Chris Beaumont, a 42-year-old from Basford, Nottingham, has become a local sensation for his flamboyant style and incredibly colorful home that rivals the bold aesthetic of TV interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. With his flowing hair, facial hair, and eye for vibrant design, Beaumont shares more than just a passing resemblance to the famous "Changing Rooms" star. Together with his wife Veronica, he has transformed their four-bedroom detached house into one of Nottinghamshire's most striking properties, featuring jungle print wallpaper in the hallway, a pink and mint green kitchen, a mermaid-themed bathroom, neon signs, and rainbow rugs with not an inch of magnolia paint to be found.
The transformation began during the COVID-19 lockdown when the couple, who had moved into their beige new-build home in 2019, found themselves with time on their hands after initially leaving the property untouched due to their busy work schedules. "Everything was a shade of beige. We just thought we'll paint the cupboard doors of the kitchen a mint color and put some gold handles on. It would just brighten up the place where we're spending all our time," Beaumont explained. "When you're in there 24/7 it gave us that bit more impetus to do something. I think with the way of both of our personalities, it just got a little bit out of hand."
The couple's creative ambitions quickly escalated beyond simple cabinet painting. They decided to paint their refrigerator pink, which presented unique challenges due to the metal surface requiring specialized painting techniques and extensive research. This bold move marked the beginning of their home's complete colorful makeover, which would eventually include a pink bar and numerous other vibrant design elements throughout the house.
Their striking home decor caught the attention of social media users when they created an Instagram account called "the Electric Penguin" to showcase their renovation progress. The account features photographs of their eye-catching interior design choices and has attracted an impressive following of 107,000 users. The viral success of their home transformation account would prove to be the foundation for an unexpected career change.
During lockdown, while his wife was returning to office work, Beaumont decided to surprise her by transforming a plain white table into a stunning royal blue and gold masterpiece decorated with patterns of flowers, flamingos, and leopards. "It had been so white and boring. I think it was the first week she was back in the office so I thought I'd do something nice for her and make it a bit more interesting," he recalled. His wife's enthusiastic response and social media posts about the transformed table generated significant interest from their existing followers.
The timing proved perfect for launching a new venture. "We were just very, very lucky that we had such a big audience on the house account already. Everybody was indoors and had nothing else to do but look at their phones. And it was just the right time to get a lot of eyes on this," Beaumont said. When followers began inquiring about ordering custom tables, he started with a small batch of five pieces, then another five, and the demand continued to snowball.
Facing uncertainty in his administrative position at a University of Nottingham doctoral training center for engineering students, Beaumont made the bold decision to quit his job and establish Beaumont Design as a full-time furniture business. His company now produces three core pieces: bedside tables, coffee tables, and chests of drawers, with prices ranging from $149 to $249. Each piece starts as a blank canvas that is painted, varnished, and then covered with vinyl printed with designs he creates using Photoshop.
The production process requires exceptional attention to detail and precision. "I'm very meticulous in the way I do it. There's a lot of skill and precision, trimming it off to the point where you're talking fractions of a millimeter between it being perfectly smooth and it catching and coming off," Beaumont explained. His website showcases designs featuring tigers, leopard print, blue marble, hot pink, flowers, flamingos, and peacocks, though customers can also request completely custom designs.
Beaumont has expanded his seasonal offerings to include special Christmas designs that have found a surprising market. "I've got a few special Christmas designs that sell surprisingly well such as baubles around the outside and a glitter top. It's very extra and 'out there'. I admire the kind of people who commit to a Christmas table. I don't know if it goes away for 11 months of the year or whether it's Christmas all year round," he said with admiration for his bold customers.
The business has grown significantly from its humble beginnings in Beaumont's home garage. He now operates from a rented workshop near Swarkstone in Derbyshire, where he works independently to fulfill orders. More than 1,500 pieces have been shipped worldwide, with international demand spanning across Canada, Japan, and Australia. Until recent tariff changes implemented during Donald Trump's administration, approximately 50 percent of his sales went to American customers, though he remains optimistic about future growth in that market.
European sales present some challenges due to increased paperwork requirements in recent years, but Germany has emerged as a particularly strong market for his colorful furniture designs. The global reach of his business reflects the universal appeal of his bold, vibrant aesthetic that transforms ordinary furniture into statement pieces.
This career transformation represents a return to Beaumont's creative roots, as he worked as a photographer for ten years before taking his university administrative position. His artistic background has clearly informed his approach to furniture design, combining technical precision with bold visual creativity. Customers interested in viewing his designs can visit beaumontdesign.co.uk, and follow his work on Instagram at theelectricpenguin and beaumont.design.
