House Guest by Country & Town House | Interior Designer Interviews

This week, Carole's House Guest is Chrissie Rucker, founder of The White Company. After thirty years in business,
has got the festive season down to a tee, and with their founder affectionately dubbed Mother Christmas, it's no surprise why! In this season finale, Chrissie talks inherited traditions, simple decorating solutions, and incorporating her garden into garlands.

This week, Carole's House Guest is Julie Montagu, Countess of Sandwich – the American-born author, entrepreneur and yoga teacher who runs Mapperton, her husband Luke's family seat in west Dorset. 'Lunching in London is not even in my vocabulary,' says Julie. 'I am a doer.' Speaking from the Tudor manor house, she talks about rewilding 1,000 acres of the estate, the silk scarf that is funding the restoration of Mapperton's West Bedroom, her new book, and Stately, her new online members' club for lovers of Britain's historic houses, launching on 16 November.

This week, Carole’s House Guests are husband-and-wife architects Max de Rosée and Claire Sá, founders of architecture and interior design studio De Rosée Sá. ‘There is a value in trying to create a little bit of mystery and not revealing everything at once,’ says Max. ‘As you go through and move from space to space, things reveal themselves.’ Speaking from their newest project – a four bedroom apartment at 60 Curzon in Mayfair which they designed for developer Valouran – the pair discuss character-driven interiors, why a little mystery matters, and how to create homes that just feel good.

This week, Carole's House Guest is Toronto-born, Bath-based designer Sean Symington. 'I’m definitely a traditionalist with interior design,’ he says. ‘I love antiques, I love traditional interiors, but I’m definitely – maybe it’s my North American roots – a little bit fresher with fabrics, a little bit punchier with the colour.’ Tune in to hear more about his career, his new studio and which design choice he thinks is ‘quite naff’.

This week, Carole’s House Guest is South African-born designer Christian Bense. ‘There is an objectivity to the way we design’, he says. ‘Establishing first what’s best for the home, weaving in what’s best for the client, and then finishing off with a style that’s best for both’. Tune in to hear more about his career, his various projects and what special element of his homeland he would transpose to the UK.