An interview with Réli & Laurie, the creative minds behind Style Makers
Having worked with the brilliant interior stylist and journalist Laurie Davidson on features in interior magazines over the years, we were excited to hear of her exciting new styling partnership with Réli Farjon, whose gorgeous and colourful home we are officially in love with. Coming together to create Style Makers, the power couple is teaming up to present and host workshops and bring their shared colourful and creative vision to styling projects.
As successful stylists, presenters and content creators, Laurie & Reli are experts in the wonderful world of interiors - there is nothing they don't know! With an exciting year ahead, we caught up with the design duo to find out how Style Makers started, the top trends for 2025, and a few tips and tricks on creating a fabulous home sanctuary. Keep reading to discover their story and steal some of their expert advice for your own home...
10 Mins With Laurie & Réli
1. Let’s start at the very beginning, tell us all about yourselves.
L: We’re Laurie and Réli, aka the Style Makers, and we’re a duo with a joint passion for interiors And biophilic design. We’ve teamed up to sprinkle some styling magic to sets on large events and photoshoots. You’ll also find us hosting those events as well as running workshops, presenting home & garden inspiration videos and creating content for socials.
R: Teaming up as a duo means we can take on bigger projects. It also brings a great dynamic when we run our workshops or co-present events and talks. Laurie being the calm and composed one, and me being the class clown having to be reigned it. We complete each other well and I think it shows.
2. Our Founders Jane & Lucy started Rockett St George from a shared passion for interior design, so naturally, we love a fellow dynamic design duo! How did the two of you meet and what was the inspiration behind Style Makers?
R: I had just finished a two-year renovation on my house and was looking to get it featured in a magazine. A friend of mine recommended I got in touch with Laurie who was the Homes Editor for Style At Home magazine at the time. She did feature my house, and loved the shots so much she made it their cover story. Soon after we found ourselves sat next to each other at a dinner event and we instantly hit it off!
L: After a few years of being friends in the industry, we decided to team up to bring forward bigger and better challenges – and soon after, Style Makers was born.
3. Laurie – An interior stylist is a dream job for many, do you have any advice on getting into the world of interior styling?
L: It used to be a lot easier and there was a clear progression through magazines or TV, but these days teams are a lot smaller and work is often outsourced. My advice is to contact established stylists and try and get some work experience so you can learn from the best. Try and put together a mini portfolio so that when you contact stylists you have something to show – this could be shots you take on your phone of small areas of your home, or even a shelf you’ve styled etc. It’s just something to show you have an eye for how things work together. Platform like instagram and Tiktok are a great tool for experimenting with your own style.
4. How would you both describe the personal style of your homes?
R: I trained as a theatre set designer, so my style is pretty eclectic and theatrical. I am also a painter in my spare time, so I am a colour fanatic and love testing out colour combinations in my space as much as I do in my palette.
Also, my husband is originally from the Caribbean, so when I designed the house I went for a mix of both our heritages – the South of France and Trinidad. What you end up with is a colourful vintage tropical mix.
L: My style is focused around texture – I’ve always loved wood and stone, and touchy-feely materials. I have a big love of western interiors too, so my home is a combination of rustic panelling, earthy colours and cosy layered textiles. Although I adore bold colours and patterns, I’ve learnt over the years that I can’t live with them for long periods of time so tend to keep my home’s palette more muted. As a stylist, I think your style is ever evolving, I know mine certainly is, and being privvy to seeing new trends and materials ahead of time means I have to restrain myself from changing rooms at the drop of a hat!
5. Réli - As a big believer in the power of Biophilic design, what are your top tips for bringing more nature into our homes this year?
R: There is so much to bringing the outdoors in than just filling your house with plants, using nature inspired tones, sandy colours, neutral green, calming blues are all proven to making us feel more relaxed and improve concentration.
Another good thing to apply is using plenty of natural materials, jute, linen, wool, stone will all add a comforting tactile feel that for our bodies. Having a large amount of wood grain on shown in a room is particularly proven to lower cortisol levels and making us feel calmer, humans instinctively feel calmer around trees.
6. What are the key interior design trends to watch in 2025?
R: We are obsessed with colour drenching, which has gone from having your walls and woodworks in the same colour to now also matching your ceiling and furniture – it’s such a playful yet very elevated trend.
Another one that is meant to hit is Castlecore, think Princess Castle for grown-up! Embracing a Renaissance style revival, with medieval accents in the home in a very poetic way. Think things like tapestries (or rugs) on the walls , metal chandelier, stone mantelpieces, etc.
L: Scalloped edges and curves are very much here to stay and there’s been a surge towards using primary colours for graphic prints with a bohemian style.
7. You are both experts in the world of interior design. Do you have any insider design tips or tricks when it comes to creating a unique home sanctuary?
L: Making sure your house is working for you and your well-being is key, which is where sense-scaping comes in. It’s something myself and Réli feel really passionate about… the practice of designing our homes so that all five senses are invigorated, to create a mood that benefits you every day. Instead of just concentrating on the visual aspects of interior design, take into account the sounds that you will hear, the fragrances that you will smell and the materials that you will touch too. Think about how you use your home – if you have a work area, perhaps you want a fragrance there that energises you, and a screen to block out the rest of an open-plan room that can be distracting. Upstairs you may want to ensure you have some soothing sounds loaded to listen to at night, as part of an unwind process before bed. And some cosy textiles on your bed to help you feel snug and soothed. There’s a lot more to it, but we like to think that a home sanctuary is exactly that – it’s a personal space that should aid you to feel the very best you can.
8. Having styled events for many high-profile clients, do you have any advice when it comes to hosting celebrations at home?
L: My advice is to think about how much time you have to dedicate to styling your home and work from there. If you have time to really go for it, then you can really go to town. Style rooms so that when guests enter, they get the wow factor. Floral arrangements are always a big hit and whether it’s a mantel display or something hanging over a table, it’s one of the best ways to add colour, life and drama to your scheme. If time constraints are more of a consideration, my advice is to create a few simple, personalised touches that make guests feel special, whether it’s place settings at your table or a little bouquet of flowers in a spare bedroom for overnight visitors.
R: We both LOVE a show stopper tablescape, it doesn’t even have to take long. Layers of tactile linen, layers of crockery (even if you won‘t use the base layer! It looks cute!) florals our foliage across the whole table (even if something picked from the garden or in nature) we sometimes even add fruits and vegetables to decorate too for added quirk. And of course candles galore!
We run tablescaping workshops where we love to share ALL of our top tips!
9. What’s on the horizon for Style Makers in 2025?
L: We’re excited to be designing a room in the Show Home at the Ideal Home Show in March – we'll be there on the opening day ( 21 st March), so pop along and see us! We’re also giving a talk on Sense-Scaping on the same day, so you can find out more on that subject too. We’ve also got some brand workshops lined up and a few plans in the pipeline, so watch this space.
10. Finally, name three new Rockett St George products that you love!
R: The new cassettes tapes storage tins are super fun and great emotional design tapping into childhood nostalgia.
Also love the new WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW wall art and the leopard print door mat super quirky and fun.
L: The Leopard Love Print floor lamp stood out to me – it’s such a statement piece and I love the shape of it. Second up is the blush pleated fabric ceiling light which is gorgeous. I also love a game of cards, so the Queen of Hearts playing card purse has my name all over it!
Follow Style Makers on social media to see more of what Laurie & Réli get up to this year.
Quick Fire Questions
1. I am happiest when…
R: in nature
L: I'm with my favourite people
2. My favourite podcast is…
R: The Journal Of Biophilic Design
L: Anything crime related – I’m listening to The Spy Who at the moment.
3. My dream holiday would be…
R: Staying in a tree house at the incredible AZULIK eco-resort in Tulum.
L: A road trip in Canada, with a mix of cities, ranch stays and small towns.
4. My ideal day would be spent….
R: Having lunch by the sea in the sun with my family in South of France.
L: Being by the sea when it’s hot and sunny, with a good book and a cocktail.
5. My personal motto is…
R: There ARE enough hours in a day, just get up earlier 😊
L: You create your own luck.
6. My guilty pleasure is…
R: RuPaul’s Drag Race
L: Trashy romance novels
7. The last film I saw was…
R: Unicorns (Netflix), bloody brilliant
L: A Better Man (Robbie Williams)
8. My favourite book is…
R: Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud
L: That’s tricky. I read If Tomorrow Comes by Sidney Sheldon (about a jewel thief) years ago, which stuck with me. And I liked Mario Puzo’s The Sicilian.
9. In five years’ time, I want to be…
R: A TV presenter and an exhibited artist
L: Ditto – but with my own product range (I’m no artist!).
R: Oh yes a tablescaping range! I could paint the illustrations!
10. The three things I can’t live without are…
R: Colours, Sunshine and Laughter
L: Country music, playing cards and biscuits (specifically Jammy Dodgers).
