If you ever come across the term Hollywood Regency when flicking through a magazine, don't be surprised if the same paragraph includes the name Kelly Wearstler. Wearstler, an American interior designer known for her fearlessly glamorous style, is the very opposite of blond-wood minimalism. Think oversized chandeliers (all the better if they look like exotic deep-sea creatures), zebra-print sofas teamed with eye-poppingly bright fuchsia cushions and lots and lots of black and gold. But while Wearstler's style is definitely old-school Bel Air glam, it also includes touches of modern - eclectic - edginess. Gwen Stefani is a fan, so is Cameron Diaz.
The reference to Tinseltown royalty isn't accidental. The Hollywood Regency look stems from the sets designers created to showcase golden-era movie stars. Set against a backdrop of sumptuous sofas, sparkling chandeliers and chrome drinks trolleys, silver screen actors and actresses were allowed to glitter. Fabrics were luxe, patterns were geometric and lacquer and gold compulsory. Naturally the same stars wanted the extravagantly playful sets recreated for them back home in their Beverley Hills mansions.
Wearstler isn't the only well-known designer credited with repopularising Hollywood Regency. Jonathan Adler is another. Adler, whose quirky ceramics are sold at Askew, is an American designer whose love of colour, glamour and overstated decoration has him very firmly in the maximalist camp. While the pair has different approaches, they share a high regard for opulence, classical references and eclecticism. Here is how they make it work.
• HR combines modern pieces with old, balancing expensive fabrics and glitzy finishes with more traditional elements like leather club chairs and marble table tops.
