A FAMOUS face will be joining an exciting lineup of interior experts at a special free event in Cirencester next month.

Design lovers have been invited to the first Cotswold Homes and Interior Festival, which will take place at The Corn Hall in Cirencester on Saturday, March 2.

Special guest Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, best known for presenting interior design show Changing Rooms, is due to give a Cotswold design talk between 12.15pm and 1pm. 

Sam Mitchell from Restorate is due to kick off the festival with a talk about antique restoration between 10.15am and 10.45am.

This will be followed by a talk from Moore Alan & Innocent's Lucie Rowe who will be sharing tips on how to snap up some great interiors at auction between 11.15am and 11.45am.

Meanwhile, Ruth Jones and Karen Lewis from Cotswold Contemporary will be giving a talk about choosing the right art for your home between 1.45pm and 2.15pm.

Last but not least, former nurse Vanessa Arbuthnott from Vanessa Arbuthnott Fabrics will be sharing her story about how she set up her own fabric showroom in Cirencester between 2.45pm and 3.15pm. 

Shoppers will also be able to browse at a plethora of stalls selling a wide range of products from soft furnishings to ornaments and art inside the Corn Hall.

In addition, Tania Davies, from Tania Davies Interior Design, will be running two free workshops at Vanessa Arbuthnott Fabrics in Ashcroft Road, Cirencester at 10.30am and 1.30pm.

The Cirencester Repair Café will also be running workshops throughout the day at the same venue, covering everything from simple fabric mend hacks to electrical fixes. 

Cllr Tony Dale, cabinet member for the economy and council transformation at CDC, said: “This is such an exciting event we're hosting here in the Cotswolds, and it will be fantastic for anyone interested in home interiors or looking to renovate their furnishings or décor. 

“I’m pleased we’ve been able to fund it through the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

"The UKSPF is all about investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills - and this event encompasses all of that!” 

For more information and to book a talk or a workshop visit www.cotswolds.com/chif