House Guest by Country & Town House | Interior Designer Interviews

Multi-award winning, New York based designer Young Huh is this week’s House Guest. Masterful at crafting a sense of place, she is one of the designers at this year’s WOW House event at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. She says of the room she is showcasing, the design of which was influenced by her love of Korean folk art: 'It has lots of small moments – that’s how I like to design. First you have a big impact and as you explore a room you then see more and more detail.' Young Huh is about to launch a new book and has a very special reason for visiting London – her love of sausage rolls.Sponsored by Aqualisa Showers.

Sarah Wetenhall is the owner and CEO of The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach and the soon-to-open Hedges in East Hampton. With no prior experience of running a hotel, Sarah used her marketing background and love of entertaining to bring Palm Beach’s iconic luxury beach house back to life. ‘We have one foot in the sand and one foot on Worth Avenue,' she says. The hotel is a go-to for celebrities and Sarah has collaborated with luxury brands and clients such as Aerin Lauder and Gwyneth Paltrow. Apple TV also came calling for a takeover when its Palm Royale TV show went live: a wonderful story of a love affair with an iconic hotel.Sponsored by Aqualisa Showers.

'I think there are two things that make a good interior designer,' says Romanos Brihi, one half of Studio Vero alongside his partner in design Venetia Rudebeck: ‘Being nosy and having a good visual memory’. Friends since childhood, the pair crystallised their enduring partnership when they launched their studio in 2014. Their practice is renowned for breathing life into a space with flair, intrigue, antiques and art. Tune in to hear more about how they combine work and friendship, creating beautifully inviting interiors and having a lot of fun along the way. Carole caught up with them in Romanos’ newly-decorated Kensington home.House Guest takes a short break after this episode – back in a few weeks’ time.

Renewable energy expert Ewan Frost-Pennington believes that like vultures – the star attraction at his Lake District home, Muncaster Castle – heat pumps are often painted under a bad light. Keep an open mind says Ewan as he tells Carole Annett how he convinced his parents to radically change their traditional thinking on heat and energy to transform the comfort levels, and coffers, of his ancestral home. Sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

This week Carole sits down with Sandrine Zhang Ferron, the founder and CEO of Vinterior, as the online marketplace celebrates 10 years of selling beautiful pre-loved furniture.‘I think that it’s important that things are beautiful and to be in beautiful places,’ says Sandrine. Sandrine values beauty so dearly, in fact, that she was inspired to quit her successful finance career when she found herself struggling to source the perfect Poul Volther chair to match the yellow of her cat’s eyes. Frustrated with the inefficiency of the vintage furniture market, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Motivated by her desire for a better pre-loved shopping experience, she taught herself to code – and so Vinterior was born. Tune in for more.

Fiona Barratt Campbell's 'industrial meets superluxe' design philosophy sets her apart and has earned her some impressive projects, including The Powerhouse Chelsea Waterfront – formerly the Lots Road power station which once powered the London Underground network. I met up with her in one of the penthouses to talk design, work-life, her love of rugged texture and natural stone and why everything she does has to have integrity. Tune in for more

'Young Sainsbury is a cheeky little sausage with the most wonderful eye for detail. His furniture is extraordinary', says his client Sir Rod Stewart. Meeting in Guy Goodfellow's Chelsea atelier, this week Carole Annett sits down with the design world's best-kept secret: Jonathan Sainsbury. Founded in 1918, his eponymous family-run business has a reputation for creating some of the finest furniture in the world, often (though, as he stresses, not always) inspired by classical interiors of the 18th- and 19th-centuries. The key to his success? Quality. As he tells Carole: 'I only trade off my quality. I don't trade off price. I don't trade off being the quickest in the world. I don't trade off any of that. I only trade off people saying "If you want the best job then go and see Jonny and he'll sort it out for you".'

This week Carole sat down with celebrated chef Jason Atherton to chat about life, food, Michelin stars and his collaboration with luxury kitchen design company Smallbone. As a young boy growing up in Skegness, working in a restaurant gave Jason discipline, which along with a lifelong passion for fresh seasonal ingredients, has shaped his life. He has been married for 22 years with three daughters and they all know how to cook pasta from scratch. Tune in to hear more about fine dining, the simple way to upscale supermarket tomato purée and how to design a perfect kitchen.

Coco Chanel once said: 'Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury' – words that perfectly encompass the philosophy of this week's House Guest, Alua Kul, of Lumi Interiors. 'Practicality and functionality are the most important aspects of interior design,' she says. Tune in to hear more about how she fell in love with interior design and used her inquisitive mind and business acumen to set up a successful business practice which bridges London and Dubai.

'When we talk about hotels, we talk about building soulful places at scale and you have to feel a connection,' says Tara Bernerd, founder and head of a globally-renowned multi-disciplinary design studio Tara Bernerd & Partners. Tune in to hear more about her projects including the stunning Maroma – a Belmond hotel on the Maya Riviera in Mexico – her collaboration with Italian brand Frette, the time she met Robert Redford in an elevator, and why she’s learning all the time.

From the Alps to Mallorca, Mélie Dunod's August Collections bring elegance, efficiency and eco-conscious design to co-ownership, making the European holiday home dream much more attainable. The chic co-founder of August chats to Carole Annett about why becoming an entrepreneur was inevitable, what the tick-box is for each property August buys, and why she never asks for preferences or advice on the interior design. Tune in for more.

The first House Guest podcast of our new series is interior design supremo Kelly Hoppen. Renowned for her love of neutrals – ‘They are good for your state of mind,’ she says – Kelly tells Carole Annett about her East meets West philosophy, what happened when she met her design icon, Ralph Lauren, how excited she is about creating the ultimate home on the high street with her M&S collections, and why 2026 will be pivotal for her career. The podcast was recorded in December 2025.

Is this the future of vintage furniture shopping? This week, Carole sits down with Portuguese interior designer Barbara Neto to hear about how she's challenging the design industry's status quo with the launch of Curiouz. Describing the brand as more than a marketplace, but a movement, the AI powered platform is designed to revolutionise vintage furniture shopping. Born out of her own frustrations as a seller and consumer (never sure if the information she was given about items were correct or how they would arrive), she created Curiouz so that designers could finally shop and sell with confidence.

'I think the only thing I can rely on is my intuition and instinct,' says this week's house guest Irishman Shayne Brady. A recurring guest on BBC Interior Design Masters (they can't get enough of him and who can blame them), Shayne has recently consciously uncoupled from Brady Williams, the studio he set up with his former business partner Emily over 13 years ago (they still talk most days). He has taken his commercial clients, including restaurant supremo Jeremy King, into the new studio. Among his many projects is the soon to reopen Simpson's in the Strand. Shayne had me giggling most of the afternoon – loved my time with him. Tune in for more.

This week Carole Annett sits down with interior designer Guy Goodfellow in his stunning London townhouse. Guy and his team of architects and designers are renowned for creating comfortable and inviting spaces in grand and historic estates. Armed with his passion for detail, in this episode he and Carole discuss how to imbue modern properties with historic character, and how to add a contemporary edge to older homes.

This week, Carole sits down with mirror master Dominic Schuster to discuss how he designs his antiqued and gilded mirror glass. With Decorex just around the corner, he explains how he transformed from a decorative antiques restorer to a mirror expert, talks his new furniture and lighting collection and shares some exciting upcoming projects.

Sophie Paterson is a tour de force in the world of interior design. For the past 16 years she has built a reputation for creating homes that blend comfort with sophistication. Generous with her knowledge to her (almost one million) followers on social media, she has recently launched an online academy with ‘everything I wish I had been told when I started a career in design’. Down to earth, honest and easy going, she loves a car boot sale and is currently drawing every dog she’s ever been acquainted with (including my own lurcher) for a special wallpaper launch. Sophie is always a delight to chat to. Tune in for more.

Natalia Miyar never wanted to have a house style, rather she seeks to tell the personal story of her clients . Carole catches up with the in-demand interior designer (whose work is currently taking her around the world) to discuss the challenge of expressing a client's personality, as well as how she strikes a balance between aspiration and familiarity in her designs.

This week, Carole visits design studio Albion Nord to discover how the brand has redefined luxury through their pared-back aesthetic. Sitting down with director Ben Johnson and associate Becky Floyd, they discuss how the British landscape inspired their design of the Brittanic Explorer train.

Simone Suss of Studio Suss specialises in creating contemporary spaces that balance function, elegance and environmental responsibility. 'The UK throws away 22million pieces of furniture every year, over 670,000 tonnes’, she says. 'The design industry needs to be aware and to do something about it.’ Tune in for more about Simone’s approach to regenerative design.  

For our final dip into the past, today it's my design guru Nina Campbell. Sit back, listen and learn from the magnificent lady herself. Always a joy to chat to. Thank you Nina. We will be back with a new series of House Guest on September 12. Join me then.

Author, journalist and podcaster Pandora Sykes was one of my first podcasts. I have always admired her and was delighted she agreed to be a House Guest. Renowned for her personal style, as you will hear, I was completely wrong when it came to guessing her taste in fabrics for the home.

Our Summer series continues today with an interview with internationally renowned product designer Lee Broom. Having started out in theatre, he then moved into fashion after meeting Vivienne Westwood, who was a huge inspiration. 'Lee Broom is to furniture what Marc Jacobs or Tom Ford are to fashion’. Tune in for more.

Continuing our summer series of favourite episodes, this week Carole chats to Matthew Williamson. Matthew is a British interior designer who began his career in fashion before pivoting seamlessly into interiors. He is renowned for his use of colour but as he says, ‘I do like a balance and not everything should jump out at the same time. It’s about knowing about colour and how to use it well - understanding layers’. This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

Continuing our summer series of favourite episodes, this week Carole chats to LA-based interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard whose client list reads like an Oscars party - Kylie Jenner, Cher, Tommy Hilfiger, Winnie Harlow and a host of others. As  Rupaul says, ‘Martyn carries the torch of the divine, the sublime, and the beautiful. I trust his eye implicitly’.  

For some easy summer listening, we're relaunching some of House Guest's greatest hits, starting from 2019. In this episode, Carole Annett chats to tastemaker Lucy Williams.This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

For some easy summer listening, we're relaunching some of House Guest's greatest hits, starting from 2019. In this episode, Carole Annett chats to Robert Kime.This episode is sponsored by Naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

'I'm completely driven by curiosity,' says Suzy Hoodless in the final episode of this House Guest series. Since her studio launched in 2000, Suzy has become one of the UK's most exciting designers. She chats to Carole Annett about her signature style, her work at WOW!House, and how the interior design industry has changed.

Today's House Guests are Sophie Eadie and Fi Crole, founders of design studio Eadie & Crole. They chat to Carole Annett about how they met, where they find design inspiration, and their new fabric collection.

This week's House Guest is Lee Lovett, co-founder and creative director of Soho Lighting. She shares her best lighting tips, discusses the evolution of the business, and gives us the rundown on their brand new collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces.

Today's House Guest is Frieda Gormley, co-founder of House of Hackney. Frieda set up the luxury interiors brand 13 years ago with her husband, Javvy M Royle, and the pair quickly ripped up the rulebook, reworking traditional print and colour for a new generation. Carole Annett chats to Frieda about creating heirloom pieces and developing a regenerative brand.

This week's House Guest is Clint Nagata, founder and creative partner of the award-winning BLINK Design Group. He chats to Carole Annett about his passion for travel and the origins of his latest project: Six Senses Loire Valley.

From Manhattan townhouses to sprawling country homes, Rita Konig is known for her no-nonsense approach to interior design. She chats to Carole Annett about her own house renovation, and talks through her online decorating course with Create Academy.

‘I loved houses – I watched all the programmes and bought all the magazines’, says Alex Dauley. As a young mother of two with a part-time job, she hadn’t considered pursuing a career in interiors until her husband persuaded her to find a course and follow her passion. Her studio is now ten years old; amongst a host of current clients, including a project for Capitol Records, she is designing the first ever media room at WOW House, entitled Date Night – a sumptuous, grown-up room that perfectly suits her 'introvert, extrovert’ (Alex’s words) personality.

Our final house guest for 2024 is Shalini Misra, a globally-renowned interior architect, designer and property developer. She chats to Carole Annett about her incredible work, which prioritises sustainability and wellbeing, and discusses how her Indian heritage has shaped her work in interior design.

With Christmas and Thanksgiving coming up, our thoughts turn to entertaining - and who better than Joseph Marini, whose new book, Mastering The Art Of Entertaining, tells you all you need to know to be a thoughtful and authentic host. We catch up with Joseph ahead of the festive season.

This week we're talking house renovation with content creator and Instagram star Millie Mackintosh, who recently renovated a new home for her and her family - during which she collaborated with COAT Paints on colours that symbolised Millie's focus on mindful living.

If you're looking for a unique decorative artwork - perhaps a life-size leopard lounging above a doorframe, surrounded by jewel coloured birds, butterflies and beetles - then Adam Ellis is your man. We catch up with him to see what he's been up to with his fine art and design practice. Sponsored by Naturalmat.

After 15 years at the helm of his eponymous fashion label, Henry Holland turned his attention from tailor’s scissors to clay, forging a cult following for his Hackney-based ceramics brand, Henry Holland Studio. Inspired by the Japanese technique of Nerikomi, his signature marbled style has now been translated into a collection of papers and textiles in collaboration with Harlequin, part of the Sanderson Design Group. Sponsored by Naturalmat.

'Sometimes you have to do things you can't justify on a spreadsheet,' says Jacu Strauss, creative director of Lore Group Hotels. He chats to Carole Annett about his latest project at Pulitzer Amsterdam, his vision for Sea Containers London, and his work at One Hundred Shoreditch. Sponsored by Naturalmat.

After moving from London to Hampshire, Hannah Bryce decided to set up a floristry company, Minnow and Wolf, which produces gorgeous flowers grown without pesticides. Carole Annett chats to Hannah about her passion for nature. Sponsored by Naturalmat.

This week, Carole Annett sits down with Zoë de Givenchy, a Melbourne-born homeware entrepreneur, to chat about Zoë's stunning lifestyle brand, Z.d.G. Sponsored by Naturalmat.

This week, Carole Annett is in Paris meeting renowned French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, who created the torch for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This week, Carole Annett sits down with stylist and digital creator Lucy Williams, whose transformation of her terraced house in West London has been devoured by thousands on Instagram. Sponsored by Naturalmat.

We kick off a brand new series of House Guest with England rugby player Maro Itoje and Simon Sadinsky of the King’s Foundation, who tell us all about a very special project. They sat down with Carole Annett at Dumfries House, a Georgian stately home bought by a consortium led by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) in 2007. Sponsored by Naturalmat.

Today’s House Guest is Katharine Pooley, one of the most respected and highly regarded names in the world of interior design and architecture. Katharine says, ‘All our conversations with clients start with comfort, happiness, wellness and sustainability’. Celebrating 20 years in the business, Katharine has a Chelsea design studio, a Walton Street boutique, and heads up a team of 50 people. Tune in as she talks chateaus, chicken coops and her upcoming showcase at WOW House, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour (June 4 to July 4).

‘Surprisingly, I didn’t think a maximalist would get that far,’ laughs Roisin Quinn, ‘but I won!' she says of her recent triumph in BBC's Interior Design Masters.Roisin was spurred to change career in the wake of feedback she received after designing her own wedding (her dress was the only bit of white) and also doing the interiors of her parents' house during lockdown. ’This time last year I was still a travel adviser,’ she says. Join us to hear about her uplifting tale of following your dream.

Kate Watson-Smyth is the founder of Mad About The House, passionate about renovating and decorating, she documented the dramas of creating her London home from two flats and now doing up an Italian property where she plans to invite guests for decorating workshops (a collaboration with Graphenstone paint on new Italian-inspired hues is also in the offing). We sat down to chat about her travels - she travelled to Senegal for her gap year, writing a book about shades of grey (and the mix-up with a book with a similar title!) her friendship with Queen of Colour Sophie Robinson, how The Great Indoors podcast came about, and what plenty more. Make a cuppa, sit down and enjoy the tales from a colourful life, plus a few giggles along the way.

This week, Carole Annett sits down with Paula Sutton – who listeners might better recognise as the woman behind @hillhousevintage. Carole discovered Paula's account on Instagram, and quickly became a fan of how she depicted life in the country with her family and beloved pooch Lady Dashwood. A Bridgerton addict, Paula delights with her vintage finds and decorating ideas.

This week, Carole Annett sits down with Saffron Aldridge and Scarlett Supple of Alridge and Supple – a small, dynamic studio spanning decorating, interiors, sourcing and product design. They chat about the origins of the brand, give us a sneak peek into upcoming projects, and talk through their incredible restoration of a historic property on a Hebridean island. Sponsored by ABI Interiors.