Wallpaper Wonders: Step Inside the Dreamy World of Millie Illustrates
Get ready to grab your passport and your paintbrush! We’re diving into the whimsical, sun-drenched studio of Millie, the creative force behind Lust Home’s newest range of Large Scale Wallpaper. If you’ve ever wanted to turn your bedroom into an Italian vista or a floral daydream, Millie is the artist holding the map.
Here is the breakdown of her creative process, her Mediterranean muses, and her secrets for styling a "wow-factor" wall.
1. Millie, your designs for Lust Home feel like stepping into a dream. When you’re staring at a blank, oversized canvas for a scenic mural, where do you draw that very first line?
For my travel inspired pieces, I always start with the sky and then add any seascape/ water. These two elements of my design shape the rest of the artwork. They guide the composition, colour and overall feel of the piece. Once they are in place, everything else seems to flow!
2. Your work is famous for its intricate, hand-sketched feel. How do you balance the fine, delicate details of your sketches with the massive scale of a full-room wallpaper?
Details are everything to me, I use them to tell a story through my work. I think the scale of these murals make these details shine and makes you feel something either up close or from a further distance. I love that can you return to the same piece again and again and notice something new each time.
3. If your Lust Home collection had a soundtrack, what songs or genres would be playing while you work?
It’s got to be Olivia Dean all day, every day. Her soulful voice has this effortless way of transporting you, taking you to somewhere else entirely. That’s something I hope to achieve within my own work, creating pieces that people can drift into, like a daydream.
4. We know you have a deep love for scenic vistas. Is there a specific landscape or a hidden corner of the world that serves as your ultimate ‘muse’?
Italy is always going to be a source of inspiration for me. I love everything from the shape of the buildings to the patterns of the plants and trees. There is a softness and romantic feel to it which really stays with me. I often find myself adding these details into my work.
5. From the first charcoal stroke to the final digital polish, what is your favorite part of the design birth process?
A lot of my art features flowers and adding these in towards the end is always my favourite part of the process. It’s the moment where everything really comes together and all the elements begin to feel complete.
6. Quick! You’re stranded on a desert island, but it’s a very chic island. You can only bring one art tool and one snack—what are they?
Snack is: Sensations Thai chilli crisps. Art tool is: my drawing iPad! easy. Done
7. If you could ’Illustrate’ any celebrity’s home, who would it be and which room would you tackle first?
I’d love to illustrate Louise Thompson’s London home. Her space is so rich in colour texture and details (especially the butter yellow kitchen – this is where I would start).
8. Let’s talk colour palette: If you had to live in a world of only two colors for the rest of your life, which duo are you picking?
Oh that’s tricky. It would have to be a dreamy butter yellow & a bright sky blue.
9. What’s the most ‘unusual’ thing in your studio right now that actually inspires your work?
I have some old antique books that are filled with illustrated florals. I often use these as reference for interesting flower shapes and leaves.
10. Finally, for all our Lust Home DIY-ers at home: What’s your Golden Rule for styling a bold, large-scale wallpaper?
Golden rule: always pull out the small, unexpected pops of colour from the mural and use them throughout the space. These subtle selections create a sense of cohesion without it being too obvious and matchy matchy!