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Renowned for his bold colours, exotic patterns and kaleidoscopic prints, British designer Matthew Williamson has gained international acclaim on the catwalk over the last 20 years.

His designs include clothing, accessories, wallpaper, bedding, stationary and now furniture.

Matthew's first furniture collection brings a combination of bespoke contemporary and classic pieces that mix modern and antique styles together.

It is now available in Kent exclusively at Lenleys in Canterbury.

"Style, comfort and quality were my buzz words when creating the collection; I want each customer to fall in love with a piece and to own it for many years to come," said Matthew.

This collaboration with sofa manufacturer Duresta is a mix of bohemian style, made up of five upholstery ranges and unique occasional pieces. The collection is available in all of the 40 exclusive fabrics including the new and reimagined designs by Matthew.

We caught up with Matthew to tell us a little more about the collection...

The collection is bursting with colour and pattern – how do you see the pieces working in customers’ homes?

As with my clothes, you can’t be a shrinking violet to buy them. For the less adventurous there are plain velvets and tweeds, and although you could have a matching three-piece- suite in jade green marbled fabric, I envisage people using the furniture as I would; as a bold statement mixed with existing furnishings.

Do you have a particular favourite piece?

I love the flamingo and peacock tables which I really envisaged being key, practical-yet- whimsical pieces in the range. I’ll no doubt have a pair of these either side of my sofas - both at home and in my showroom.

How do you balance style and comfort in your furniture designs?

As with my clothes, style and comfort have to be key aspects of anything that I design. I always ask; ‘is it comfortable, is it stylish and is it made to the best possible standards?’ It’s good to have these three aspects in mind when working as it ensures enduring products - which you especially want when buying furniture.

Tell us about fabric designs…..what was your inspiration?

When it comes to prints and textiles for both fashion and the home I really like to mix things up. I look to combine florals and graphics with both modern and antique furniture pieces – they’re all good in my book and when grouped together create an eclectic end result. If that sounds a little chaotic, I often find keeping the colour palette tight helps to unify the look.

What inspired you to create your first bespoke furniture collection?

I’ve loved interior design ever since I was a young boy, so it’s been an ambition of mine for such a long time. Fashion remains at the core of my brand but we also design and sell wallpapers, sunglasses, stationery and furniture - with more categories on the horizon.

As a British brand, Duresta has been designing and hand-crafting furniture for 75 years. How important is British design and craftsmanship to you?

Duresta is a great British brand that makes its furniture by hand in the UK with care and attention to detail by a great team of craftsmen. It was these qualities which drew me to Duresta and it’s been a real passion project for me, and a pleasure to have dipped my toe into a new and fascinating area of design.

Go to Lenleys store in Canterbury and explore the new collection