Olivia Bowen is well-known for coming second on Love Island in 2016 with her now-husband Alex Bowen. The pair were the first couple from the show to get married. She is passionate about property and interiors and has over 750,000 followers on Instagram, @thebowenhome, where she updates and gives inspiration on her latest renovation projects. Lynda Clark caught up with Olivia again to find out what she has been doing since we last spoke to her.
When I last chatted to Olivia, she had recently bought what they thought was their dream home in the countryside. She said, “I absolutely loved the house, which was built around 20 years ago, and it was in the area where I grew up. I always looked at the house when we drove by and could imagine us living there. Eventually it went on the market and our offer was accepted, so it felt like it was really meant to be.”
But Olivia and Alex had a baby, Abel, who is now nearly two years old, and they discovered that the house didn’t quite work as well as they had imagined. “We spent four years there renovating it, and it was a beautiful home. But it was on a main road with no proper paths and there was no feel of a community at all. When you have a child you need things around you, like shops, cafes, playgroups and a park, and it wasn’t near many of my friends. It was also quite dangerous with no paths and a noisy road.”
So, they made the huge decision to sell it and move on, and decided to buy a self-build new home on a lovely development. She explains, ”You basically buy a plot of land that comes with planning permission from the council, but you have the option to change it if you wish. We bought in our own builders and kitchen specialists as we wanted to make it special and unique to us. While all the work has been carried out we have moved into a 600-year-old rented house, which is totally different to anything we have lived in before. It has worked well except for Alex, who is well over six foot and struggling with all the low beams! I’m not that tall and even I can just about stand up in the bathroom!
“The new house is in a town we have always wanted to live in, and already there is a strong sense of community. My friends are close by too, and there are some great restaurants and pubs. We are hoping to move next month and we are very excited. The house is a little smaller than the previous one, but it has a lovely open-plan sitting room, four bedrooms all with an en suite, and the main bedroom also has a dressing room, and there is a family bathroom and a cloakroom downstairs. The garden is just the right size and I know Abel will love being outside and enjoying the fresh air.”
When it comes to the interiors, Olivia has been having lots of fun. “I have gone with my heart and not my head and it’s colourful, playful and very different to the rather beige look we had before. I have just finished Abel’s room, which has a sea theme with a gorgeous underwater mural on one wall. It took a couple of days to complete and is really calming. Abel is obsessed with sharks, so I know he will adore it. I have really enjoyed planning the house this time round and I have taken my time and not rushed into anything.”
As well as designing her dream house, Olivia has also been busy with another side hustle, “We started our property investment venture a few years ago now as we wanted to build a solid foundation for our future. We currently own two properties that we now rent out, but we loved the process of renovating them so much that we are planning to expand further. The aim is to buy two more properties to flip this year. This is where my passion for interiors really comes through. I love seeing the process and transforming something into a beautiful new place for someone else to enjoy.”
Olivia is very enthusiastic about everything she does and her life story is fascinating. She said, “I have a brother and we had a wonderful childhood. My mum and dad were together until I was 11 and they then split up but it was totally amicable. We went on super holidays, and I was very close to my brother growing up. I did my A-levels and was planning to go to university to study fashion.”
Olivia got an unconditional offer, but she was then offered a job as a visual designer for American Apparel, which was her dream come true, but sadly the job didn’t quite work out the way she had planned and she decided to leave and get another job. She said, “I found another job in fashion but I really didn’t get along with the managers and I really hated being there. I watched the first series of Love Island with my ex-boyfriend, who I lived with, but it turned out he was an awful person who eventually cheated on me and we split up.”
After Olivia and her ex-boyfriend broke up, she couldn’t go back to live with her mum so she had to rent her first flat on her own. “It was very, very hard and I had no money, so I lived on chicken and rice from a can! It was quite an experience though, and because I was young and had so much freedom it really made me grow up! After that I ended up moving in with a friend in Chelmsford and six months later I applied to go on Love Island. I needed a total change and I had to get out of the job I was doing.”
While she was on Love Island she met Alex, who later was to become her husband, and they came second in the competition. Three days later, after the end of Love Island, Alex moved into Olivia’s flat. They then rented a house together and bought their first home in 2017, which they lived in for two years until they eventually bought what they thought was their dream home in the countryside. In the meantime, Alex proposed to Olivia, and they got married in 2018 and then had little Abel.
She is passionate about riding and has a horse called Dolly. She said, “When I was little I went horse riding all the time but it became too expensive for my mum, so I worked at the stables to earn my rides, but with school and everything it became too much. So, a few years ago I decided it was time to start riding again and I got Dolly. I ride her as much as I can. We recently got a little pony for Abel and the other children at the yard, who is called Sausage. Abel loves riding and says ‘go, go, go’ and ‘trot, trot’. He has really good balance even though his little legs barely stretch round Sausage!”
Olivia has some excellent advice for first time buyers and said, “When you buy a house take your time and follow your heart and not trends. A home is really an extension of your personality, and you should really go for it! Don’t be afraid of colour and maybe try one wall in a strong colour and if you don’t like it then simply paint over it. Live within your means and don’t stretch yourself as you still have to live and pay the bills. I think it’s a good idea to knuckle down on the numbers to make sure you can actually afford the home. It can be stressful, but try to enjoy it as there is no better feeling than owning your home.”
With over 750,000 followers on Instagram, @thebowenhome, Olivia keeps her followers up to date with what they are planning and doing with their exciting new home. “I hope it inspires people, as I really enjoy giving updates on the latest decorations and what we are currently doing.” Apart from leading a very hectic life, Olivia is also in partnership with Glade and loves its range of candles and air fresheners and is enjoying all her various projects.
Finally, I ask her if this is going to be their forever home? “Oh no, ultimately I would like to move to an older property in the countryside and retire my horses on my own land, but that won’t be happening until Abel is much older. But it’s always good to dream!”
Follow Olivia on @oliviadbowen and @thebowenhome
Lynda Clark
Lynda has been a journalist all her working life. She started as an indentured reporter on the Streatham News. After three years she joined Woman’s Weekly in the fashion department and eventually worked her way up to being Associate Fashion Editor. After 13 years she decided to go freelance and wrote for many newspapers and magazines. Her interest in homes and interiors began when she became Editor of Homestyle magazine. Having always wanted to start her own magazine she launched Spaces – an international magazine aimed at people who are passionate about architecture and design. After five years she sold the title and began working at First Time Buyer magazine. She quickly became Editor and eventually CEO of the company. She is truly passionate about getting first timers on to the property ladder and supports all the housing associations, developers, legal and financial experts helping them to spread the word about the affordable housing options open to first time buyers.
