Home Sweet Home

Home is where the heart is. That familiar place beckons each time we are out of its reach: wherever we go, however far we travel, we are always glad to return to the comfort of our own sanctuary. It is where we laugh and cry, the place that sees us through good times and bad, our own corner of the world, which we want to make warm, cosy and individual.

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I am always looking for inspiration for improving and adding to my home, whether from magazines, books or exhibitions. These sources are invaluable for ideas that make a home that little bit more special.

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful” – William Morris

I have a deep affection for all things French, so it is no surprise that I am drawn to French-inspired interiors. Perhaps it comes from my French heritage: my father's ancestors originated from Versailles.

French style rests on a ‘more, not less’ principle. Modern elements have their place, but they work best when fused with and supported by older pieces. Layering is the key to the look: heaps of cushions in vintage fabrics alongside silk and lace throws, intricately woven rugs faded by the footsteps of time, and elegant chandeliers whose aged crystals still sparkle in the late afternoon sun.

French homes have a time-worn, ethereal beauty, and my own home is filled with objects that are loved and cherished. I source many of them from car boot sales and local charity shops; after all, one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure.

With so many beautiful objects waiting to be found here in Sussex, decorating can become a poignant and fulfilling journey, discovering pieces that once belonged to someone else. Once rediscovered, they can be given new life: refreshed, renewed and recycled.

The treasures you find can be arranged and rearranged into your own beautiful compositions. Simply moving objects from place to place in a room lets you see them in a totally different light. My house is constantly evolving; home, to me, is an ever-changing landscape.

For our house is our corner of the world... It is our universe, a real cosmos in every sense of the word” – Gaston Bachelard

Even as a child I loved playing house, and I still hold to the same fundamental belief: the place you live can be made beautiful without spending a fortune. My home is a thing of beauty, created with careful thought and sentiment.