You’re based in East Sussex. Where should I visit if I’m heading there for the day?
Great Dixter, Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft, and Farley’s House all make for a wonderful day out. If you’re looking to shop, though, I’d recommend heading to Rye; Soap and Salvation is a trove of antiques in an old Salvation Army chapel, while Adams of Rye is the wonderful old-fashioned stationers where all Scribble & Daub products are printed. Hastings and St Leonards are fantastic for truffling, too, with so many great independent stores and junk shops. Hawk & Dove is the best for vintage – and the Flower Maker’s Museum on Hastings High Street is fascinating.
Which scents are most nostalgic for you, and why?
Pine sap in the sunshine. There is a grove of Scots pines in our garden and in the summer I lie under them in a hammock with my eyes closed, inhaling the scent, which takes me straight back to riding around Spetses on a moped with my friend Vicky when we were 17.
Do you have any tips for wrapping presents chicly?
As in everything, ribbon is your friend. Andrew at Wayward Vintage has a stall at Portobello Market on a Friday, and always has fat rolls of old French satin in delicious colours for a steal. If I’m feeling particularly generous, I’ll tie one of my hand-painted decorations into the bow as an extra gift. You can do this with any kind of decoration you like. Presents wrapped in brightly coloured tissue with clashing ribbons is my favourite wrapping recipe, and I like to put gold coins or Dresden ornaments in the layers.
What does Christmas dinner look like in your house? And are you someone who dresses up for it, or no?
Organised chaos! In my mind, it’s a traditional and elegant feast with everyone dressed beautifully, but in reality, not so much. I have a vintage, floor-length ’30s dress in rust velvet that has all the makings of my perfect Christmas Day dress, but as I share a house with four scruffy boys, often the best I can manage in the melée is upgrading my jeans with lurex Rupert Sanderson heels, and the cocktail ring I inherited from my husband’s glamorous New York grandmother. Christmas is about fantasy and wish fulfillment, though, isn’t it? So let’s pretend I’ll be decked out in this divine Bode gown.
