Inside a rock-chick pad

 

 

Looking at the Helmut Lang photograph of an Amazonian nude on one wall, and artwork for the Joy Division album Unknown Pleasures on another, it doesn’t take long to narrow down the home of Joanna Berryman to one belonging to a rock chick. Berryman, 30, bought the Victorian terraced house in Hampstead, London, following her 2007 divorce from the brooding Coldplay bassist, Guy Berryman.

 

The couple married in 2004 at Claridge’s, an event attended by Coldplay, A-Ha’s keyboard player, Mags Furuholmen (who is the godfather of their daughter, Nico, 2½), and Gwyneth Paltrow, who all remain friends. “Gwyneth is lovely,” says Berryman. “Essentially, she’s just a working mum, trying to do her best to juggle her life as rock’n’roll wife, busy actress and mother of two small children. I can relate to that, even though she’s such an A-list celebrity. But she’s not at all starry — she’s really very lovely.”

 

Berryman, who exudes effortlessly sexy cool, is very much a girls’ girl, so it is no coincidence that she has designed her own home to be as female- friendly as possible. Her bedroom will give you divorce envy: only a woman without a man in her life could afford to be so fabulously selfish about her living space. She has an entire floor to herself, with a separate room devoted to her wardrobe, and a free-standing bath in the window, overlooking the street. “It’s not the most practical arrangement, but I love it,” she says.

 

 

Yet it would be wrong to conclude from this ostentatious femininity that Berryman has rejected her ex. On the contrary, their divorce seems more civilised than most people’s marriages. “We’re not Patsy and Liam,” she says. “We’re very involved with each other’s lives. We go on holiday together a couple of times a year, and I take Nico on tour. I’d say we were happily divorced.” Guy has just bought a house down the road in order to have easy access to their daughter (who was named after the Velvet Underground singer), and has asked her to do it up for him.

 

They’re even looking for a house together to renovate and sell — Berryman has just launched her own interior design and styling company, Matrushka. Can there really be no prospect of a rapprochement? “Oh, no,” she says. “It’s nice to spend time on my own. I’ve been with him for such a long time, I need to chill out and spend some time alone. I think our relationship is far stronger now we’re not together. We just met for breakfast this morning — Guy’s off to Japan, so it’s important for Nico to see him off.”

 

Berryman, who is half-Filipina, was born in Hong Kong and came to London when she was eight. She first met Guy at boarding school in Canterbury; at the time, he wanted to become an architect. “We were mates, we had similar likes and dislikes: music, art, fashion.” They got together in their early twenties, but everything changed when Guy met Chris Martin at University College London. “It was a bit peculiar to start with, being invited to awards ceremonies, and hearing them on the radio,” she says. “One of the seminal moments was going to a Wembley gig and realising there were 30,000 people watching my husband on stage. You’re proud, but there are ownership issues. You do think, ‘Hang on a minute, he’s mine.’ ” Were groupies a problem? “They’re not Rolling Stones fans,” she laughs. “They might possibly throw Fairtrade chocolate knickers on the stage.”

 

 

When pushed, Berryman is at a loss to say why she and Guy broke up. “What splits anyone up? We were babies when we got together; we needed to separate to find ourselves. We had our time together and it was wonderful, and this is a new phase and it’s equally lovely.

 

“Guy will always be a bit of a loner and muso — he’d rather be on his computer than in a family household. That was never his thing.” For Berryman, by contrast, creating a beautiful, funky and practical living space was top priority. Now, with the launch of her company, she is turning her talents to other people’s homes — probably, she thinks, doing up the pads of rock stars, given her cool aesthetic — though she’s about to start on the home of the shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood. “The recession might be good for business,” she says cheerfully. “People will always want beautiful spaces to live in.”

 

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/interiors/article5924354.ece

Weird article. Interesting, though.

She seems nice enough, eh?

so that's where our money goes :lol:... nice house!

that's very interesting! thanks for the find! :)

She seems really lovely. :nice:

 

I'm glad her and Guy are still close. Is good for little Nico :D

Hmmm... that's some food for thought :thinking:

wow a lot of good stuff in there...thanks for that awesome find....:D

i like how Nico got her name :P :nice:

Celebrity.. a breed apart!:laugh3: Madonna's "material girl" comes to mind when I read this! It's nice to have nice things, though - if it makes it feel like home. Is that a stuffed Wolverine on the table I see??

I love the way she uses colour there. :nice:

 

Still kind of odd to see someone talking to the press like that though...

Weird... don't get me wrong, she seems lovely and it is just amazing that she and Guy are still so close. So great for their daughter. But the boys have always made such an effort to keep their private lives private, never talking about it to the media etc, yet she's pretty much put all the details of their relationship down from beginning to end. It Just a bit odd to be that candid. It's more about her relationship and divorce with Guy than interior design... :confused:

Really? so guy is divorced?:rolleyes: SHes Half FIllipina? Wow..talk about...

Weird... don't get me wrong, she seems lovely and it is just amazing that she and Guy are still so close. So great for their daughter. But the boys have always made such an effort to keep their private lives private, never talking about it to the media etc, yet she's pretty much put all the details of their relationship down from beginning to end. It Just a bit odd to be that candid. It's more about her relationship and divorce with Guy than interior design... :confused:

 

Yeah.

 

I imagine she did talk an awful lot more about her home and interior design business but obviously made the mistake of opening up a little about Guy and they've run with it.

Really? so guy is divorced?:rolleyes: SHes Half FIllipina? Wow..talk about...

 

Talk about what? What does that have to do with anything?

 

 

“Guy will always be a bit of a loner and muso

 

 

sorry maybe this is stupid to ask, but what does muso mean?? :thinking:

she's the 4th one? what do you mean?

Yeah.

 

I imagine she did talk an awful lot more about her home and interior design business but obviously made the mistake of opening up a little about Guy and they've run with it.

 

You're probably right. I guess if she's not used to journalists. They probably know exactly how to make people feel at ease and then encourage them to talk freely. I hope she isn't disappointed that the article is all about their divorce and not about her business... :(

 

But I guess on the other hand, the whole Coldplay/celebrity connection is probably going to help her so maybe that's why she was so willing to be open and positive about her relationship with Guy.

she's the 4th one? what do you mean?

 

4th wife. :o

 

No, I found a picture of all 4 wives, but turns out they were all different pictures, but I thought they were one.

sorry maybe this is stupid to ask, but what does muso mean?? :thinking:

 

Someone who is a fan of or has a penchant for music :)

so that's where our money goes :lol:... nice house!

 

And clothes by the sound of it... an entire ROOM for her clothes! Wow! :stunned: :laugh3:

Someone who is a fan of or has a penchant for music :)

 

ok thanks :)

Talk about what? What does that have to do with anything?

 

 

 

this was their dog Sid right??! :nice: :D

this was their dog Sid right??! :nice: :D

 

That's what the caption said! lol.

this was their dog Sid right??! :nice: :D

 

Yes! I wonder if he's her dog or Guy's now?

aww yes...i saw i pic of him once b4 but i dont think it was this pic....:D nice find!

im guessing her....just bc Guy prolly is touring too much to take care of a dog....but idk...