“I think a minimalist tablescape is a breath of fresh air after a long time of people throwing every print, pattern and thing on the table; it’s like a visual rest. I think there is something endlessly refreshing and visually cleansing about green flowers on white china plates: it’s one of my favorite things. Sit them on the perfect white tablecloth with candlesticks and elegant long-stem glassware, then add a centerpiece like an Astier de Villatte vase… which is the sort of item that will become a future heirloom.”

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“Design is all about bringing a sense of history to your home. Building a curated collection and layering objects is when you can feel emotion in a space and that’s when it gets really interesting.”

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“I like mixing plain plates with patterned ones which gives a natural and relaxed feel. I wouldn’t say I have any rules and there doesn’t have to be a perfect order, but I do think a lot about complementary colors and try to use my eye. I think it’s good to be brave with mixing genres and eras of objects, too—for example, old furniture and modern decorative objects work really well together. Just trying things out is the fun bit.”

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“People get so nervous about collecting and putting pieces together in their homes, but ultimately you should treat this as an extension of your own personal story. Don’t fake it. I often say to my clients that working out your taste is a case of learning how to be true to yourself. Very often, the pieces you are drawn to will have a coherence because you’re acting on your instinct. Equally, remember that pieces that go off in different directions can bring visual interest.”

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“I love to arrange with non-floral botanicals: fruit, vegetable, roots and branches which add something interesting and unexpected. Beauty is everywhere if you only look for it. As a rule, I follow the idea that the stems should not exceed the width of the narrowest part of the vase, so if you had a bucket vase and it had a narrow base and a wide neck, I would still want the stems to be in line with the narrow base of the vase. When it all spreads out like a fan, I think you lose a design touch. In general, I prioritize texture over color. I think you can have a really discordant color combination but if it’s texturally interesting and has depth, it can work.”

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“There’s a great quote from the Italian architect Alessandro Mendini where he explains that an object in a space is almost like a personal pet—it looks like something which is animated in the space. Placing a blanket on a chair, for example, it’s almost like a person or organic shape is there; it [creates] presence.”

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“People love platters—you don't even have to do a whole dinner. Sometimes the simplest things are the best: good produce, and seasonal. Cut up some tomatoes with salt and good olive oil, buy some lovely hams and charcuterie, and make a communal bowl of soup or stew, served in a beautiful dish.”

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"When it comes to flower arranging, I advise observing how plants look in a garden. When they are cut for commerce, they are all cut to the same height, all uniform looking, which isn’t how they grow in nature. You want to make them look more natural, so start by snipping a few of the stems at different heights. This immediately creates a more natural feel and forces the eye to move up and down through the different heights.”

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