Decorative Artist Lucinda Oakes

From her Sussex studio, this artist, designer and muralist  produces wallpapers, paintings and hand-crafted silks inspired by richly embellished works from the 18th century

- Emma J Page

For more than 20 years, Lucinda Oakes has been creating wallpapers, screens, panels and fabrics, inspired by traditional trompe-l’oeil designs as well as the rich patterns of classical chinoiserie. Her commissions run the gamut from small pieces for private residences to large-scale installations. She is currently working with London-based interior designer Colin Orchard on the décor of a new-build house in the USA.

“ My style comes directly from a childhood watching my father, George Oakes, at work. He was head designer and bespoke painter at Colefax and Fowler and often worked from home. Although I gained an MA in fine art, it was my father who taught me the techniques involved in decorative painting, sending me to the South of France to fulfil a commission he didn’t really want to take on as he’d recently retired. As a novice, painting directly onto someone’s walls was nerve-racking, but I loved the work straightaway.