HOUSE NOTES #20

HOUSE NOTES #20

The design & living stories you need to know this month - from new launches and updates to a great kitchen company, the best foundation - and some fantastic hardware and crockery

Kate Watson-Smyth

Oct 16, 2026

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This is the most magaziney of my monthly posts. I try to make

Mad About The House

a rolling mix of how to’s, news, advice and inspiration, with a bit of shopping thrown in. But as a working journalist, I get a lot of email about new stuff that’s coming up, and this is the perfect place to share all that.

One of my favourite kitchen makers is - finally - coming to the UK. But if you just want new handles for your existing cupboards, I’ve got you covered there, too. There’s some gorgeous crockery, some pretty new lights and the paint companies are all dropping their colours of the year (yes, it’s a marketing ploy, but also it’s interesting to see the direction of travel).

In other news we’ve redecorated the bathroom - well, The Mad Husband has (I watched and wielded the odd dustpan). And following my

Bisazza

showroom takeover for

LDF

, I designed the

Sustainability Stage

at

Decorex

.

Welcome to my inbox, aka Things You Need To Know About:

PLANK x GOODBONES HARDWARE

The cabinetry collection

by Good Bones x Plank Hardware

Leanne Kilroy

has done it again. The founder of Good Bones London created a fabulous

lighting collection

in collaboration with Plank Hardware last year and she’s back with a range of

handles and knobs

that includes swing and drop handles (which you don’t see so often) in bronze, nickel and unlacquered brass.

They launched the range at

Aelfred

, a warehouse in east London selling mid-century furniture. There’s a lot to want there, including furniture, lighting, pictures and rugs.

MATILDA GOAD LIGHTING COLLECTION

There’s something about Matilda’s work that is just very covetable, whether it’s the hardware, homeware or, more recently, lighting. Her backplates in a range of shapes and finishes have long been the insider’s go-to when it comes to jazzing up a plain cupboard with a shapely knob, and her new lighting collection in glossy lacquer in shades of cherry, olive and sky are sure to be added to many a wishlist.

New lighting by Matilda Goad

NEW-IN AT SHARLAND ENGLAND

The new treacle collection from Sharland England

I’ve been a fan of

Louise Roe

for many years and can confirm she is just as lovely in real-life as she is model-like online. A few years ago she launched Sharland (named after her grandmother) with a collection of rattan furniture. She has since expanded to include ceramics, and her latest range of Treacle plates and serveware is up there on my wish list. I already have some brown plates, so I’m thinking of mixing in a few

side plates

to keep it similar but not matching.

NEW SOHO HOME

Soho Home has dropped more than 200 new pieces referencing the Soho Houses in Mexico, Mumbai and Tokyo. There’s lots of gorgeous deep burgundy lacquer, marble and sculptural shapes. I’ll be honest, there’s a lot to love - but man, it’s expensive these days. That said, there’s a sort of economy of scale: sofas and chairs priced between £1,000 and £3,000 feel reasonable for quality; £500 for a table lamp is a lot. But I have seen and touched and sat in many of the pieces. These are my three favourites:

conall sofa, sasha rug, blair chair

VERY SIMPLE KITCHEN

now in the UK

Stainless steel modular kitchens in a range of colours that you can buy individually to suit your space. I love this Italian brand but sadly it wasn’t available in the UK when I was doing my kitchen. Now that it is, via

SCP

, take a look if you are doing your own renovation this year. I love the idea that the modernity of the metal cabinets can sit so well on a wooden floor or in a period room, as well as working in a contemporary interior.

PAINT COLOURS OF THE YEAR

Little Greene Marle and Mylands Hugenot

Of course it’s all marketing, but it can be interesting to see the direction of travel - and in a word, it’s earthy.

Mylands

has gone with a deep red called Huguenot, which is already all over my house (since 2023) in the form of Scarlet ‘n’ Rust from

Paint and Paper Library

, proving only that it’s a continuation rather than an about-face. That said it’s probably more for cabinetry and woodwork than walls.

Little Greene

has announced Marle, a warm mid toned brown. Loves pink, cream and burgundy (think Neapolitan ice cream). Try also with blue - china, navy and cobalt - as well as green and terracotta. In short, it’s more versatile than you might think.

Johnstones

has gone for Country Soil (more brown), while

Dulux

played it safe with Soulful Sage. It’s not a colour I love, but it’s neutral and warm, and you can pep it up so it’s more like safe sage.

Sherwin Williams

has chosen Celery, which is another green that is more outer stems than the vibrant inner heart.

Graham & Brown

has chosen Rose Earth - a pale, pinky brown that works with all the above.

KATE’S KNITALIAN SHOW

I love Kate Jenkins’ knitted food creations and can’t wait to see her latest Knitalian trattoria, which opens next month. Expect pizza, pasta and bottles of Chianti alongside Mutti tomatoes and hunks of Parmesan.

ROUND UP OF THE MONTH’S POSTS

MY DESIGN MANTRA II: Every room needs tension

Kate Watson-Smyth

·

Sep 30

Read full story

25 things I’ve learned about interior design in 25 years

Kate Watson-Smyth

·

Sep 9

Read full story

DESIGN DECODED: A London mews house

Kate Watson-Smyth

·

Sep 16

Read full story

SHOPPING: the best of the new season drops

Kate Watson-Smyth

·

Sep 23

Read full story

What do celebrity collaborations tell us about interior design on the high street?

Kate Watson-Smyth

·

Sep 7

Read full story

The 10 pieces of furniture you need in your house

Kate Watson-Smyth

·

Sep 2

Read full story

The joy of real-life connections

Kate Watson-Smyth

·

Sep 21

Read full story

BATHROOM UPDATE

The bathroom in this house is small and an odd shape. When we moved in, we took out the bath and installed a walk-in shower which, tbh, made it a slightly odder shape, but I didn’t want the loo to be the first thing you saw when you walked past. So that meant moving it to the corner where the bath was. And as we don’t really take baths, that meant we could install a walk-in shower. I also wanted a pocket door to free up space on the landing and inside the room.

It was all a bit Tetris. Throw in the curved outside wall and it became quite complicated. We made the shower wall solid so we could attach a heated towel rail and some shelves, and added underfloor heating as there was no wall space left for a radiator.

This is what we had before. Arranged like that it was a reasonable size, but it didn’t work for us aesthetically or practically.

The original bathroom with the loo in front of the door and a power shower

The new layout works, if I’m honest, well for two. It’s more challenging for three or four, simply because there isn’t quite enough room for storage or towel hanging.

I was in my wallpaper phase and I loved (still do) this William Morris marigold print but it was badly applied and creased, and the basin tiles were put in the wrong position.

the bathroom as it was

And so we have redone it. The tiles have been extended to make the mistake less obvious. The wallpaper has gone to be replaced with two colours from the new

Little Greene

paint collection, and it has been finished in gloss. The walls are Hammock and the ceiling is Pink Flight, a lovely coppery colour.

This was the AI render I created.

This is what we actually have:

So the render was pretty good I think. The shower curtain arrived yesterday while I was out so I haven’t had a chance to photograph it but it looks pretty much like the render I’ll show you another time

ON BEAUTY:

TRINNY’S NEW FOUNDATION DROPS

This is very, very good. I haven’t worn foundation for years as I find it heavy and cakey, and have stuck instead to tinted moisturisers and

Trinny’s

BFF

formula (which is also excellent), but I was sent this the other day and

ohmagerd

I will definitely be paying for it next time.

It’s part coverage and part skincare. This is the science bit: “Packed with

active ingredients tailored for 40+ skin

– evodia rutaecarpa plant extract

boosts luminosity

, niacinamide helps

reduces the appearance of fine lines

, and hyaluronic acid helps

plumps up dehydration lines

. To keep your skin barrier resilient and healthy-looking, biomimetic lipids and bacillus ferment work hard behind the scenes to fortify and protect.”

I mean yes, but also just it’s great. Now: a word of warning - it’s drops and it’s runny, so apply with care. I inadvertently got some on a white t-shirt when applying in a rush. I either put a couple of drops on the back of my hand or directly onto the sponge and dab. You don’t need much, so although it’s £45 it will last for ages.

PS:

I barely drink and I don’t eat refined sugar, and I do believe both of those things make a difference to skin. Plus genetics. But even so I have lines and redness and this stuff helps.

AND BREATHE…

I was recently invited to attend a

breathwork session with Isaac Mullins

, and while I had no idea what to expect, I will say only that I was so relaxed afterwards I got on the wrong Tube home and since the two-hour session I have had the best and longest sleep I have had in ages.

Isaac is a former dancer with the Royal Ballet turned yoga teacher and breathwork therapist. He said: “Modern life places continual demands on us but even when those demands stop, we may still feel tense, restless or unable to switch off. Breathing gives us a practical, physical way to influence our state, even when the mind is busy.”

But he is clear that trying to breathe correctly shouldn’t be another job we have to perfect: “People already have enough to do without adding another obligation to the day. You don’t always need to stop what you are doing to practise. You can notice your breathing while walking, sitting at your desk, lying in bed or moving through the day. Over time, that awareness allows the practice to become part of ordinary life rather than something separate from it.”

One point to note is that so-called “good breathing” doesn't necessarily mean taking big, deep breaths, which is what you start to do as soon as you talk about breathing. Normal breathing should generally be quiet and fairly effortless.

When you lie down or sit quietly the diaphragm should do much of the work; as you inhale it descends, so the lower ribs and abdomen can expand and your upper chest doesn't need to heave up and down.

Breathwork teachers also often talk about people “overbreathing”, which means that if you breathe more than your metabolism requires, you expel too much carbon dioxide. That can produce tingling, light-headedness, feelings of unreality, chest tightness and sometimes anxiety. It's essentially what happens during hyperventilation.

Isaac offers several free practices on his website, including a yoga class and breathing exercises. He also has a

£25 per month on-demand Library

including introductory Hatha Yoga courses, breathing practices, guided sessions for sleep and walking, and longer courses such as Breathing for Life. Everything is pre-recorded, so you can practise in your own time and return to the material as often as you like.

Or if you want to join him on a retreat you see the details here:

isaacmullins.com/retreats

Paid subscribers can have 60% off the first three months of Isaac’s Library Membership, so it’s £10 a month instead of £25, then it continues at the usual £25 a month. The code is below the paywall at the end of this post .

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