'The ability to go in and specify everything for an interior might be within the powers of an interior designer,' says Giles Kime, Country Life's long-standing interiors guru. 'ButI think when we're doing on our own homes, it's really important to take your time and put a lot of thought and effort into it.'

Giles has spent 35 years writing about interiors, the last seven of which have been with Country Life magazine. During that time he has bought, refurbished and moved on from a string of characterful homes, leading to his current project: a 1630 cottage in rural Hampshire. He joined our podcast host James Fisher to share some of the tips he's picked up over the year — and to tell some of the stories behind his hugely popular article on the Country Life website, '10 things I wish I’d known about doing up old houses before I started.'

You can see more of Giles Kime's articles at the Country Life website, or can follow him on Instagram @giles.kime where you'll be able to see details of his upcoming talks and publications.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Giles Kime

Producer & Editor: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

Special thanks: Adam Wilbourn

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