Lulu Lytle’s Soane Britain brand is reportedly a favourite of Carrie Johnson
During his tenure as prime minister, Boris Johnson was the subject of much public scrutiny. One story that rattled the headlines was the costs and renovations of the then prime minister’s Downing Street flat. Known as ‘wallpapergate’, the scandal became a vocal point of the former prime minister’s polarising term. Now, according to the interior designer Lulu Lytle, it turns out that the infamous ‘gold wallpaper’ might not have even been gold.
In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Lytle commented on the infamous affair. ‘Downing Street could, and in my opinion should, be the most fantastic showcase for British makers — I hoped and believed it would provide a springboard for conversations about UK manufacturing, or honest and transparent supply chains. It was such a missed opportunity.’ She revealed that the wallpaper was in fact a distinctive yellow colour, slightly different from the gaudy gold that was often reported on.
Amid reports that ‘wallpapergate’ could be considered as part of a new Met probe, here’s everything you need to know about the co-founder of Soane Britain – who was reportedly approached by Carrie Johnson to re-decorate the prime ministerial flat
Lulu Lytle (pictured left) in 2016 was the interior decorator for the Johnsons
The wallpaper became extremely controversial during Johnson’s term from 2019 to 2022. Lytle was first contacted by Carrie Symonds (the future wife of the prime minister) to renovate the flat. Every prime minister has permission to renovate the flat and is given a yearly allowance of £30,000 to furnish and maintain their Downing Street residence. However, the redecoration commissioned by Symonds greatly exceeded that sum and reportedly came in at £112,000, causing a widespread wave of condemnation. Eventually, Lord Geidt, Johnson’s independent ethics advisor concluded that the renovations did not break any ministerial code.
In the WSJ profile, Lytle commented that she received extensive press intrusion and lost a commission to refurbish the British embassy in Washington D.C. Lytle is just about to open a new shop on the upper east side of New York.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt later told LBC that the paper had been painted over since Johnson left Downing Street. Speaking to Andrew Marr, Hunt said: ‘It's gone! It wasn't me – it was removed before I went – but I must admit when I went in, out of curiosity, I went and had a look and it had been painted over.’
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