Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
An interior designer who won the American Fashion Award for influencing style internationally, known for creating unified, beautiful rooms for the rich and famo
On the island
Eight records
I worked for Ringo. I did a house for him in Ascot a long time ago, and he very kindly did two photographs signed to my the only children I had at that time, Henrietta and Max.
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 'Pastoral' (5th Movement)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
I absolutely love [it]. It makes one think spring is coming, which certainly is a vari rather jolly thought.
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77
Dmitri Sitkovetsky, with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner
rather special for me because I sat next to him coming back from New York in the aeroplane once.
That Black and White Baby of Mine
A record that reminds me of [Elsie de Wolfe]. She started decorating in nineteen six, aged about forty... Everything she did was either black and white or green and white stripes, and hence this song.
I love New York. I get very excited about New York, and my youngest daughter has already had a card printed by one of those machines saying Alice Dean, New York address... so That's for her.
Tosca (Act I: 'Recondita armonia')
the bit where we have Caradosi burning with love for Maria Callas.
I think I'll probably to try and keep going on this island, I'm gonna have to sort of jiggle about and dance a bit, and I think this is quite sort of catchy dancing tune.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:20Is the implication of that quote [about hanging on to your curtain maker] that you personally couldn't make a pair of curtains to save your life?
Oh, I don't think I could, no. I might have to on the desert island, but I couldn't not that anyone would want hanging in their room.
Presenter asks
6:01How did [decorating the Duke and Duchess of York's house in Sunninghill] rate on the scale of easy to difficult jobs?
Well actually it was an easy job because uh when you work with people whose lives are as structured as that, um you know exactly when you can see them and when you can't see them which is which is great... The other wonderful thing is there was quite a lot to draw on from the point of view of furniture and pictures that you know could be used
Presenter asks
10:27What about in terms of your sense of style? Your childhood home doesn't sound as if it was bursting with comfort and warmth and colour and love.
Well, I think we moved a lot. So we were constantly sort of doing up. But my mother did have great style aided, I think, by my father... I think I was aware of design.
The keepsakes
The luxury
Presenter asks
15:48Are there words of [John Fowler's] and phrases or little homilies that still echo in your head?
One of the things he said, which I think is so important, was that he said never plan a room completely. You must do the bones of it and then walk into that room and let it tell you what it wants... leave yourself an escape route.
Presenter asks
21:32Why do you think the Americans are so attracted to your style?
I suppose they like at the moment, thank goodness, the English style, or what they perceive to be the English style... I think that that's what the English look consists of. We're not afraid of putting things together.
“I think a good interior designer is a good editor of people's ideas and what they want.”
“I don't like the closed door at all. I find that very upsetting.”
“I don't think lots of money necessarily is the answer. I think just being a bit boxing clever I think is an expression that one might use.”