House Guest by Country & Town House | Interior Designer Interviews

House Guest is back for another series! In the first episode, Carole Annett visits the home of designer Tim Gosling, whose clients include Elton John, David Furnish, Jo Malone and the late Queen Mother. They chat about the creative personalities Tim has worked with, his addiction to auctions – while revealing top buying tips – plus tales of renovating his own French chateau. 'Elton is one of the most remarkable collectors I have ever met’, he says. Sponsored by ABI Interiors.

In the final House Guest episode of 2023, Carole Annett chats to fashion designer Ozwald Boateng, who is dipping his toe into the world of interiors after nearly three decades of inspirational work in menswear. Tune in for more.

India Hicks is this week’s very special House Guest. A model, businesswoman and humanitarian, India is the third child of Lady Pamela Mountbatten and David Hicks – her mother served as lady in waiting to the queen and her father was a much-celebrated interior designer. We chat about family life on Harbour Island, her five children (she has two sons of 26, but they aren’t twins) and why Mick Jagger named her pet parrot Jenga. India is about to launch a new range of bedlinen for Heirlooms which features her mantra: 'Live an extraordinary life'.

Trend alert: decorative art is back! Today's House Guest is decorative artist and rising star Meg Boscawen, who works with some of the biggest names in interiors – from Nina Campbell to Penny Morrison. "Truthfully, it's the everyday moments that give me inspiration," Meg tells Carole Annett. Tune in for more.

Today’s House Guest is Randle Siddeley, the Lord Kenilworth, who set up his eponymous landscape business 48 years ago. Recognised globally for innovative and beautiful projects, he has worked on magnificent estates and hotel projects both in the UK and abroad. Randle’s father was a well known interior designer and it was expected he would follow in his footsteps. But Randle didn’t do well at school; he was dyslexic, and found solace and excitement outside the house rather than indoors. We chat about life and nature, and he is a fount of knowledge. ‘The most important thing I always say is: judge your garden by how it looks in winter,' he states. 'This is when you can tell you have a good structured garden. The most important element is the backdrop, ideally evergreen, because whatever you have in the foreground needs that backdrop… it’s like a stage.' Tune in for more, plus a special appearance by Diego the beagle.

Dynamic interior design duo and longstanding friends Bunny Turner and Emma Pocock chat to Carole about their people-focused interior design company, Turner Pocock, how their friendship helped shape their business and what led to the creation of their charity, TP Caring Spaces.

You can find out more about the TP Caring Spaces Carol Concert (and grab your tickets) at tpcaringspaces.co.uk

Architect Claus Thottrup chats with Carole about creating the Italian idyll, Borgo Santo Pietro. Originally a healing stopover for medieval pilgrims, the estate he bought, along with wife Jeannette in 2001, now comprises a 300-acre organic farm, cookery school (overseen by an 80-year old nonna), vineyard, two restaurants, manicured gardens and 22 suites. The concept hasn't changed - to offer a restorative sanctuary for modern souls along with an unwavering dedication to sustainability and organic living. 'We want to connect people to nature in a luxury way,' says Claus. Tune in for more.

For a review of Borgo, head to countryandtownhouse.co.uk

'Over time I realised how important beauty is as part of the home', says John Sims Hilditch of Neptune. ‘I think it is something that elevates the spirit’. Launched in 1996 with friend and business partner Giles Redman, Neptune has grown into one of the UK's best-loved lifestyle brands. Tune in to hear how John went from a military career to designing a hammock which sold rather better than expected, and sowed the seed for something rather special.

This week, Carole Annett chats to celebrity interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. He delves into his multi award-winning work for the likes of Cher and the Kardashians, and he also discusses his brand new book, 'Star Style'. Tune in for more.

Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors is a four-poster bed virtuoso. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever done a project without putting one in,’ she says. An expert at creating immaculate, dreamy interiors, she says a four-poster not only makes you feel special, but it’s also very romantic. Carole and Heni chat about the bed’s history, consider fabrics to use when curtaining the sides, and discuss different styles, from mirrored columns to designs for children. Tune in for more.

Known as the Queen of Colour, Sophie Robinson is an interior designer and broadcaster and the authority on hue. In her podcast The Great Indoors with Katie Watson-Smyth, she is the aesthetic agony aunt to a nation of amateur decorators. We chat about her start in design – she specialised in plastics (surprise surprise) 'as that is where I could get the most colour in,' she says. After a degree studying wood, metal, plastics and ceramics at Brighton University, it was her YouTube channel that set her on a path to greater recognition, including BBC2's Great Interior Design Challange. She has just launched her first fabric collection with Harlequin.

This week, we chat to Freya Simms, who is heading up LAPADA, a fair in Berkeley Square showcasing jewellery, silver, art and antiques, opening on 27 September.

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 for more.

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 stamped her personality onto the private areas of the house and how looking after fabrics and wallpapers in the State Rooms requires a delicate hand.

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 Evolution of Home,' with Giles Kime – a fascinating dive into how English country house style has changed – she offers tips on how to bring atmosphere into a house (you need a multi-faceted approach) and why the dining room is back in fashion but not in its traditional guise. Tune in for more.

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 everything he does. Tune in for more.

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 lived all over the world gathering knowledge and taking in the world around her. Interiors are her second career and her passion shines through. Tune in to hear about decorating Mosimann’s private dining room, how she discovered her flair for design, and her most recent collaboration with Natalia Miyar for WOW house, which opens next week (visit dcch.co.uk for tickets).

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 Annett. Tune in for more, including how to design amazing kids' bedrooms.

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 her childhood love of fantasy novels and films as well as experiences from her travels. She offers us an insight into her success and gives us the lowdown on her stunning new Quetzal collection.

This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

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 1848. Carole Annett sits down with general manager Stéphane Vilar to hear about the hotel’s history, its new look, and what it takes to entice a new generation of discerning travellers.

This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

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 Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

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 (truffle sauce for breakfast and onboard games which included separate races for single and married ladies and pillow fights for men.) An exhibition of Cunard’s history is on at Liverpool's Victoria Gallery & Museum now. Tune in for more.

This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

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 the joys and surprises of DIY renovation. Their Instagram account @whathavewedunoon sets out their extraordinary renovation journey and how it has transformed their lives and opened up a whole new world of friendship and community. A wonderful uplifting tale of our times. This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

‘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), and studying architecture, he found work with Tom Dixon. He then embarked on the interiors of Sea Containers house, which brought him to the attention of Lore Group hotels – a career-changing moment which has allowed him total creative freedom in his new ventures. Tune in for more.

This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

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 represented the glorious colours of her homeland, and it was at this point that she decided to have a go herself. She now runs a global brand and has collaborated with Soho Home, CP Hart and Kanuhara resort in the Maldives, with much more to follow… including dog beds. Tune in for more.

This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

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 sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

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 at the forefront of her business - but, as a designer, aesthetics are everything. ‘If something is useful and beautiful, I believe that it can be reused or repurposed,’ she says. Inspired by salvage designers such as Retrouvius, she and her husband renovated their home using mainly reclaimed and vintage finds.

The Old Potato Store is located in a former Victorian, stone floored building in Manchester. It was previously owned by the local Allotment Society from 1901. Tune in for more.

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 (with colour) in a space can be draining,”says Saskia, “and scale is important.” They suggest buying rugs early on in a project, “it’s an investment,”says James, “buy well and it will give joy for years to come.”Howark Design has a small rug collaboration with Holmes Bespoke. Tune in for more.

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 chat about the best ways to light art, colours of light, light distribution and why LED light is the most energy-efficient - a fascinating dive into illuminating the home. Tune in for more

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 Childs and with art director Chris Wyatt. Luke and the team designed the ravaged interior with blackened floors, half-destroyed paintings and twisted timber. “Everything starts with the script,” according to Luke, and then drawings, sketches, models… until everyone is happy. A painstaking process and fascinating to hear all about it. Tune in for more.

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 Smith restaurant, Woven, which is pure MHD - a cosy and imaginative interior with original artwork and clever lighting. Martin and Jay share stories of creating the interior from finding a paper-maché sculptor for serving tables, to the carrot and turnip-strewn plaster-cast artwork (which involved a trip to the local vegetable market). Tune in for more and Happy Christmas to all. Thank you for your support for The House Guest podcast and we look forward to being back next year with a starry array of guests.

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 by Nature which signals a different approach to floristry, using only dried flowers as a sustainable alternative to fresh.

Tune in for more.

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 not careful trends move on and then you’re stuck’. We chat over coffee in Emma’s London home she shares with husband John, founder with his business partner Giles, of the successful Neptune furniture company. The conversation rolls from Nick Kamen’s famous Levi 501 launderette advert (if you’re too young to remember then Google it) which Emma worked on while assisting film producer Ridley Scott in her first job, then moving from London to Wiltshire and starting a family along with a curtain-making company, to how her own business grew alongside John’s.
She has just launched her first book - The Evolution of Home, with Giles Kime, a fascinating dive into how English country house style has changed. Tune in for more including great tips on how to bring atmosphere into a house (you need a multi-faceted approach) and why the dining room is back in fashion but not in its traditional guise.

My House Guest today is Caryn Hibbert, a lady for whom I have the utmost admiration. Following a career in obstetrics and gynaecology where she specialised in cervical cancer, she moved to the Cotswolds with her husband in order to raise her children in the countryside. They found a house in Southrop and after a few years of bedding in and enjoying a quieter pace of life, some local barns came up for sale. Deciding to buy and restore them and having always been a foodie, she decided to create a cookery school - Thyme at Southrop was born and now includes a hotel, restaurant, spa, boutique and a homeware brand, Bertoli. Her latest venture brings in her medical background. Caryn has always been fascinated by breathing, having studied women giving birth, how the correct breathing can help the body and how we breathe inefficiently when we are anxious. With well-being in mind, she has created a Breathing Bothy, a special hammam-style building with moulded resin interiors (Caryn oversees all the interiors and garden design at Thyme). Being a passionate gardener, she also created a special balm using herbs from the water meadow, which is the scent used in the bothy. Tune in for more and discover how to breathe...

Very excited to announce today’s House Guest - Lee Broom 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 everything he does. He has had an interesting career path, starting out in theatre school (age 7) and working with the Royal Shakespeare Company to catching Vivienne Westwood’s eye when he entered a competition with The Clothes Show (remember that?!). Thinking his future was in fashion, he stayed with Westwood until embarking on a course at St Martins (against her advice) which led him into interior design and finally product design. “You get an emotional connection to design in the same way you will with art or a theatrical performance. I don’t see why we can’t have similar emotions when looking at a chair or lamp or whatever it might be”.

He has a new book, just out, called ‘Fashioning Design’ (Rizzoli) and has won many awards including the Queen’s Award for Enterprise from Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace (wearing a Burberry suit). Tune in for more

In the run up to Christmas we have some special guests and this week it is hospitality guru, Olga Polizzi talking about her own 3-hotel collection, The Polizzi collection, as well as her role at Rocco Forte hotels where she is deputy Chairman and director of Design. She says of Hotel Endsleigh in Devon, ‘I bought it with my heart rather than my head,’ and of her first hotel, The Tresanton in Cornwall, which is about to celebrate its 25th birthday, ‘It’s been the most fun thing I’ve done but the agony, the excitement the tears… we used to watch Fawlty Towers on tv after an exhausting day and laugh and laugh thinking “this is us!”’.
Tune in for more

I am in awe of people who follow a dream and Karl O’Hanlon did just that after leaving London and a secure job to head to France to a place he and his wife Anita had always loved - the Languedoc. His dream was to venture into the hospitality industry and after an initial false start, in 2008, Domaine & Demeure was born - three beautiful wine estates brought back to life with a discerning eye and a passion for design.

I visited Karl at his latest venture - Chateau just outside Narbonne a small hotel and wine estate with 44 villas (mostly now privately owned) available for rental. Staying here you get the charm and authenticity of a working wine estate, and the style, service and laid-back ambience of a private club. It’s fascinating to hear how it all came together. ‘For us it was important that the whole estate is integrated into the environment and that we contribute to its ongoing development”, says Karl. That means creating a landscape without using chemical or irrigation (Languedoc is renowned for its dry countryside which gives the wine its minerality). One of the commitments to the local community was that they wd not use irrigation hence he engaged award-winning garden designer James Basson and plantsman and botanist Olivier Filippi, ‘a legendary figure when it comes to ‘dry gardening’” explains Karl. Karl designed the interiors of the villas using polished concrete (often used in wine estates) and colours of the landscape. One of my favourite features, his idea for using olive trees instead of sun umbrellas by the pool - ’so much nicer reading under the shade of a tree,’ he says. Tune in for more

Mike Fisher founded Studio Indigo in 2005 and it now employs over 50 interior designers and architects. 

He says, 'Architects are often monochromatic and rather restrained in their use of colour. I soon realised the architect wasn’t most important person and if I wanted to be in control, I had to be an interior designer too’.
Mike chats to host Carole Annett about choosing colour in a northern climate such as the UK, how to use colour to make a statement and how one of their projects for a Scandinavian client involved a brave choice - a mustard-lacquer sitting room (the client loved it). They also discuss paint finishes and why some paint brands have a reputation for being difficult to apply. Mike offers lots of colour and paint choosing tips as well as wonderful insider stories including installing a dog lift in his London house for his much-loved pooches. He also has a new book out by Vendome Press - Studio Indigo, Architecturally Creative Interiors.
Tune in for more

Today’s House Guest podcast is with Buchanan Studio - Angus and wife Charlotte set up their eponymous studio specialising in interior design, event and set design, creative direction and branding. Originality is at the core of everything they do. “We encourage clients to be brave’, explains Angus who worked as an assistant to fashion photographer Mario Testino before moving into set design alongside Michael Howells. ‘I walked onto a Versace set Michael had created for a Madonna shoot and thought, “This is for me”.

Angus runs the creative side while Charlotte wears the organisational, business hat. Projects include Wild By Tart restaurant in Eccleston yard, the branding and launch of Della Vite Prosecco (a project with the Delevingne sisters) the Studio Chair (one of the most photographed chairs of last year) and a fabric collection.

Emma Manners the Duchess of Rutland 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 stamped her personality onto the private areas of the house and how looking after fabrics and wallpapers in the State Rooms requires a delicate hand. Belvoir Castle’s stand in as Windsor Castle in the upcoming season 5 of The Crown - The Duchess prefers to keep out of the way during filming, which she describes as ‘a long process’. Her joy is in the gardens - she is so hands-on, she earned the nickname ‘Digger Duchess”. Emma's new book is out now - The Accidental Duchess. Tune in for more

The next House Guest in our ‘How To’ series is Anthony Barzilay Freund of 1stDibs talking about how to buy online. Anthony Barzilay Freund is editorial director and director of fine art at the online marketplace interior designer Duncan Campbell of Campbell Rey, calls ‘eBay for serious antiques’. Anthony chats to Carole Annett about how 1stDibs was founded, how it has become a go-to tool for the interior design trade and the fascination of seeing trends emerge. Tune in for more.

Born and raised in Vicenza, Italy and then moved to New York City to start her career in design, Manuela Hamilford first cut her teeth at Bergdorf Goodman, working within luxury Italian home furnishings. She gained a flair for interior design and after heading back to London in 2000 she launched her own interior design studio, Hamilford Design. Manuela has created many beautiful projects over the last twelve years, noting a change in how children’s bedrooms are designed - the kids are now in control requesting theatre-style dressing rooms and gaming chairs. Tune in for more.

The two creative dynamos, Annie Selke (chief vision officer and founder of Annie Selke the Massachusetts-based go-to for colourful rugs and bedding) and Kit Kemp, founder of Firmdale Hotels and Kit Kemp design studio who together have launched a new collection of lifestyle designs based on three favourite destinations, London, New York and Barbados.  Having never met, the two were introduced when Annie was asked who she would most like to collaborate with ‘I immediately said Kit Kemp as I am a big fan of her hotels although we’d never met. It happened over Zoom and ‘we spoke the same language,’ she laughs. The collection includes rugs, pillows and bedding in natural jute and wool and also PET (made from plastics), ‘I was a bit sniffy at first about recycled material but it’s fantastic,’ says Kit. Designs include Jellyroll, Lily Pad, Eternal Spring and Horseshoe. Tune in for more. 

The Kit Kemp Collection for Annie Selke, a collaboration and friendship available at andrewmartin.co.uk and kitkemp.com

My House Guest this week is Guy Oliver, managing director and principal designer at Oliver Laws. We natter about designing luxury hotels as two of Guy’s long-term projects are Dublin’s The Shelbourne and London’s Connaught hotels. Guy joined Oliver Laws after finishing his commission as a Royal Naval Officer and credits the training with being able to work with demanding clients including first boss, David Laws. ‘I was used to dealing with eccentric characters,’ he says, ‘they were no more challenging than the average Admiral, captain, or even my parents’. His work often involves historic or listed buildings and interiors - ‘Finding the subtle interplay between authenticity and taste is the very essence of what we do and are known for’. Tune in for more.

Charlotte Lawson Johnston of Cloth Collective is on a mission to educate consumers on non-toxic fabrics and using sustainable fibres such as linen, silk and hemp. Trained at the New York School of Interior Design, Charlotte now lives between Oxford and Uruguay. She has two daughters and a cow called Leche, which her husband gave as a birthday gift. She is passionate about natural fabrics having been alarmed at the amount of water used and the chemical smell of textile manufacturing when creating her first collection. It kick-started a desire to create fabrics in a more natural, sustainable way. Tune in for more.

Today we are looking back at one of my favourite House Guest podcasts - the dreamy Martyn Lawrence Bullard. One of the most talented and entertaining people i have met, I met up with Martyn in Paris in 2019 to chat about how he conquered the celebrity world to become their go-to interior designer. He relates delicious stories about Cher’s bathroom and working with the Kardashian clan. I’m also delighted to say this is one of the podcasts that you can tune into on British Airways inflight entertainment (click on the Audio section and you’ll find us on board). Enjoy.

Today's House Guest is the guru of interiors - Nina Campbell. Nina was my very first podcast victim and has graciously agreed to chat again to celebrate 50 years in the business. Having started with John Fowler at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, 'I considered myself lucky to be carrying his bags', she says, Nina went on to work for Mark Birley on the interiors of Annabel’s members’ club. They teamed up to open a shop on the Pimlico Road, SW1. Nina explains: 'Eventually Mark got bored, but I continued and moved to Walton Street, SW3. I was a bit tired of interior design at that point but, one day, Anne Heseltine walked into the shop and asked if I could decorate her and Michael’s new house on Chapel Street, SW1. It turned out to be a house in which I had lived as a child. I’ve always been guided by these sorts of things – interference from the Almighty, so to speak. Interior design is a bossy business and if you’re that way inclined and someone asks you to help, you say, ‘Yes.’

Tune in to hear about what Nina has been up to recently and her top tips on decorating a beautiful home.

My House Guests this week are Skye Gyngell and David Rowley, who between them oversee food and farm at Heckfield Place in Hampshire. "When a restaurant has a real relationship with a farm, it's both of our work on the plate.' explains Skye, who rose to fame via the food pages of Vogue and the Michelin-star Petersham Nurseries before launching Spring restaurant at Somerset House. The ethos of food at Heckfield starts with the soil and follows the principles of biodynamic farming. David explains how understanding the movements of the sun and moon and seeding at favourable times results in fruit and vegetables that taste as Mother Nature intended. Tune in for more and to hear about Heckfield's monthly produce sales (starting this month) where you can visit the gardens and buy pickles, jams, cordial, flowers and home made bread - a wonderful day out and a taste of Heckfield (visit heckfieldhomefarm.com for details).

After training at Paris’s oldest couture school Sabina applied for a work placement at Alexander McQueen and there was able to hone her craft. ‘Alexander McQueen was the ultimate storyteller and everything there is hand-drawn. They sat me down at a desk and gave me a pencil.' After McQueen, she decided to go it alone printing her own designs onto silk squares. She sold these ‘to all my mum’s friends’, but the money funded the next collection. Sabina’s designs are rich in detail, each one taking between 4 and 6 weeks. They now sell in Fortnum and Mason in the UK, and she has a big following in the US. Her latest collection, Panchatantra, is based on an ancient Indian book of moralistic animal stories. Tune in for more and visit sabinasavage.com to feast your eyes.

My House Guest this week is garden designer Richard Miers who will be showcasing a garden next week at Chelsea. 'I've always wanted to do the RHS flower show, it's a bit like Everest for a garden designer,' he explains, 'always there as the ultimate challenge'. The garden is sponsored by Perennials, the gardeners' charity, which inspired Richard's theme of love and nurture. 'I knew i wanted it to be enclosed and sheltered so you get the feeling of being looked after, that's what the charity does, it cares about the horticultural community'. Richard gives an insight into the process of design, and how he is bringing in elements never been seen before at Chelsea. 'It's been an incredibly tense few weeks', he says, 'i've had to up my game'. Tune in for more.

Welcome to the third episode of this new 'How To' series of House Guest. Today's House Guest is Morten Warren, well known in the industrial design world for his work with Philippe Starck and global brands such as Bang & Olufson and Samsung. Zuma is his new baby - Morten had a light bulb moment when renovating his home and wondering why so much wiring was needed for sound and technology. Zuma puts everything you need into one light fitting - the alchemy of design and technology which is wowing the interiors world. Tune in for more.

Welcome to the second episode of this new 'How To' series of House Guest. This week's podcast is all about tiling - 'How To get to grips with tiles'. Interiors editor Carole Annett chats to Rob Whitaker, Creative Director and co-founder of Claybrook Tiles. 'The whole tile world can be a bit of an enigma,' says Rob, 'knowing the difference between a floor and wall tile, what's suitable for indoor or outdoor use. The first question we usually get is, "is it suitable for a wet area"'. Rob lends a guiding hand through the world of tiles - it has changed enormously over the last few years with the introduction of porcelain tiles which opens up a whole new look. 'you need to know what you are buying', says Rob, 'and where it's going to be used. Natural materials like terracotta and stone are beautiful but are porous - put in the work initially, make sure it's sealed properly and look after it - you just need to know what you're buying'. Tune in for more.

Welcome to the first episode of this new 'How To' series of House Guest where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. 'Rattan makes a statement in an understated way, which is why i think it's so glamorous,' says Louise Roe of Sharland England. In this week's House Guest episode, Louise gives tips on how to decorate with rattan and explains why she fell in love with this most sustainable of materials. A journalist by trade - she has worked with Vogue.com and In-style and is the weekly fashion presenter on This Morning, Louise's love of rattan was inspired by her Argentine grandmother (Sharland was her maiden name) who, 'had great style, was a bit rebellious and occasionally naughty'. Louise loves the nostalgia of rattan, its warmth and colour and explains how to use it in a modern home. 'Going too old-fashioned makes an interior look like a tv set and that's not ideal,' she says. Tune in for more.

Welcome to episode 159 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. My House Guests this week are Lucinda Chambers and Serena Hood of Collagerie. 'The most beautiful shopping experience you can have', Collagerie offers an innovative online shopping experience, characterised with carefully curated stories. Created by former editors of Vogue, Lucinda Chambers and Serena Hood, Collagerie celebrates shopping at every price point. From fashion to beauty to lifestyle, they delight and inspire, finding you the one thing over everything. Here, they chat about their inspirations behind Collagerie, their experience of setting up a business together and their plans for the future. Tune in for more. Check out their website and Instagram. 

Welcome to episode 158 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. My House Guest this week is Tom Dixon, known as a restless innovator who rose to prominence in the mid-1980s as a maverick, untrained designer with a line in welded salvage furniture. While working with the Italian giant Cappellini he designed the widely acclaimed ‘S’ Chair and Creative Director at Habitat rejuvenating the brand while maintaining Terence Conran’s vision of enriching everyday life through simple, modern design. In 2007, he launched Design Research Studio, a design and innovations agency at the heart of Tom Dixon, now based at Coal Office in London’s King’s Cross, which operates as an office, shop, workshop and restaurant all under one roof. We chat about his love of making things, which includes food, hence his collaboration with chef Assaf Granit - Coal Office is their food and design playground, rich in material, style and flavour. He also has a wry take on his early designs: ‘After 20 years in the business, I still feel young and there’s a lot to do, it’s both fabulous and depressing that my stuff is now being sold in antique shops and occasionally a car boot sale'. Tune in for more.

Welcome to episode 157 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. If you’re dreaming of an Italian getaway, today’s podcast is for you. Count Benedikt Bolza and his wife Nencia Corsini have created Castello di Reschio, a castle sitting at the top of undulating Umbrian landscape, a blissful escape. Just reopening after its winter slumber, the interior and most of the castle’s furniture is designed by Benedikt himself, a trained architect and utter perfectionist. He couldn’t find a coffee machine without plastic pods so he made one, he doesn’t like how technology affects our sleep so the mattresses have special magnetic toppers to repel white light, he doesn’t like corridors (they feel too ‘hotel-y’) so suites fan out from a central courtyard – every detail is researched and tested to make guests feel at home. Whether you’re walking the grounds, watching the horses exercise in the equestrian centre, eating freshly foraged delicacies, admiring Nencia’s artwork and flowers or having the knots in your shoulders eased in the former wine cellar’s spa, Reschio delights and charms at every turn. Tune in for more.

Welcome to episode 156 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guest is former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration and dubbed ‘interiors guru’ by The Sunday Times, Michelle Ogundehin, writer, author, brand consultant and tv presenter. Her book, Happy Inside, of which designer Jonathan Adler says:  ‘Prozac, shmozac, Michelle’s book is the only anti-depressant you need – it’s my bible’ has recently launched. She is on our screens next week when the new series of Interior Design Masters starts Weds 9th at 9pm, where guests include Matthew Williamson, Mary Portas and Guy Oliver. Michelle and I chat about filming the new series, how the future of interior design is shaping up and how she believes, along with good food and exercise, environment is the third pillar of wellbeing. Tune in for more.

Welcome to episode 155 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. It’s an exciting year ahead for this week's House Guest, the acclaimed interior and furniture designer Francis Sultana. His first hotel project opens in Capri in July (Hotel La Palma, part of the Oetker Collection) and his had taken on the custodianship of The Hunting Lodge, John Fowler’s gothic mansion in Hampshire – which Nicky Haslam recently vacated. He has no formal training, ‘Growing up in Gozo, I read House & Garden and World of Interiors magazines, and watched a lot of episodes of 80's TV drama Dynasty; I was a sponge for information. I knew I loved houses from a very early age’. He's on the international council for the design museum, is CEO of the David Gill Gallery, the Ambassador of Culture for Malta, and is working on Malta's first contemporary art museum which will open in 2023. Tune in for more...

Welcome to episode 154 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week’s House Guest is Nicky Dobree, a leading interior designer who specialises in luxury ski chalets. She began by transforming her own chalet from its pine cookie cutter style, to one with a big Italian kitchen, big picture frame windows and contemporary furniture, and she is now on her 50th chalet. We chat about how she got into the industry, the difference between a typical house project and a ski chalet, and attention to sustainability when embarking on projects. Tune in for more...

Welcome to episode 153 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week’s House Guest is Jen Bernard, an interior designer and managing director of Bernard Interiors, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. she is reimagining the growing are of high-end residential care and she's a leader in the field, and it's fascinating to hear about the huge potential in the market. We chat about her aim in moving away from the stigma surrounding care homes and its typical institutionalised design; she instead creates an environment which is not only beautiful but appealing. Jen recently completed the Nightingale Development - a block of luxury apartments overlooking Clapham Common - in 2020. Tune in for more...

Welcome to episode 152 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week’s House Guest is the furniture designer and interior decorator, Tim Gosling. Both a highly prominent and eminent figure in the world of interior design, he is known for creatively combining historical and modern techniques to create bespoke designs. Tim has an incredible eye, and is intent on creating pieces that are both timeless and sentimental. A great raconteur, he chats about the significance of colour, his renovation project of his own 57 room French Chateau and even his stint on stage in a pantomime. He fascinatingly reveals that the spectrum of colour has changed and developed in history, and continues to do so, and he recants working with Graphenstone, a carbon neutral paint company, when renovating the Chateau. Tune in for more stories.

Welcome to episode 151 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week’s guest is rug designer Deirdre Dyson. First and foremost an artist, Deirdre nearly had her career stalled by a headmistress who told her: ‘You cant make a living out of art’. Hence she left school without the necessary qualifications and worked as a secretary while compiling a portfolio. She talked herself into a place at Byam Shaw fine art school by doing shorthand for the head in the afternoons. By the second year she had a scholarship and also met her designer husband, James. Tune in to hear more about how she enjoys the restriction rug design imposes on her art,  spending lockdown on a boat in Guadaloupe and why Paris is a special place.

Welcome to the 150th episode of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guest: Louise Bradley. Louise Bradley is one of the UK's leading interior designers. Her name is synonymous in the industry with bespoke luxurious design, and she is known for creating classic, contemporary and luxurious spaces. She chats about how the design industry has changed over the decades and how she has adapted and grown her business. She's recently completed a new book: Interior: Louise Bradley... tune in for more.

Welcome to episode 149 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guest: Toby Lorford, who is blowing the cobwebs off antique-buying. ‘Antiques bring history into an interior, softening it’, says Toby Lorford of Lorford’s Antiques and Lorfords Contemporary, who started his first antiques shop in Tetbury, Gloucs in 2003, with a view to creating a new breed of antiques shop and modernising the way antiques are sold. He now has two hangars full of traders and a company that offers a concierge service. Along the way he started his own furniture company, Lorfords Contemporary, thanks to chef Marco Pierre White (it’s a lovely story) and thinks that antique dealers should get together more to sing from the treetops about how it’s the ultimate in recycling. He has big plans for changing the way we shop…. tune in for more.

Welcome to episode 148 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guest: Sophie Garnier of Kalinko 

Welcome to episode 147 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guests: interior designer duo Jenny Weiss and Helen Bygraves 

Welcome to episode 145 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guests: interior designer duo Emily Todhunter and Kate Earle of Todhunter Earle. 

Welcome to episode 145 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guest: interior designer Shalini Misra

Welcome to episode 144 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guest: Annoushka Ducas of Annoushka 

Welcome to episode 143 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guest: Ceramist Martha Freud www.marthafreud.com

Welcome to episode 142 of the House Guest podcast, where Country & Town House Magazine's Interiors Editor Carole Annett chats with experts from the world of interior design and decoration. This week's guest: Sarah Ross of Addison Ross. addisonross.com