The Great Indoors

Is Princess Anne guilty of Design Crimes? Insubordinate subjects Kate and Sophie critique the cluttered glory of the Princess Royal's living room. Leading designer Nicola Harding reveals how to make vintage work, how to bring character to a new build and how to use your purchasing power to save the planet. And listener Calum has accidentally bought a weird sofa and now has to make it work... WHERE...

Know which way your rooms face? Sophie and Kate reveal the secrets of decorating according to the compass, so you can make the most out of any room. Paint colours, window dressing and lighting all play a part... And if you're climbing the walls rather than painting them, leading psychotherapist Julia Samuel can help. Julia talks to Kate about how to get through lockdown, and how your home can supp...

Tempted by online design? Kate and Sophie consider the merits of online interior design consultation. A convenient, cost effective dream come true? Or... just too good to be true? They get into it with Laura Simpson, co-founder of My Bespoke Room. Plus there's easy design wins to make lockdown life a little more bearable and a teensy, tiny awkwardly-shaped Style Surgery. And a row about trays.......

What's giving you a boost this year? Sophie is embracing Wim Hof's cold water therapy and Sophie Ellis-Bextor's kitchen discos. Meanwhile Kate is getting hyper competitive on her Peloton... The pair are also buzzing with home office updates, a sceptical take on the new year's new trends and the big news... interiors shopping just got edited! Kate is launching her brand new online interiors shop, D...

What could be more festive than a flaming argument? As yuletide looms, Kate and Sophie celebrate with a little look back at some of their greatest clashes. Big tellies, how to make open plan spaces work, whether white paint really is evil and whether designer paint is worth it... Come for the expertise! Stay for the fight!  Useful links and images are supplied on each of Kate and Sophie’s blogs ma...

Fancy some winter sunshine? Join Sophie and Kate for a tour round the colour-soaked home of designer Matthew Williamson. Matthew reveals all about his move from fashion star to interiors tsar, how he draws inspiration from his mother, and why mixing, mismatching and making do is the secret to great interiors (but failing that, a six foot ostrich feather gold lamp does wonders). Useful links and im...

Could you Sell Sunset? Kate has bundles of tips and tricks for buying and selling houses in 2020 - but Sophie just wants to talk Selling Sunset, the oh-so-relatable Netflix hit about California real estate. Chloe Bullock, an expert in sustainable and ethical design, reveals the easy way to get guilt-free interiors. And in the Style Surgery a listener wonders if a historic cottage can take colour.....

Are you emailing from the loo seat? Kate and Sophie say it's time to ditch the quick fix, embrace the shoffice and make sure your home really works for the way we live (and work) now. A crop of new design books explore maximalism, creative block printing and sustainable design. And as Halloween approaches, a listener wonders whether to go to the dark side... Books discussed include: Everything: A...

What are the ingredients in your room recipe? Sophie reveals the secret to cooking up a design storm as she shows Kate round her (almost!) completed house. She shares her genius for pattern, colour and texture - while Kate explains how the principles work for the more restrained among us. Plus there's a row about a rug and the builder husband sticks his oar in... Useful links and images are suppli...

Sophie and Kate are in the same place! And that place is the gorgeous home of cookery writer Skye McAlpine. Nigel Slater called her latest cookbook, A Table for Friends, "joyous, life-enriching". And her home, designed by Ben Pentreath, is much the same. Highlights include invaluable kitchen design tips, an original Fornasetti fridge, and Sophie getting in a muddle about red onions. Useful links a...

Got your flying ducks on the wall yet? Kate hears the surprising style secrets of Skin, the trail-blazing lead singer of multi-million-selling rock band Skunk Anansie (and interiors obsessive) Sophie tries to be brave as the Dulux Colour of the Year is announced, and the pair consider if trends are officially dead. Plus Sophie and Kate reveal everything you ever needed to know about online interio...

Want to ban the beige? Sophie and Kate do a deep dive on everything Kitchens and Bathrooms... black taps, pink loos, green marble islands and reeded glass wall cabinets. With special extra insight into current trends from Busola Evans, Associate Editor of Livingetc. Plus a Style Surgery question on the Joy of Gloss Paint... Useful images and links are supplied on each of Kate and Sophie's blogs or...

Keen to add character to a new build? Sophie and Kate reveal all there is to know about how to (and how not to) style your new build. An interview with in designer Gordon Whistance of the BBC's Bafta-winning DIY SOS explores the challenges of creating beautiful designs that work for specialist needs. And have you harnessed the power of the focal point in your room scheme? Useful links and images a...

Is it a man-cave or a she-shed? Kate and Sophie guide you through all that is beautiful (and practical) about garden rooms. Kate talks to Alexandria Dauley about the launch of United in Design, a charity to combat the lack of diversity in design. And the Style Surgery saves you from the perils of odd-shaped rooms. Oh, and Sophie has a bird stuck in the living room... Useful links and images are su...

Is your outdoors as great as your indoors? Garden designer Sarah Mitchenall explains how to make your garden beautiful, fun - and eco-friendly. Kate shares camping trauma as the pair swap tips for the perfect staycation, and in the Style Surgery a listener needs help with a TV that dominates the room... Useful links and images are supplied on each of Kate and Sophie’s blogs madabouthehouse.com and...

What makes your house a home? Sophie and Kate consider the magic of home and talk tips for styling outdoor spaces. Plus guest Matt Gibberd, co-founder of cult estate agency The Modern House, talks trends, crimes and candlelight. Useful links and images are supplied on each of Kate and Sophie’s blogs or join our Facebook group The Great Indoors Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

Diversity and Interiors: a special extended feature includes contributions from Michelle Ogundehin, Simon Hamilton, Poonam Sharma, Busola Evans and many more. Plus Marianne Shillingford, creative director of Dulux, talks to Sophie about the next generation of designers and colour trends. There's advice on how to revamp your kitchen, and the Style Surgery addresses a Sticky Problem. Useful links an...

Do you need a Narnia cupboard? Architect Laura Jane Clark of BBC TV's Your Home Made Perfect reveals her top home hacks, from the magical to the mundane. Kate and Sophie explore the colours, styles and priorities that will shape interiors in the world of post-pandemic design. And the pair muse on bathrooms, including the crucial question: where should you hang the Picasso? Useful links and images...

Are you dreaming big enough? Kate and Sophie delve into their psyches and reveal what feeds their design dreams, from pink castles to dirty husbands. Jay Blades of BBC's The Repair Shop talks about therapeutic upholstery, beautiful mistakes and his new show: Jay's Home Fix. Plus lots of lovely ideas for a simple living room refresh, and the Style Surgery asks the big question: shoes on or off? Use...

Is your lighting layered? Sally Storey of John Cullen Lighting reveals how to harness the secret power of lighting. Sophie talks moodboards, swatch boxes and apps, and how they can help you find your scheme. And a truly terrifying revelation from Kate about lockdown decorating leaves Sophie wondering, has she finally lost it? Useful links and images are supplied on each of Kate and Sophie’s blogs ...

What colour is your personality? Sophie reveals the different seasonal palettes to support different personalities (as Kate gets cross about yellow) There's a luscious lot of new interiors books to review, plus Meik Viking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute gives a special interview on how our homes can make us happier. Useful links and images are supplied on each of Kate and Sophie’s blogs....

Staying In? In our very first Style Surgery Kate and Sophie answer your design dilemmas. How to refresh your home when you can't go shopping, how to make the weekends feel different, how to get the kids involved... you asked, we answered! Useful links and images are supplied on each of Kate and Sophie’s blogs or join our Facebook group The Great Indoors Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. V...

How does the Queen of Print live? Come tour the house of designer Orla Kiely, creator of some of the best known motifs of the 21st century. From the James Bond picture window, to the vintage 60s piano, to the touches of Victoriana, to the recurring Orla colour palette... follow Kate and Sophie on a beguiling tour of a gorgeous family home. Useful links and images are supplied on each of Kate and S...

You got questions? We got answers. To be precise, 101 Interior Design Answers, aka Kate's brand new book! We hear the inside story from the maestra herself as the book hits the shelves. Plus a squillion fabulous ways with wallpaper, and who fancies a spring retox? De-cluttering is for losers... Useful links and images are supplied on each of Kate and Sophie’s blogs. Or join our Facebook group The...

Are you rocking Posh Granny Chic? Kate and Sophie give you the lowdown on getting the latest trend just right, consider if faux can be better than the real thing, and bring you a style report from the glamourous El Fenn hotel of Marrakesh. Useful links and images are supplied on each of Kate and Sophie’s blogs or join our Facebook group The Great Indoors Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices....