EXCLUSIVE: Love Island stars Olivia and Alex Bowen have given a look inside their incredible four-bedroom home, which they share with their two-year-old son Abel
Love Island sweethearts Olivia and Alex Bowen have been busy putting their personal touch on their dreamy, self-designed four-bedroom home. The couple, who share a two-year-old son, Abel, recently partnered with Affinity Water for the Look and Listen Test campaign to help homeowners avoid water damage.
In an exclusive interview about the initiative, they shared insights into creating their cosy, country-style home. Olivia, 30, imparted some savvy decorating tips, saying, “Never put paint samples on a wall. Put paint on a piece of paper and stick it on the wall, and it has the same effect. You don’t want to ruin your walls!”
She also advised fellow home decorators to take their time and really get to know their space before making any big decisions. Creating a mood board is key, according to Olivia, who suggests using websites or Pinterest to bring ideas together and visualise the end result.
When asked about her most cherished item in the house, Olivia revealed, “I have a piece of art by Josie Appleby of a horse – every time I look at it, it makes me happy. It was a really good purchase. I bought it at the Horse Of The Year Show about four years ago.”
Meanwhile, Alex has found a steal of a deal. He shares, “We have a retro light in our lounge – I put it on Instagram and people kept asking where it was from – it was only around £40 from Amazon.”
Olivia and Alex aren’t shy about splashing colour throughout their home either. They’ve dubbed their office “the crazy room” for its lively decor.
Olivia reveals, “I’ve got pink cherub wallpaper, a zebra rug and a blue bookcase in my office – the crazy room. It’s just mental,” while Alex notes, “Our interior style has kind of developed over the years, and we’re not really going for silver and grey any more. We are very country – we’re sounding old right now! ” When it comes to holiday souvenirs, Olivia loves to bring a piece of her travels back home.
“It is nice to pick up things, especially when you’re on holiday, and you see something which is great to bring home,” she says. Their downstairs loo pays tribute to Italy, adorned with photos from their Italian getaways.
“The bar was actually inspired by Chateau Denmark [a London hotel] that we stayed in, and our barbecue area outside is inspired by our visit to Lake Como, so there have been a lot of influences from travel, I think.”
The duo has teamed up with Affinity Water to promote the Look and Listen Test to protect homes from water damage, which means keeping an eye out for moisture and listening out for odd noises.
Alex shares their personal experience: “When we were building this new house, we had to have the whole of the downstairs floor ripped up two weeks before we were planning to move in as the pipes had burst. But luckily, the company we were building the house with noticed straight away, and they got it sorted.”