House Guest by Country & Town House | Interior Designer Interviews

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Uncanny Studio's Églantine Sicat & Pauline Dellemotte On Layering Spaces With Stories Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Églantine Sicat and Pauline Dellemotte of creative and design practice Uncanny Studio, which challenges conventional thinking and takes clients on a journey of emotions, sensations, and memories. A Franco-British interior design studio, it's built on a shared belief that spaces should tell stories. The studio's hospitality and residential projects skilfully blend mid-century elegance with contemporary flair, designed to leave a memory and foster special experiences. Carole sits down with the design duo to find out more.

How Rug Designer Laylah Holmes Moved From Handbags To Homes Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

After a career in the fashion industry working with, amongst others, Ralph Lauren, Laylah Holmes realised her future wasn’t in handbags but somewhere her imagination and creativity could fly.

Her rug business, Holmes Bespoke launched eight years ago and this summer Laylah opened her Chiswick showhouse – a beautiful studio with rugs on the walls, on headboards, seating, in the bathroom and even on a mirror. Carole went along to find out more.

Boura & White On Sofa-Buying And British Craft Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to a new series of House Guest! This week, Carole sits down with Boura & White co-founders Abi Boura and Katie White in their Hampshire showroom to discuss sofa-buying and British craft.

As a female-led, British business Boura & White pride themselves in considerate craftsmanship, a sustainable approach, and in embracing the ethos of slow interiors and quiet luxury.

Farrow & Ball's Colour Queen Joa Studholme Reveals How She Dreams Up The Brand's Best-Loved Paint Names Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

This week Carole heads to the Chelsea showroom of Farrow & Ball paint to chat to Joa Studholme – the genius behind paint colours such as Elephant’s Breath and Skimming Stone. She joined Farrow & Ball more than 30 years ago, and as well as developing new colours, she consults on design projects all over the world. Joa shares her wealth of knowledge on choosing paint and hints at the colour trends ahead. She also admits how many times she repaints her own home every year. Tune in for more.

House Guest now takes a short summer break. Thanks for listening and please join us again in September.

How AGA Has Warmed Homes & Hearts For 100 Years Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

With names such as Jilly Cooper, Daisy Lowe and Mary Berry amongst its fanbase, few brands encompass as much love, friendship, and loyalty as AGA. This week Carole sits down with Dominic Worsley and Laura James of AGA Rangemaster to talk about the brand’s renaissance under new leadership, as well as its new colours, new controls and much-loved heritage. Tune in for anecdotes, snippets of AGA history, plans for the future, and to discover the brilliant sales advice advertising guru David Ogilvy came up with when he worked for the cast-iron cooker brand.

Hattie Hansard On How Interior Designers Transform The Temporary Spaces At Henley, Ascot & Wimbledon Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

As we are well into the summer season – with Royal Ascot behind us and Wimbledon still ongoing – Carole Annett chats to Hattie Hansard of Joanna Wood about how interior designers are often employed by hospitality companies to transform these temporary spaces into something magical. Using a clever eye and often complicated logistics, here's how they create a memorable space for guests enjoying a day out.

Meet Jeweller Kiki McDonough: A Pioneering Business Woman & A Favourite Of The Royals Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

This week, we've gone a little bit off-piste from interiors as I sit down to chat to Kiki McDonough. A favourite jeweller to the royals (with Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales regularly seen wearing her pieces), she has now worked in the industry for over 40 years. Sitting at the helm of a much-loved, globally-renowned brand, the fifth generation jeweller is renowned for her pioneering use of coloured gemstones.

One of the first women to make a name for herself in the British, luxury jewellery world, Kiki has built a well-respected business on her own with the support of a great team, while juggling two sons, multiple patronages and a social life that would tire most 20-somethings. We talk about running a business and the very exciting news that she has just gained a royal warrant.

Christophe Carpente: On Art, Architecture And The Homes That Shape Us Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

What does it take to turn a house into a home? For Christophe Carpente – the French-born, Swiss-trained architect behind some of the world's most considered luxury interiors – the answer lies in chemistry, trust, and the willingness to let go.

In this episode of House Guest, Carpente joins Carole from his Notting Hill studio to reflect on nearly 30 years of practice: from designing flagship stores for Cartier, Burberry and De Beers, to the deeply personal work of building homes for their owners.

Sponsored by Aqualisa Showers.

How Neptune Co-Founder John Sims-Hilditch Has Led A Successful Brand For 30 Years Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

'There are two sides to designing something: it needs to be useful and it needs to be beautiful,’ says John Sims-Hilditch, co-founder of Neptune, which is celebrating 30 years of making furniture and accessories for the home. ‘I actually slightly fall into beauty being the most important thing in design,’ he continues. ‘Utility falls away but beauty endures’. Tune in for more about how John and his business partner Giles Redman went from selling hammocks to building a hugely successful brand.

Difference Is In The Detail: Creating Exceptional Interiors With Charu Gandhi Of Elicyon Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

Carole Annett talks to Charu Gandhi of Elicyon about what it takes to create luxurious, welcoming spaces for a discerning clientele.

'There’s always something I’m worrying about. For the months the project is with you they are like your children. I’ve recently been fretting about a pair of bar stools in a project - are they the right height and if the cushions are plump enough. There’s a soap dish on another project I don't like… do we need a soap dish, are soap dishes cool? I really care,' she laughs, 'and I should care as clients are entrusting us with a meaningful part of their lives’.

Tune in for more including an insight into the Elicyon x Lalique bar at this year’s WOW House at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour.

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