House Guest by Country & Town House | Interior Designer Interviews

We're kicking off a new series of House Guest with Jules Haines, founder of the textile resale platform Haines. Jules is on a mission to tackle waste in the textile industry by working with designer brands to resell their surplus and deadstock fabric. The Haines platform now offers a huge selection of products, from gorgeous fabrics to cushions made from offcuts destined for landfill. Tune in...

Today we're revisiting a chat with Emma Manners, the Duchess of Rutland, who lives in one of Britain’s most magnificent stately homes: Belvoir Castle. The Duchess chats to Carole about her journey from running around on a Welsh farm as a child to running a 200-room stately home when she married the 11th Duke of Rutland 30 years ago. As a keen decorator, she gives an insight into how she stampe...

This week, we're revisiting our chat with Emma Sims Hilditch, an interior designer who grew up in a creative home where her mother loved to follow decorating trends, from 70s swirls to 80s swags. Emma inherited her mother’s creative gene, but, ‘I wouldn’t follow a trend,’ she says, ‘because if you’re not careful trends move on and then you’re stuck’. As well as discussing her book, 'The Ev...

This week we're revisiting a favourite podcast with one of the best production designers of his generation: Lee Broom. Lee is one of the UK’s leading furniture and lighting designers and a premium global design brand. His Crystal Bulb launched one of his earliest designs and was an instant hit, making him a darling of the design world and one who has continued to reach new heights with everyth...

This week we are revisiting an old favourite: an interview with garden designer Richard Miers before last year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show. He ended up with the People's Choice award for his Love Garden. Tune in to hear all about how to design a garden fit for the famous Flower Show.

For any interior designers looking for that special something – whether it's a unique piece of ceramic to finish an interior, or individual hand-made cushions – head to Luiza Marra at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. At Colony by Casa Luiza, you will find beautiful objects, fabrics from Colony Roma, and furniture chosen with Luiza’s meticulous eye. As the daughter of an ambassador, Luiza has liv...

From aviation law to interior design, Noor Charchafchi made a significant career change and launched a successful design business, Celine Interior Design, while also bringing up three children. She is passionate about the impact of good interiors on people’s lives. Her Iraqi heritage also plays an important role: ‘l feel 100% Iraqi and 100% English rather than 50% of anything’, she tells Carole An...

Be transported to the realm of magic and myth in this episode, as Carole Annett chats to British graphic artist and homeware designer Emma J Shipley. From fabrics and wallpaper to lampshades and candles, Emma's intricate designs bring to life the most enchanting aspects of the natural world. She delves into her artistic inspiration and discusses the origins of her unique style, which channels...

We’re whisking you away to the sunshine of the French Riviera in this episode, as we head to Nice. Once home to Coco Chanel and Henri Matisse, Nice lost its mojo over the last decade or so, but it’s back – and an influx of luxury hotels are hustling for the supermodel crown along the Promenade des Anglais. Leading the way is the Anantara Plaza ( anantara.com ), a belle époque beauty dating from 18...

This week, in view of the royal proceedings, we are revisiting one of our favourite podcasts: Charles, Ninth Earl Spencer. The Earl chats openly about growing up in his family home, Althorp, as well as discussing the décor (which he altered dramatically after his step-mother passed away) and why he put a bouncy castle in the state dining room. Tune in for more. This episode is sponsored by Natural...

This week’s House Guest is Jason Stewart, associate director of David Collins Studio, who gives a glimpse into the design of Cunard’s new ship, Queen Anne, which is launching next year. ‘We have take elements of a bygone era and reimagined them in new ways,' he reveals. We also chat about Cunard’s history, its importance in Liverpool, and what guests got up to in the early years of sailing (tr...

It all started when Cal went to an auction in Scotland intending to bid for a two-bed flat in Glasgow and instead came away with a crumbled old wreck in the run-down area of Jameswood. Claire, his girlfriend and partner, is my House Guest this week. She recounts the last four years of their lives, from the ‘colander’ ceiling and the structural engineer who advised them to knock the house down to t...

‘Design is much more than just things, it’s about the memories you create,’ says Jacu Strauss, creative director and designer for Lore Group hotels including the highly acclaimed 100 Shoreditch in London and Pulitzer Amsterdam. After growing up in the Kalahari desert, where he spent hours building castles out of sand, Jacu headed for London aged 18. After working in a bank (to keep himself afloat)...

Jewellery designer Stephen Webster shares his story, from apprenticing aged 15 at Hatton Garden to working on his latest collection, Sworn Enemies. Plus, he reflects on why we are experiencing an exciting jewellery renaissance. Tune in for more. This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat.  naturalmat.co.uk

Eva Sonaike specialises in textiles with a vibrant West African aesthetic. ‘I live and breathe colour,’ 'she says. 'It has a positive effect on your emotional state.' Born and raised in the south of Germany and hailing from Nigeria, Eva studied journalism and worked in fashion before turning her sights on interiors. While doing up her first house, she was unable to find anything that r...

From early days flat-sharing with Martin Waller of Andrew Martin, to her studio in the old Aston Martin building in Knightsbridge, Karen Howes and her team have redefined luxury in interior design. Her credits include Soho’s glam-goth-meets-polished-punk hotel Chateau Denmark, to Knightsbridge penthouses and super-luxe ski chalets. Tune in to hear how she made it to the top.  This episode is spons...

Nicky Haslam, one of the most important figures in British interior design, chats with Carole Annett. "People think they've got to make it perfect but the whole point of decorating is layers and layers of imperfection making something wonderful". This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

What should you look for when buying a new sofa? How do you test comfort and longevity? Carole Annett sits down on a perfectly plumped cushion with Amanda Barrett of British furniture maker George Smith to talk sofas, seat depth, wooden frames, duck feathers, colour and craftsmanship. Tune in for more.

My House Guest today is Karen Barlow of The Old Potato Store, which specialises in sourcing decorative antique and vintage furniture and accessories that make a space feel individual and personal. We chat about the best hunting ground - which fairs and boot sales are best for sourcing, what to look for and also how to photograph and style your finds if you want to sell them on. Sustainability is a...

My House Guests this week are James Arkoulis and Saskia Howard of Howark Design. Launched five years ago and based in Chiswick, Howark Design creates characterful and timeless interiors with an emphasis  on  practical and charming design. The focus of our chat is rugs - what to buy, how to choose, what colours work best and how to use in an interior setting. “Having a very saturated rug...

My House Guest today is Harry Triggs who, along with Andrew Molyneux, set up TM Lighting in 2012. They design and manufacture LED products for private residences, stately homes and galleries. “With the right lighting you can lead the eye in an interior to focus on a beautiful object and, like lighting a subject on a stage in a theatrical performance, lighting a house or restaurant is the same”. We...

My House Guest today is Luke Deering, an art director, artist and occasional product designer whose work in the art department includes Spiderman and The Crown. “It is an area of artistry that’s not often spoken about or understood,” says Luke. We chat about the craftsmanship and collaboration behind a set like a fire-damaged Windsor Castle. Working for the Oscar-winning production designer Martin...

This is our CHRISTMAS SPECIAL podcast - the last of the year and I have gathered two good friends - Martin and Jay of Martin Hulbert Design. We met at the Dorchester Collection’s country outpost, Coworth Park in Ascot. Martin Hulbert Design has been instrumental in its rebirth from a dilapidated private house to a sumptuous hotel and polo venue. Their most recent tweaking has been to the Adam Smit...

My House Guest this week is interior designer Charlotte Elizabeth of Charlotte Elizabeth Interiors, who divides her time between London and the South of France. She is about to celebrate her first Xmas as a married woman. We sat down for a natter about preparing the house for Xmas, ideas for decorating the tree, table dressing and what to forage from the garden. We also mention Emily Ayres’ Design...

My House Guest this week is someone I have known and admired for many years and, full disclosure, who helped me on a house project a few years ago. Interior designer Emma Sims Hilditch grew up in a creative home where her mother loved to follow decorating trends, from 70s swirls to 80s swags. Emma inherited her mother’s creative gene but, ‘I wouldn’t follow a trend,’ she says, ‘because if you’re n...