Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen lifts the lid on living and working with his whole family as he reveals the business's 'Succession-style takeover'

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Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has lifted the lid on living and working with his family - and revealed the business underwent a 'Succession-style takeover'.

The interior designer, 59, lives in the Cotswolds with his wife-of-35-years Jackie and the pair have two children. 

But rather unconventionally, the couple share their luxury home with both of their daughters, Hermione and Cecile, and their husbands Dan and Drew - as well as their four grandchildren, Albion, 7, Demelza, 2, Romily, 1, and Eleanora, 6 months.

'A hundred and fifty years ago, no one left home — and it very much works for us,' Laurence said in The Sunday Times of his family set-up. 

The TV personality said they also work together at their design shop and showroom in Cirencester - with the family business undergoing a 'Succession-style takeover'.

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen lifted the lid on living and working with his family the The Sunday Times - and revealed the business underwent a 'Succession-style takeover'

Laurence said he and his wife Jackie share their luxury home with both of their daughters, Hermione and Cecile, and their husbands Dan and Drew - as well as their four grandchildren, Albion, 7, Demelza, 2, Romily, 1, and Eleanora, 6 months

He said of their daily routine in the office: 'There's half an hour of shouting from Hermione and Dan about the fact that I no longer run the company — and I need to bugger off upstairs and paint.

'There's been a Succession-style takeover and Hermione is the full Shiv Roy.'

Laurence revealed that his family have split the house so that everyone has separate quarters for autonomy and privacy.

Hermione lives next door with her family, while Cecile lives in a converted garage block with hers.

Laurence's role in the household now consists of being the guy who wanders into the background of the camera on zoom meetings and is rolled out to cut ribbons or make TV appearances, he added. 

With so many moving parts lunch is a separate activity, but the entire family makes a concerted effort to have dinner together.  

'Family life is extraordinarily dense, fabulously irritating but somehow beautiful,' he said.

Speaking about his family life to MailOnline in 2022, Laurence said: 'Lockdown really proved to us how much we wanted to be together.'

The interior designer, 59, lives in the Cotswolds with his wife-of-35-years Jackie and the pair have two children

Pictured is the home Laurence shares with his wife, daughters and grandchildren

'A hundred and fifty years ago, no one left home — and it very much works for us,' Laurence said in The Sunday Times of his family set-up (Pictured with wife Jackie and daughters Hermione and Cecile) 

Laurence's role in the household now consists of being the guy who wanders into the background of the camera on zoom meetings and is rolled out to cut ribbons or make TV appearances, he added

Hermione lives next door with her family, while Cecile lives in a converted garage block with hers (Pictured at Cecile's wedding)

Apart from Cecile, who's a novelist, they all work in the family interiors business under the LLB brand name.

'It's the best way of doing things,' Laurence said. 'This is what used to happen.

'In the modern age people decided that children have to leave and move as far away as possible and create a new life. But before that you stayed together and got involved in the family business – you'd work together on the farm or in the shop – and that's what we do.

'We're very lucky we've got space to make it work, and it does work extremely well. Jackie and I see our grandchildren every day and we adore that. There are thousands of grandparents out there who are bitterly upset and lonely because they never get to see their grandchildren.

'Meanwhile, there are tens of thousands of parents who feel they simply can't cope with their lives and jobs because they have no childcare or support. But if more people did what we're doing, both of those issues would be completely sorted.

'If people got on with their lives rather than always trying to move up the property ladder, they might be happier. Lockdown showed that people can work from home and I think more people should use that as an opportunity to make their lives better.

'For us, lockdown showed us what we were already doing was working. The most important thing is to be happy. It's much more important than moving up the property ladder.'

With so many moving parts lunch is a separate activity, but the entire family makes a concerted effort to have dinner together (Pictured with wife Jackie in February 2023)

'It's the best way of doing things,' Laurence said. 'This is what used to happen'

Jackie is chairwoman of the LLB company, and the boss at home, says Laurence. She does the bulk of the cooking, and they try to all have dinner together as often as they can. 

'There's enough space, so we aren't living on top of each other. Often we'll have a drink in the evenings and we try to have reasonably formal occasions. 

'We have a good old-fashioned gong because I can't bear the idea of texting people to tell them to come to dinner. We take eating together very seriously – it's an important part of living together.'

Often they will travel to work – the LLB offices are in nearby Cirencester – together. 'We live above the shop and work in the shop.

 People say, 'I couldn't work with my mum, we'd be arguing,' but I think that's what happens if you only see each other three times a year. When you see someone every day you resolve friction as you go along. 

'It isn't allowed to build up. Working with family means I can trust them. They aren't afraid to say no to me. I want their honesty.'