the Linda Barker Paints visit the website at www.lindabarkerpaints.com

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Thank you

James Mitchinson