A peek inside my snug, which sounds sort of rude (to the immature/those blessed with overactive imaginations) but is actually the room that acts as a kind of antechamber to our bedroom. It was always supposed to be a little quiet reading room, almost like the lounge area of a hotel suite, but until now has just been a dumping ground for baskets of washing, boxes of beauty samples and the odd broken lamp. I’ve been doing most of my filming in this room so there’s usually a load of camera equipment too, but as my office at the end of the garden gradually empties of its junk I’m transferring things across, so there’s a bit more space than there was before…
The rosewood chests are (I believe) by Archie Shine – I’ve bought a few mid century pieces from a brilliant dealer in Hertford who trades under the name Funky Junky. She always has the most interesting bits and in excellent condition – you have to be careful with mid century or “retro” furniture because there’s a hell of a lot of tat about! Cut-and-shut sideboards with the wrong legs on, lamps that are a kind of Frankenstein hybrid of old tatty shade and new, overly-shiny base, the wiring from God only knows when…
The telephone was an eBay purchase many moons ago, the Pug lamp (which won’t stay, it’s just up there because – as I said – lamp graveyard) was from KARE, and the photograph is one from our wedding, nearly eight years ago now. I’m insisting that it goes up somewhere in the house – Mr AMR hates pictures of himself (oddly, because he’s a handsome thing) and until now it has been hidden away, either in the shed or spare room in the wardrobe or whatnot. No more. It’s good to have reminders of these happy days and this photo always makes me smile. Also, my boobs were about three inches higher than they are now, so, y’know, memories and all that.
The orange chair is from Natuzzi, bought probably about ten years ago now. My God, what a rigmarole it was ordering that chair. It took weeks to arrive and it was supposed to come with this lovely chrome-based footstool but they sent it with the wrong fabric (cream, if I remember rightly) and then when we re-ordered, they sent us an orange beanbag! We gave up then, got a refund on the footstool and were told to keep the beanbag, which gets randomly chucked about the house because it’s inelegant and blobby. Mind you, considering the abuse it gets, it’s still in quite good shape!
Perhaps, though, my favourite thing in this photograph is my Rory Dobner cat cushion. I bought a few years ago and kept it in the plastic wrapping waiting for just the right setting for it to make its debut. To be quite honest, I think it would look splendid in any situation – last week I had it on my bed against white linen and a grey knitted blanket and the whole thing was very picture perfect. Maybe I need more of these cat cushions – I could be a crazy cat cushion lady…
