
Hugh Metcalf
Hugh is Livingetc.com’s editor. With 8 years in the interiors industry under his belt, he has the nose for what people want to know about re-decorating their homes. He prides himself as an expert trend forecaster, visiting design fairs, showrooms and keeping an eye out for emerging designers to hone his eye. He joined Livingetc back in 2022 as a content editor, as a long-time reader of the print magazine, before becoming its online editor. His love for luxury design, and talking to designers with something to say in how they decorate homes for his clients has led to bringing conversations like why human-centric lighting is so important, to how AI and the metaverse are influencing interiors, to the pages of the magazine and website.
Hugh is a kitchen and bathrooms expert, having spent time as the deputy editor of a (now-defunct) kitchen and bathrooms magazine in the UK, as well as project managing a handful of redesign projects himself. He once gathered all the biggest names in kitchen design in a private member’s club for a symposium on what it means to be a kitchen designer today.
Having written for “hands-on” design brands such as Homebuilding & Renovating and Grand Designs magazine, Hugh’s knowledge of what it takes to create a home goes beyond the surface, too. He can tell you what it takes to make a home energy efficient starting from the build, can explain to you how an “air source heat pump” works, and understands the tricks architects use to perfect the layout of new homes. With a fondness for covering spectacular architectural small-builds around the globe, he was once filmed as an expert for a documentary on the rise of the “Tiny House” that aired on Korean television.
He’s also written for Good Homes magazine, Your Home magazine, and has a perhaps surprising knowledge of how to knit, sew and more, having started his career working for craft publications.
Though not a trained interior designer, Hugh has cut his design teeth by managing several major interior design projects to date, each for private clients. These vary from project managing the extension and complete remodel of a two-story London garden flat, to the (largely) remote design of a Swiss chalet. He’s a keen photographer and stylist in his spare time, too — as at home styling an over-the-top Christmas shoot for Your Home magazine’s cover, as photographing a furniture collection for a modern home decor brand.
He's also a keen DIYer — he's done everything from laying his own patio and building an integrated cooker hood from scratch to undertaking creative IKEA hacks that help him achieve the luxurious look he loves in design for his own home, when his budget doesn't always stretch that far.
Latest articles by Hugh Metcalf
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This Classic Couch "Should Have Never Happened", but Became a Pop Art Icon Regardless — This Is the Legacy of the 'Marshmallow Sofa'
A salesman's pitch for plastic disk furniture might not have panned out, but it inspired a mid-century classic in the process
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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Everyone Is Flocking to This Parisian General Store to Buy a 'Tomato Knife' — I Bought One and It's My Favorite Thing in My Utensil Drawer
Surprisingly chic, but also endlessly practical, there's a reason why the internet is obsessed with the idea of the tomato knife
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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"Sometimes You're Just Not Going to Find What You Need" — Why Designers Maddux Creative Turn to Bespoke Pieces, and the Lessons They've Learned Along the Way
With the launch of Maison by Maddux Creative this month, interior designer Jo leGleud explains the joy of exploring bespoke furniture and decor design with clients
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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The Bold New Look of Period Drama — The Buccaneers' Production Designer on Bringing a Fresh Eye to Historical Interiors
For Apple TV+'s original period drama, the rebellious spirit of its American debutantes is just as present in the room sets as it is in the storyline
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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I Asked My Barista-Trained Friends How to Make Coffee From a Nespresso Machine Taste Better — 7 Simple Lessons I Learned to Boost Coffee Pods
Nespresso machines are affordable and easy to use, but not everyone's so convinced by the quality of the coffee you'll get from pods. These tricks will boost their flavor to the max
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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Everywhere Is Having Summer Sales, and I've Found the Best Home Decor With 50% or More Off Full Price
Suddenly, giving my home a summer refresh has become a lot more affordable
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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I Tested John Lewis' Best-Looking Sofas — These Are My Thoughts, and Which I'd Buy in 2025 for Style and Comfort
If you're online shopping at John Lewis for your sofa, dimensions and photos only tell half the story. I'm a design editor who has owned one of the brand's sofas before — this is my in-person review of this year's best
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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I'm Surviving the UK Heatwave Without Air Con — It's Not Perfect, but This £7 Amazon 'Cooling Bed Spray' Did Give Me Cool, Crisp Sheets
Reading the claims that this 'cooling bed spray' would actually make my bed linen feel less hot during the heatwave, I had to give it a try
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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Hisense Canvas TV Review — "You're Getting a Beautiful TV That's (Arguably) Worth More Than You Paid for It"
I tested the big challenger in the 'TVs that look like artworks' market — but does it stand up to the competition?
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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I've Got 20+ Sets of Bed Sheets in My Linen Closet — These Are the Bedding Organizers I Swear By to Avoid Chaos
Bed linen is a prime offender for becoming muddled up, meaning you lose matching pillowcases and the right size sheets. Here's how I keep my (quite frankly) massive collection in check
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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The Zeitgeist Edit — This Is What's Setting the Tone in Design (and Life) This July, According to the Editor
Here's what is going up and down in a design-obsessed editor's estimations this month, and it's filled with adventurous, perspective-shifting ideas
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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This 3,000-Year-Old Color Is Having a Moment — But Why Exactly Are People Talking About 'Celadon' in 2025?
Inspired by traditional Chinese ceramics, this warm and vibrant green feels like the perfect color to bring a sense of joy to your decorating scheme
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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The US's Most Iconic Homeware Shop Is Launching in the UK — I've Been Shopping It for Years in the States, Here's What to Expect
There's probably not an American import we could be more excited to land on British shores than Pottery Barn
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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This Is How Londoners Store Their Bikes in Front Gardens, Without Them Being Stolen or It Looking Cluttered
For design-loving city dwellers, their mode of transport can't come at the cost of their home's good looks. This might just be the solution for a beautiful front garden that packs in storage, too
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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35 Elevated Outdoor Kitchen Ideas — for Spaces That Make Your Garden a Multifunctional Hosting Hotspot
Cook, host, and unwind in style with these stylish outdoor kitchen ideas built for modern entertaining and socializing
By Hugh Metcalf Last updated
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6 of the Most Genius Design Ideas to Steal From WOW!house 2025 — Creative, Forward-Thinking Details I Loved From This Year's Rooms
With 22 rooms designed by A-list interior designers, this year's creative showcase serves up inspiring new ideas for decorating your home with decorative flourish
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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10 of the Biggest Sofa Trends for 2025 — These Are the Couches You'll See in the Coolest Homes This Year
The best trends in sofa design right now don't play it safe, they embrace bold features and unexpected forms to ensure your living room's seating is the hero of your house
By Hugh Metcalf Last updated
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11 Ways Everyone Is Decorating Their Bathrooms This Year — These Are the Biggest Trends I've Spotted for 2025
Feature We’ve finally seen the back of the bland white bathroom, and the designs making a splash for the coming year have never been more exciting
By Hugh Metcalf Last updated
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26 Apartment Decorating Ideas That Turn Your Space's Challenges Into Their Biggest Strengths
Apartments come with their own set of hurdles to overcome when decorating one, but these brilliant real-life projects show how they can be overcome with style
By Hugh Metcalf Last updated
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This Outdoor Lounger Is the Color of the Season for Garden Furniture — And It's on Sale This Weekend
This year, it's all about the contrast, and this bright, sunny hue is the perfect foil to your green outdoor spaces
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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7 Ideas to Steal From Milan Design Week's 'Apartments' — Rooms Decorated by the World's Best, and Most Creative, Designers
At Milan Design Week, some of the most exciting showcases of design are delivered in beautifully decorated apartments, conceived to push the boundaries of design today
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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The Zeitgeist Edit — What's Heating Up in April, and What Our Editor Wants to Leave Behind This Spring
What do butter yellow and oxblood, bistro restaurants, and hotel gift shops all have in common? They're on our hot list for the month ahead
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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The Zeitgeist Edit — What's Exciting (and Not So Much) a Design and Culture-Obsessed Editor in March
From the new collections inspiring us to what to eat, drink, and read, here's our report on March, straight from the editor's desk
By Hugh Metcalf Published
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Every Party House Needs Good Martini Glasses — I Just Found Cool, Design-Forward Ones From a Surprising Source
The art of the perfect Martini relies on a good glass, and these ones will be the stars of the show at any cocktail evening hosted at home
By Hugh Metcalf Published