House Guest by Country & Town House | Interior Designer Interviews

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.