And our hideaways, of course, are as beautiful as they are because our owners understand the philosophy of subtle layering, delicate lustre and gently ageing patina. As a curator, I am constantly inspired by them and also by the design gurus of our time.

‘Sir Terence Conran was a hero in my time, before I moved to Africa. He steered my design ethos for many years, eventually opening The Conran Shop and an icon to this day.

‘I grew up in rural countryside dotted with old manor houses and quaint stone cottages filled with heirloom furniture, old paintings, wool carpets, flagstone floors and the scent of beeswax. It’s always made me appreciate texture, fabrics, colour and how nature plays its role in country settings.

‘It was a time when you collected tea sets and silverware, but I didn’t love antiques when I grew up – nor hand-me-downs. Even homes were passed down. So, when I first saw a Habitat shop it was a complete revelation!

‘I remember going to a friend’s house where they had no fireplace, fake leather furniture and we ate fish fingers and frozen chips! I thought it was fabulous! Of course, we always had real home cooked, home-grown food on the farm… Everything comes full circle though, and over the years I have begun to really appreciate the simple things I had in life, the purity of being brought up in the country.