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The Hottest New Interiors Books Reviewed

Image from Every Room Should Sing by Beata Heumann (Rizzoli)
Back with a new series of the podcast and this week we are reviewing three of the newest interiors books, two of which are published today. Elsewhere in the show, which for this series is sponsored by Harlequin, we discuss scented candles – expect strong opinions there and whether you should unconservatory your conservatory. Do
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An Interview With Salvage Hunter Drew Pritchard

pale green panelled wall, antique mirror and statue, faded floral button back armchair by Drew Pritchard for Barker and Stonehouse
This week on the podcast I interview Drew Pritchard, an architectural antiques dealer, on turning his passion into a career both on and off-screen. As the star of TV’s Salvage Hunters, Drew says it’s all about the thrill of the chase rather than the selling of his finds. He shared his tips on shopping for
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How To Cope with Lockdown in a Small House

pink and green kitchen at sophie robinson house
A post in two parts for you today as part of the show notes for the latest episode of the The Great Indoors podcast which is out today. We spoke to Julia Samuel, a psychotherapist, whose book This Too Shall Pass, came out (with uncanny timing) last March. She specialises in bereavement counselling and dealing
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How To Buy Ethical Interiors

tortoiseshell bamboo covered cupboard with peach glass floor lamp, cream sofa and orange striped cushion. .interior designer Em Gurner, image by anna yanovski
This week on the podcast, Sophie interviews Chloe Bullock, a BIID member and the first interior designer in the UK to be vegandesign.org certified. There is no doubt that we are all becoming more aware of the need to decorate our houses sustainably and in a way that is less damaging to the planet. interior
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How We Live and Work Now

home office designed by @home_at_brookes and built by @createescapeshome office designed by @home_at_brookes and built by @createescapes
The last six months have dramatically altered how we live. Aside from the Government’s advice, neatly summed up by Matt Lucas as Go to work. Don’t go to work, it seems that many of those who can work from home are doing so and a survey in September found that 30 per cent of adults
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Decorating with Bold Colour: A House Tour with Sophie Robinson

muted pattern clash and english country style at sophie robinson house
Yes she's finally finished her house and since we have only met once since before lockdown (when we recorded at Skye McAlpine's house, we thought it would be good to show the finished article. So welcome to a house tour with Sophie Robinson. Now you can hear the full story on the podcast so do
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An Interview with Skin of Skunk Anansie and the Dulux Colour Of The Year

Portrait of Skin sitting on a stool with large grey folded top. Photo by Marco Ovando
Two big topics for you this week on the podcast with an interview with Skin, singer with Skunk Anansie as well as discussion of the Dulux colour of the year. Now, by the time you read this the colour will have been announced so I'll come to that at the end. First up Skin, whose
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Re-inventing Estate Agency: an interview with The Modern House

As regular readers will know I, and many of you, am slightly obsessed with The Modern House, a UK estate agency that has reinvented the genre, not just by apparently agreeing to sell only beautiful houses, but by turning itself into a sort of magazine providing endless inspiration and aspiration to those of us who
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Diversity and Interiors: We are Listening – Podcast Notes

design by rukmini patel interiors
This week on The Great Indoors Podcast, Sophie and I give the first half of an extended show to listen to black voices from the interiors industry. We asked them to record their experiences, as far as possible, so that you can hear their voices speaking. We spoke to designers and stylists who have direct
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An Interview With TV Architect Laura Jane Clark

A Victorian living room with black original fireplace. The mint green chinoiserie wallpaper adds a decorative touch. design by architect laura jane clark
Laura Jane Clarke is an architect who specialises in residential properties. In her case that means, and I cannot stress this enough, in real houses for real people. She's not interested in glass skyscrapers and million pound budgets. For her it's about - as the tagline on the podcast goes - making your home really
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Lockdown Lighting Tips and Decorating Ideas

swachbox by sophie robinson
The remote recording of the podcast continues and this week Sophie and I repaired to our respective duvet tents for this episode of The Great Indoors in which we discuss ideas for lockdown decorating and I interview Sally Storey, the design director of John Cullen Lighting, on "decorating with light" as well as rounding up
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Happiness At Home: A podcast special episode

my mantelpiece is a collection of family souvenirs and happy memories
Now this might be quite a timely - if long - post. We planned to focus on happiness at home for this episode of the podcast several weeks ago (well before all this) but it turns out that this might be just the thing for now. So today on The Great Indoors, Sophie and I
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Publication Day, New Ways with Wallpaper and a Spring Retox

Kate Watson-Smyth and Sophie Robinson discuss the launch of Kate's 3rd book on the Great Indoors podcast #thegreatindoors #madaboutthehouse #interiorsbook
And it's Happy Publication day to me! Now I wrote all about the book last week so I won't go into it all again here but do follow the link if you would like to know more. And, of course, it's podcast day so if you would like to hear me chatting to Sophie about
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House Tour with Rachel Khoo

rachel khoo devol kitchen
Some of you will remember that last year I visited the home of the tv cook Rachel Khoo whose tiny flat in north west London is a master piece of clever design and I'm thrilled that I was able to return to the other week to interview Rachel for the podcast and, this time, talk
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An Interview with Michelle Ogundehin (podcast notes)

Kate Watson-Smyth and Sophie Robinson take a house tour with Michelle Ogundehin for the Great Indoors podcast. The dining room features floor length dusky lilac velvet curtains, a antique mirror effect wallpaper and anaglypta. #thegreatindoors #madaboutthehouse
Michelle Ogundehin needs little introduction; the editor of Elle Decoration for 13 years (from 2004) she is now a regular television presenter, creative consultant and is just finishing off her first book. Notoriously private about her home, Michelle posts only corners of her rooms and has said she will never, ever, invite a magazine into
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House Tour: Laura Jackson

laura jackson bathroom
This week on the podcast we visited a house that is, or will be, done up in the style of my dreams. Supper Club host Laura Jackson is midway through the renovations of her East London home and is a firm believer in buying nothing new unless you absolutely have to. laura jackson sitting room
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New Book Reviews and Minimalism v Maximalism (podcast notes)

Kate Watson-Smyth and Sophie Robinson review three new interior books, shown here on Kate's side table for the Great Indoors podcast. #podcast #thegreatindoors #madaboutthehouse
I spoke earlier in the week about how to revamp your home without spending any money (see previous post) as part of that new year feeling which is always such a big part of September. Another marker of the start of the season is the release of new interiors books. Sophie Robinson and I discussed
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THE HAPPINESS SURVEY (PODCAST NOTES)

Kate Watson-Smyth takes a look at visualiser apps and in particular the Topps Tiles allows you configure your room with tiles, like a classic emerald square design for the shower and a hexagon design for the floor make a elegant combination #madaboutthehouse # tiledbathroom #toppstiles
This week on The Great Indoors podcast we reviewed the new tv show Interior Design Masters, presented by Fearne Cotton, click here for her house tour, discussed the power of statement walls and floors and also investigated a new report into happiness in the home, which threw up some surprising results. First up the show.
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