HE is known to have a keen interest in design and is perhaps the most famous devotee of Charles Rennie Mackintosh alive today.

So it should come as no surprise Hollywood star Brad Pitt turned to the works of the influential Glasgow architect when launching his own range of furniture.

The actor has unveiled a small collection of tables, a chair and a bed he dreamed up in between working on multimillion-pound blockbuster movies.

Pitt, who first became aware of Mackintosh's work in the 1990s, said his furniture is especially influenced by the "Glasgow Rose" – a motif that features heavily in the Scot's designs.

He said: "The term sketching is crediting me with far too much craft. Let's say I've been doodling ideas for buildings and furniture since the early 1990s, when I first discovered Mackintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright.

"Actually, I found Wright in college, when looking for a lazy two-point credit to get out of French. It forever changed my life."

Pitt added: "I can't wholly articulate it, but it started with my introduction to Mackintosh's Glasgow Rose, which is drawn with one continuous line.

"But for me there is something more grand at play, as if you could tell the story of one's life with a single line – from birth to death, with all the bloody triumphs and perceived humiliating losses, even boredoms, along the way.

"It's just a story, in the end, of highs and lows, from beginning to end – but a personal story. And of course if you were to connect those ends, it becomes a continuum."

The Hollywood A-Lister made a point of visiting the Mackintosh-designed Hill House in Helensburgh with his wife Angelina Jolie when he was in Scotland to shoot the horror film World War Z.

The couple booked a private tour of the National Trust for Scotland property – which was built for Glasgow publisher Walter Blackie between 1902 and 1904 – and spent several hours viewing its rooms.

Staff said the pair were especially interested in the decor in the master bedroom, while Pitt was said to have a wide knowledge of Mackintosh's work.

It was his second visit to Hill House, which he had previously been to while filming Interview with the Vampire in 1994. Pitt is also thought to have toured Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art during the same visit.

Hill House property manager Lorna Hepburn said it was "fantastic" to see Pitt taking his interest further.

She added: "Brad Pitt was clearly very knowledgable about Mackintosh, and his fascination was evident when he visited the Hill House in summer 2011.

"In particular, he was very impressed with the decor of the world-famous master bedroom. It's interesting to see that his collection includes a bed, and some pristine white pieces, and it's fantastic to see how he has translated his inspiration from Helensburgh and created something new."

The star's furniture range has been created in collaboration with Frank Pollaro, a New Jersey-based designer famous for his art deco-influenced style.

Stuart Robertson, director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, said: "It shows that people are still looking to Mackintosh for inspiration, and that his designs are timeless."