House Guest by Country & Town House | Interior Designer Interviews

'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.