British Design with Emma Burns and Paddy O'Donnell // Live from the Fenimore Lane Design Summit

Summary

Podcast Summary: Talk Shop with Ariel Okin

Episode: British Design with Emma Burns and Paddy O'Donnell // Live from the Fenimore Lane Design Summit
Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Ariel Okin
Guests: Emma Burns & Paddy O'Donnell

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Ariel Okin sits down with esteemed British designers Emma Burns and Paddy O'Donnell for a lively, insightful discussion on the unique character of British interior design. Broadcasting live from the Fenimore Lane Design Summit, the conversation focuses on rarely seen gems of British design, highly personal recommendations for must-see locations, and the stories and philosophies behind iconic British interiors.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Iconic Destinations for Experiencing British Design

• Fenton House, Hampstead (Emma Burns)

  • [00:15] Described as a "beautiful Georgian house, decorated by John Fowler," featuring the music room with rare "Caroline" chintz and exquisitely crafted curtains – "double pinked and scalloped frills" with “little holes all the way down, almost like a broguing” ([Emma Burns], 00:15-00:52).
  • Memorable for its play of natural light and its quintessentially English sensibility.

• Sir John Soane's Museum, Lincoln’s Inn Fields (Emma Burns)

  • [00:52] An “extraordinary” house-museum created by the architect of the Bank of England.
  • Noteworthy for its "fantastic use of mirrors, convex mirrors, which you put up in the corners of the room to reflect the light."
  • "It’s free to go in because he felt that people should be able to." ([Emma Burns], 00:52-01:37).

• Leighton House, Kensington (Paddy O'Donnell)

  • [02:01] Called "extraordinary for tile work especially... a beautiful sort of Moorish or Arabic festival... the most extraordinary tile work you've ever seen."
  • O'Donnell describes it as "bonkers and delicious." ([Paddy O'Donnell], 02:01-02:19).

• Charleston Farmhouse, Sussex (Paddy O'Donnell & Emma Burns)

  • [02:26] Dubbed as "the Bloomsbury Group's knocking shop" (with playful banter about its bohemian, liberal history).
  • Known for every surface being decorated:
    • "Duncan Grant painted at the foot of the bed, a dog to keep her safe at night. [At the] other end, a cockrell to wake her up in the morning.” ([Emma Burns], 03:03-03:12).
    • "That could not be done anywhere other than England." ([Paddy O'Donnell], 03:15-03:22).

• Dennis Severs’ House, Spitalfields (Paddy O'Donnell)

  • [03:22] An 18th-century Huguenot townhouse, “almost untouched,” providing immersive, candlelit tours.
  • "It’s a sensory overload... As an experience... so romantic." ([Paddy O'Donnell], 03:22-03:59).

• Sissinghurst Castle (“Vita’s Tower”) (Emma Burns)

  • [04:19] Praised as "another magical place. And you get to see the garden, too." ([Emma Burns], 04:19-04:26).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On John Fowler’s design at Fenton House:

  "The leading edges of the curtains have got these double pinked and scalloped frills... like a hole punch... little holes all the way down, almost like a broguing, you know. And so the light comes through and you get these little shafts of light..."
  — Emma Burns ([00:15-00:52])

• On Leighton House:

  "It's this beautiful sort of Moorish or Arabic festival... the most extraordinary tile work you've ever seen. I mean, it’s bonkers and delicious."
  — Paddy O'Donnell ([02:01-02:19])

• On Charleston Farmhouse:

  "They were very liberal and... sexually ambiguous. They decorated every single circle."
  — Emma Burns ([02:51-02:57])
  "Duncan Grant painted at the foot of the bed, a dog to keep her safe at night. Other end, a cockrell to wake her up in the morning."
  — Emma Burns ([03:03-03:12])
  "That could not be done anywhere other than England, I think."
  — Paddy O'Donnell ([03:15-03:20])

• On Dennis Severs’ House:

  "They do these beautiful tours in winter, kind of by candlelight, and it smells of incense. And you walk through this house, you know, with no electrics, and it's so romantic... a sensory overload."
  — Paddy O'Donnell ([03:22-03:59])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:15 – Fenton House & John Fowler’s music room (Emma Burns)
• 00:52 – Sir John Soane's Museum (Emma Burns)
• 02:01 – Leighton House/Moorish tile work (Paddy O'Donnell)
• 02:26 – Charleston Farmhouse & the Bloomsbury Group (Paddy O'Donnell & Emma Burns)
• 03:22 – Dennis Severs’ House (Paddy O'Donnell)
• 04:19 – Sissinghurst/Vita’s Tower (Emma Burns)

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Episode Tone & Closing Thoughts

• The episode is rich with wit, anecdotes, and affable banter between Emma and Paddy, with playful teasings and deep admiration for British originality in design.
• Ariel expresses gratitude for their time and depth of knowledge:

  "I learned so much today. Thank you guys so, so much for your time and for being here with us." ([Ariel Okin], 04:19-04:42)

• The atmosphere is both educational and delightfully informal, perfectly blending inside knowledge with personality, making British design tangible for listeners.

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Summary

This vibrant conversation showcases the passion and humor of British design’s leading voices. From the tactile romance of historic interiors to the layered stories embedded in every curated object, Emma Burns and Paddy O'Donnell invite listeners to pursue British design’s eccentric, storied essence in person and in spirit. Recommended sites provide both inspiration and adventure for design enthusiasts old and new.

Transcript

[A]

Actually, Grace, there's one question I know in your list, which I think you. Because I know we're probably running.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

About where you should go if you visit the UK to see a particular, specific example of a certain form of British design or eccentric.

[B]

That was a good question. Thank you for bringing it back around. And yes, I was thinking that Fenton House in Hampstead is beautiful Georgian house, decorated by John Fowler. And the music room in particular on the first floor in English terms. Second floor in American terms, has very lovely chintz called Caroline, which sadly they no longer make. And the curtain, the leading edges of the curtains have got these double pinked and scalloped frills. And John Fowler, in addition to the pinking and scalloping, they were like a hole punch. They've got these little holes all the.

[A]

Way down, almost like a broguing, you know.

[B]

Yes, yes. And so the light comes through and you get these little shafts of light coming. It's. Oh, wow. And that's. That's a very English. It's a very English room. It's very lovely. So I would say go, Go there, if you haven't been there already, and also go to the Johnson Museum, which is so extraordinary with the layers of paintings and kind of hinged screens. And you open them up and then you open them up, there's more and more there. And you say the name of that again. John Sohn. Thank you. He was the architect of the bank of England, apart from other things. And this is his own house, which is in Lincoln's Inn Fields. And it's free to go in because he felt that people should be able to. And his collection of things is there. He collected lots of sort of Roman and Greek pieces. So down in the basement, this great big sarcophagus. And I'm not sure you'd want to be there on your own at night. Might be some dead souls, that. But also fantastic use of mirrors, convex mirrors, which you put up in the corners of the room to reflect the light. And it's really interesting. Yeah. And what's yours, Patty?

[A]

They're quite specific rather than domestic, but I think Leighton House in just off Kensington High street is extraordinary for tile work especially. I mean, it's this beautiful sort of Moorish or Arabic festival, isn't it, of the most extraordinary tile work you've ever seen. I mean, it's, it's, it's. It's bonkers and delicious and that's definitely worth going to. That's actually run by. Is it KC Council, isn't it?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The other place is Charleston Farmhouse in Sussex, which is the Bloomsbury Group's knocking shop. Oh, it's where people have sex.

[B]

Sorry, actual.

[A]

Well, no, no, no, no, no, no. They all slept with each other.

[B]

Everybody.

[A]

They're notorious.

[B]

Goodness. Like Vanessa Bell and Duncan.

[A]

Duncan Grant and Vita Sackvill. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, they were very liberal and.

[B]

But they.

[A]

Sexually ambiguous.

[B]

They decorated every single circle.

[A]

It's unbelievable.

[B]

Look at it. It's.

[A]

It's the most astonishing place.

[B]

Stunning. But like Duncan Grant painted at the foot of the bed, a dog to keep her safe at night. Other end, a cockrell to wake her up in the morning, you know, and just, it's. It's extraordinary.

[A]

And I think that is. That could not be done anywhere other than England, I think.

[B]

Glorious. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

And Dennis Sievers I love, but only be just so. It's beautiful. It's an 18th century townhouse worker, Silk workers Huguenot townhouse in Spitalfield in London. And it was fabulous. Owned by this guy called Dennis and Sivas. He didn't basically change anything. And it's. It's phenomenal. I mean, the. You probably couldn't live in it, but as an experience. And they do these beautiful tours in winter, kind of by candlelight, and it smells of incense. And you walk through this house, you know, with no electrics, and it's so romantic.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yes. I mean, it's a sensory overload. So. I mean, there are utter gems, aren't there, for something truly extraordinary? And you have. I know you have loads. And I know you're dripping with extraordinary houses all down the east coast into kind of southwest. I mean, southeast is just beautiful. So. Yeah, it's not just us, but those are some really special places to go.

[B]

I was Sittinghurst as well. Where? Beater's Tower. I mean, that's another magical place. And you get to see the garden, too. Yeah, absolutely. Lovely. Well, I learned so much today. Thank you guys so, so much for your time and for being here with us. Thank you all for coming.

[C]

That's a wrap for this week's episode of Talk Show Shop. Thanks for listening. We'll be back next week with more thoughtful discussions and amazing guests. Follow us on Apple podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, so you never miss an episode. And of course, follow me at Ariel Oken. See you next week.