House Guest by Country & Town House | Interior Designer Interviews

'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.

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.

Carole Annett chats to Philipp Nagel of Neatsmith and Charlotte-Elizabeth Evans, founder of Charlotte Elizabeth Interiors about the beauty, practicality, and lasting value of bespoke wardrobes. Together, they discuss how well-designed wardrobes and dressing rooms combine elegant aesthetics with storage tailored to individual lifestyles. Philipp shares insights into some of the projects he has worked on - including creating a display for a collection of Hermès Birkin bags, while Charlotte-Elizabeth offers design solutions on how to make storage as beautiful as it is functional, whatever your budget.

Carole talks to Claire German, CEO of Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, on the eve of this year's design showcase, WOW!house, an immersive experience where you can see, touch and feel fabulous spaces created by world-leading interior designers. Claire says, 'When people walk in I wanted them to go "wow", so that's why I thought calling it WOW!house was perfect; and to this day, I watch people arrive and walk in and the first thing they say is "wow", so my dreams have come true.' The event is open from 2 June to 2 July at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour.
Sponsored by Aqualisa Showers.

This week Carole chats to German industrial designer Stefan Diez. One of the best in the business, Diez's designs touch the everyday, from baths to chairs, bar stools and benches. His design is firmly rooted in the workshop, where he indulges his passion for material experimentation. The son of a cabinetmaker he says he had the perfect childhood, being left alone in his father's workshop. He lectures at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna but beware students trying to impress. His message to young designers: ‘Don't think you’re special and don't start by making meaningful things. Keep it simple and respect the materials. Go and explore. I like to be surprised by ingenious ideas that simplify everything, like a magic trick.'