Beginning her career in London, Australian stylist Lucy Gough has long let intuition, texture and emotional resonance guide her approach to interiors. Combining an understanding of lived experience with carefully chosen furniture—including signature pieces from King Living—she curates spaces that feel layered, dynamic and alive. Through considered material choices, soft layering and versatile, enduring elements, her interiors foster environments that are deeply personal.
Reflecting on her philosophy, Gough speaks of styling spaces that evolve with the people who inhabit them, and how King Living’s craftsmanship and adaptability support this vision. In their latest collaboration at an English countryside manor, bold, colour-drenched schemes showcase the brand’s most versatile fabrics and finishes, bringing each space to life.
In partnership with King Living.
Your styling carries a clear point of view—refined yet full of character. How would you describe your approach to interiors, and what continues to influence your design voice?
Lucy Gough: My aim has always been for people to think “I wish I were sitting on that sofa” or “I wish I were relaxing in that space right now”. I want my spaces to feel full of character but still within reach. I don’t like too much in any one space. Everything needs room to breathe, but it’s important to layer in art, texture and pieces that spark connection rather than decoration.
My ideas keep evolving through editorial work, travel, conversations with anyone and everyone, and observing how people create homes that balance beauty with function. Ultimately, I’m always drawn to spaces that feel timeless and personal.
When beginning a new project, are there particular elements that instinctively guide your process, such as colour, texture, or form?
Lucy Gough: All three. I live in Sydney now, but I started my career in London and I’m lucky to still work there a couple of times a year with wonderful clients. The UK isn’t afraid of colour, so a lot of my work shows a strong use of colour and contrast. My work will always be colourful, but living in Sydney has given me a new appreciation for neutral spaces and how they respond to the bright southern light.
Light, proportion and tactility are central to Gough’s styling approach, creating spaces that encourage connection, relaxation and everyday joy. Pictured: the King Living 1977 Sofa in Leura Pinot Noir.
“My aim has always been for people to think “I wish I were sitting on that sofa” or “I wish I were relaxing in that space right now”. I want my spaces to feel full of character but still within reach.”
– LUCY GOUGH, STYLIST
Demonstrating King Living’s versatile palette and textures, the King Living Jasper Sofa in Whitely Riverstone is styled alongside the King Living Oliver Tub Chair in matching fabric for a cohesive look.
Across your portfolio, how do you balance personal expression with the client’s vision, and how does that shape the spaces you create?
Lucy Gough: Once you build a body of work that reflects your style, clients often come to you because they connect with that aesthetic. Many arrive with a vision, but most want guidance navigating trends and understanding what works, and they’re often happy for their ideas to align with the current market or the upcoming season. With well known brands that already have a defined look, my creative direction blends with theirs to develop a concept that feels unique to each shoot.
You’ve featured King Living across several projects. What first drew you to the brand, and what keeps its designs relevant in the way you style today?
Lucy Gough: I’ve always been a big fan of King Living’s designs—I particularly enjoy their products’ shapes and fabric colour choices. I love that you can have velvets in deep blue and maroon, which are perfect for the schemes I like to create!
King Living now has a strong presence in London, with three showrooms showcasing Australian design on a global stage. As an Australian stylist that works in both cities, how does this connection to home resonate with you?
Lucy Gough: Working with King Living in London is always a fabulous experience, and I’m proud to see an Australian brand thriving overseas. As someone who splits time between Sydney and London, it’s inspiring to see our design heritage celebrated on a global stage. It makes the idea of home feel both personal and universal.
Recently, I loved bringing that sense of Australian warmth and character to life in a British countryside setting. Using paint, colour and natural light, and working with photographer Jon Day, was a wonderful experience. His lighting was crucial in bringing each shot to life.
King Living’s focus on proportion, texture and form aligns closely with your aesthetic. How do its pieces inform the balance and rhythm of a room—from furniture placement to art and accessories?
Lucy Gough: Most of King Living’s pieces are modular, so you can make a sofa as large or as small as you like, which helps when a space needs specific proportions. It means I can choose my favourite design and tailor the size and colour to suit the project.
For Gough, a sofa is the heart of a space. The King Living Zaza Sofa in Richmond Tobacco brings playful versatility with its adjustable arms and backrests, alongside the King Living Issho Coffee Table and Side Table in Smoked Ash.
“King Living’s pieces help my interiors feel grown up, generous and a little playful. Aesthetically, they offer structure, scale and texture. Experientially, they invite people to relax and connect.”
– LUCY GOUGH, STYLIST
Styled by Gough, the King Living Jasper Sofa in Preston Velvet Lagoon with Smoked Oak shelves adds bold colour and playful energy to the colour-drenched living room.
Stylist Lucy Gough alongside the King Living Jasper Sofa.
Are there King Living designs you return to again and again? What qualities make them such enduring anchors in your spaces—for example, the King Living Zaza Sofa?
Lucy Gough: I always come back to the King Living Zaza Sofa and the King Living Jasper Sofa. Zaza feels light on it’s feet and, and the ‘click clack’ arms make it great for lying down, so it’s functional and beautiful. Jasper feels solid and timeless, like a sofa you can rely on. I also love the optional shelves at each end, which are particularly great if you have a small space and need extra storage.
Fabric and finish choices play a key role in setting mood. When specifying King Living upholstery, what drives your decisions—tactility, tone, practicality, or an instinctive response to the space?
Lucy Gough: I think about touch, tone, practicality and instinct all at once. I want pieces to feel inviting and comfortable, with colours and textures that set the right mood. Practicality matters too because homes need to be lived in, but I also trust my intuition to choose fabrics that feel right for the space. It’s about finding a balance where style, comfort and personality all come together harmoniously.
Looking across your portfolio, how would you describe the role King Living plays in shaping the atmosphere of your interiors, both aesthetically and experientially?
Lucy Gough: King Living’s pieces help my interiors feel grown up, generous and a little playful, especially in rich tones. Aesthetically, they offer structure, scale and texture. Experientially, they invite people to relax and connect. Their furniture feels approachable while still being refined.
Finally, when reflecting on your body of work in Australia and London—and the furniture that lives within it—what lasting impression do you hope your interiors leave behind?
Lucy Gough: I hope my interiors leave a sense of inspiration and personality—that they feel effortless yet curated. Whether in Australia or London, I aim for spaces that are lived in, loved and layered, where they tell a story and support how people live. Above all, I want people to feel so comfortable in the space that they don’t want to leave, and to feel a little happier every time they walk through the door.
“I aim for spaces that are lived in, loved and layered, where they tell a story and support how people live. Above all, I want people to feel so comfortable that they don’t want to leave!”
– LUCY GOUGH, STYLIST
