House Notes #1
A new monthly newsletter, full of all sorts of goodies – from design tips and products, to personal news and interviews, recipes and recommended reads. Subscribe so you never miss it.
I’ve been on Substack for nearly 10 months now. In that time the Mad About The House community has grown to nearly 12,000 free subscribers, with nearly 700 of you kind enough to pay to support my writing and allow me to continue publishing. Thank you to all. So I thought it was time to introduce something new – a free newsletter called House Notes, covering a variety of different topics. And I wanted to launch it during the summer holidays to give you opportunity to dip in and out.
HOUSEKEEPING: My month this month
A glimpse behind the scenes of what I have been up to. As you read this, I will be in my house in Italy, not just relaxing but also preparing for the first of my interior design retreats next month. There are still a couple of places left for the second one in October - you can find out more here.
Every time we go to the house we fill in a few more of the gaps. While I have never been one for slow renovation (that’s a topic for another day) I do believe it takes time to fully inhabit a house and turn it into a home. My philosophy is to get as much broadly in place as you can, so you can live in it and love it and then you can slow down and add the personal and finishing touches over the years.
We are somewhere between the two at the moment – a houme? The renovations finished before Christmas and since then we have been scouring vintage markets for pictures for the walls, adding smaller pieces of furniture, and moving things around to find their perfect spot. Every time we go we try to complete another corner, whether it’s unpacking the last of the boxes, hanging more pictures or making sure the right lamp is in the right place.
This is the latest spot we have dealt with. It’s a small bridge leading from the main bedroom, over the top of the staircase, and into my office. The previous owner, an 84-year-old lady, kept her air fryer here. It was also home to some lovely tall plants but alas, as we cannot be there all the time, we can’t really have house plants. (If I’m honest thought that’s just an excuse - I’ve got plants at home in London and I can’t really manage to look after them even when I’m there, so let’s acknowledge it for the excuse it is.)
For the first six months of the year this bridge housed all those final boxes we couldn’t quite be bothered to unpack. Finally, on our last visit, we dealt with them – half unpacked, half moved to a different corner for another time – and created a quiet little reading nook.
It’s a great spot, with the added advantage of being over the stairs, so you feel like you have a secret vantage spot to see who is coming and going. Usually only The Mad Husband to be honest, but I can imagine as a child this is where I would have stayed for hours. Hidden in plain sight and able to spy on everyone.
When not tweaking and tidying here, I have been recording a few more episodes of the podcast for September, trying (and often failing) to resist the lure of Italian ice cream and not really trying hard enough to remember to water those plants in London.
MY INTERIOR LIFE: Nicole Gray
This regular feature is a short interview with a person of note from the world of interiors (or at least the room next door).
And this month it’s the stylist Nicole Gray, who I’m excited to have as one of the guest speakers at September’s Design Retreat (while this event is technically full, I could squeeze one more person in, if anyone fancies it. Link as above).
Nicole started out as Shopping Editor at Grand Designs magazine before heading to The World of Interiors and Elle Decoration as a stylist. She also works as an art director, stylist and consultant for both established and start-up brands such as Yes Colours, Habitat, Dulux and Marks & Spencer. You will have seen her work in titles such as Livingetc, House Beautiful, The Sunday Times, Domino, and Red.
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m the interiors editor at YOU Magazine and a freelance interior stylist and art director @nicolegraystylist.
And your top design tip?
Staying away from the expected and matchy-matchy in favour of including something slightly offbeat in every room. An oversized mirror in a small space, a 19th-Century painting in a modern kitchen, plates displayed as artwork in a bathroom. These are the items that add friction and interest.
What would you rush to save if your house was on fire?
My copper Velvetiser from Hotel Chocolat. It makes my homemade mochas drinkable and looks good on my kitchen counter.
What’s your (current) favourite Instagram account?
It’s run by the beauty and interiors director at The Sunday Times, Phoebe McDowell. It makes me salivate most days.
If I gave you £150, what would you buy?
The 100% linen bed set in olive green from LinenMe.
What’s your favourite style of furniture/decor?
Mid-century modern.
Tell us your most visited interiors websites/stores.
What’s the best thing you ever bought?
My monochrome Rory Dobner cushion displaying a cat wearing a monocle. I have spent a small fortune replacing high-street cushions when fillings get saggy, but this one has kept its shape for 10 years and counting. Monochrome also goes with everything, so my style can evolve around it.
(Note: I don’t think he is still making cushions but the cat with the monocle design is still available on mugs, trays, placemats and bowls.)
Your cocktail of choice?
A White Russian. It's like drinking a dessert.
What’s the soundtrack to your favourite room?
‘Mr Blue Sky’ by Electric Light Orchestra.
Confess – what’s your screen-time total so far this week?
8 hours. I blame Pinterest.
What do you wish you had designed, or could own?
The Wishbone dining chair by Carl Hansen & Son
What’s one thing you do for your mental well-being?
Watch Wes Anderson movies, specifically Moonrise Kingdom. Nostalgic colour palettes and symmetry soothe me.
What’s the ugly thing in your house that you can’t bring yourself to throw away?
My Ettore Sottsass inspired squiggle mirror that I won in a Wayfair competition, much to my husband’s despair. It's huge, it's pink, it glows in the dark and is completely impractical for the life we lead… I love it.
Plan B. If this wasn’t your job, what would you be doing?
When I was 15 I wanted to be a dolphin trainer, but would now opt for working in the set decoration department for films.
KITCHEN SUPPER: Zucchini Orzo Salad with Pepperoncini dressing
I came across this recipe on Instagram via Jamie Vespa @dishingouthealth about 10 days ago and have already made it twice (with a third planned). It’s quick and easy and vegetarian and, if you make enough/extra, is brilliant for lunch the next day when the flavours have all had time to amalgamate. The pepperoncini are absolutely the key - the first time we made it we didn’t have any so we substituted capers instead but they got rather lost among the other flavours, so do yourself a favour and buy a jar of pepperoncini, they keep for ages in the fridge. I have also made it with Feta instead of Parmesan for a change - both work well. Opinion is currently divided as to which is better so we will have to keep making it until we have reached a definitive conclusion.
DESIGN DISCOVERY: Rowen & Wren
I have long been a fan of this small business, which sells an expertly curated collection of homewares. There’s always something I want – whether it’s a hand-painted vintage style pasta bowl, an antique brass doorknob, a pretty napkin, a full set of garden furniture, or an armchair. Do check them out. I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do.
TRADE SECRETS: How to arrange your lighting
You will need to start with a floorplan. Only when you know where the furniture is going can you decide where the lights should be. And never settle for the “builder’s favourite” – a symmetrical grid of recessed downlighters in the ceiling. Instead, work out where the light actually needs to be and start from there. Try placing one over the middle of a window (rather than the middle of the wall) to wash light down the curtains. Or put one over the central point of the coffee table. In a bathroom, always position wall lights to the left and right of the mirror, as side lighting is more flattering than top-down.
BEDTIME READING…
A list of books that I have either read or are in my to-do pile and I’m so looking forward to all of them. I’m fed up of those newspaper lists with people pretending they’re taking heavy literary tomes to the beach. Who wants to spend the holidays in a classroom? I’m into gripping good reads and this is my current selection.
I haven’t linked as you will all be buying from different places, so I’ve just put the title and you can copy into your own search engine or look for it on a real-life shelf.
The Cursed Friend by Beatrice Salvioni (for fans for Elena Ferrante)
Guilt By Definition by Susie Dent (a linguistic mystery novel by the TV lexicographer)
The Nix by Nathan Hill (I loved The Wellness)
Death At The Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson (I adore all the Jackson Brodie series)
By Any Other Name by Jodie Picoult (great storytelling that always makes you think)
ON MY RADAR…
The amazing collaboration between Collagerie and Zara home. I’ll take one of everything while stocks last. Which won’t be long.
Monuskin Cleansing Balm
This brand was recommended to me while I was putting together goodie bags for my design retreats, and when I ordered some for my lovely guests, the founder included their amazing cleansing balm in the package. I’m totally hooked. It goes on like a dream, smells divine and removes all traces of make-up really gently. Spreading the love for this fabulous product.
Ikea bedding
We’ve been to and fro to Ikea quite frequently in recent months as we buy extra bits and pieces for the house. I have to say I’m super impressed with their duvets, pillows and bedding. In one of the guest rooms we have a gorgeous pink and white check duvet with lovely fabric- covered buttons. They’re harder to do up as they’re not shiny, but they look and feel super quality, so I’ll live with them. This is one of those products that people don’t believe you when you tell them where it’s from. I’ve got a set from Toast in the next-door bedroom which it easily stands up to. It’s pictured above but you can’t quite see the stripes in this picture so here’s the link. And the Toast version is below - again you can’t really see the stripes, so here’s the link to that as well.
I hope you have enjoyed the first edition of House Notes. Please drop a ❤️ to like or share/restack this post which massively increases reach and visibility. And a huge thank-you to all my paid subscribers whose support allows me to continue writing here.
Thank you for this perk for free subscribers Kate. I have missed your weekly blog and this feels like an old friend has reconnected and shared all the fun things happening in life. Enjoy the down time in Italy.
Thanks Kate for your reading recommendation, The Cursed Friend, set in Monza. A town worth visting especially to see the breath taking Chapel of Queen Theodelinda & Iron Crown. (By appointment).
The author, "Beatrice Salvioni was born in Monza in 1995 and now lives in Turin. She won the 2021 Italo Calvino Prize for short stories. The Cursed Friend is her first novel".