At home with Tricia Guild

Tell us about the area where you live. What do you love most about your surroundings, and how does it influence the way you live?

I live in Notting Hill. It’s such a beautiful neighbourhood with lots of green space and a fantastic, slightly bohemian community.

What is your favourite room or space in your home, and what makes it special to you?

The kitchen is probably my favourite space in the house. It’s somewhere I spend a great deal of time. I love cooking, growing vegetables and, most of all, bringing friends and family together around the table.

We’ve used a calming blue throughout the space, which gives it a wonderful sense of calm and grounding. It feels both practical and welcoming, and is very much at the heart of our home.

Is there a particular time of day or season when your home feels at its best?

I make small changes in the home when the seasons change. As winter takes hold and the long nights beckon, I like to swap crisp linens for lustrous, heavyweight velvets. I also bring in accessories such as a few cushions and a throw or two, which create a feeling of warmth, texture and depth.

How do you balance the practicalities of everyday life with your instinct for design?

I don’t really see the two as separate. Design is part of everyday life, it’s in the way we arrange a room, the things we choose to live with and even the way we experience the changing seasons.

I’m always drawn to colour, pattern and texture, but practicality is what makes a space truly successful.

Is there a piece of furniture or an object in your home that you could never part with? Why?

I would say my Howard Hodgkin paintings. I was incredibly fortunate to work with Howard many years ago, when we collaborated on a fabric collection for Designers Guild.

It was a very special creative relationship and one that has stayed with me. Having his work in my home now feels deeply personal, and the paintings carry memories of that time that I truly treasure.

What is one kitchen essential you rely on every day?

My coffee machine!

Do you collect anything? What draws you to the things you choose to keep around you?

I’m an avid collector of ceramics, particularly pieces by emerging artists and designers. I love the individuality and sense of craftsmanship they bring to a space, and I’ve always enjoyed supporting young talent.

We’ve been fortunate to showcase work by RCA graduates in our store, which is a wonderful way of discovering new makers and giving their work a wider audience.

What are your go-to Mud Australia pieces and colours, and how do you use them day to day?

I love drinking coffee from the mugs. There’s something very satisfying about their weight and shape in your hands first thing in the morning. I also use the larger serving bowls and platters constantly when entertaining. Cheese, fruit and simple salads. They make everything feel elevated without trying too hard.

I love the smaller pieces too. I always have a little dish beside my bed or in the bathroom to place my rings in at the end of the day. I think Mud pieces are incredibly elegant because they feel refined, yet still very liveable.

I’m generally drawn to the softer, chalkier tones. Colours that allow food, flowers and surrounding objects to come alive against them rather than compete for attention.

What are your most treasured objects? Are there pieces that have moved with you through different homes?

Interestingly, I’m not overly attached to objects in a precious way. Good bedding, beautiful towels, textiles, lighting, music, books and art. Those things shape how a home feels.

That said, there are pieces that have moved with us from home to home. Rob and I both love beautiful lighting, so lamps are a big one for us. We have them in almost every room. There’s also an antique desk that has followed us through different homes over the years, along with Rob’s Aboriginal art collection.

There’s also a small paperweight Rob bought me in Venice years ago. It’s incredibly intricate and colourful, almost like a tiny sculpture. I love it because it feels both sentimental and beautifully crafted.