A doyenne of interior design's artfully decorated Kent home

Katharine Howard is a name very familiar to us at House & Garden. One often hears it being exclaimed as the solution to a head-scratching problem, or in praise of another job brilliantly done. She is the ultimate fixer for whom nothing is ever too much trouble. Having spent nearly 13 years working on The World of Interiors magazine, Katharine graduated with an enviable address book of contacts in the decoration industry and the idea to establish her business, Katharine Howard Style.

Over the past seven years, she has worked to promote the most beautiful brands in the industry, which, she confesses with a wince, has given her rather expensive tastes. It is no surprise that she approached the decoration of her own house with the same determined energy and joy that she applies to all her projects. She and her husband James had spent weekends driving from their townhouse in south London to prowl the lanes of Kent in search of the perfect Georgian house. ‘Of course,’ she says pragmatically, ‘we were searching for everyone’s dream property. So we had to be prepared to compromise.’

Approaching the pretty, 18th-century white weatherboard house that has been home to Katharine, James and their two daughters, now aged six and eight, for three years, it is hard to imagine much compromise took place, because it is so charming. One area that Katharine was not prepared to find middle ground on, though, was the interior. ‘It’s impossible to go back once you’ve been exposed to the best of everything,’ she admits. ‘I would always rather choose one beautifully constructed thing over 100 that are throwaway.’ However, when she is asked about particular Bennison Fabrics curtains or antique chests of drawers, the answer is often, ‘Oh, I got them in a sale’ or, ‘I found them on Ebay.’

Of course, it helps when you know what you are looking for. ‘I’ve always been drawn to classic design and traditional production methods, so all the textiles and wallpapers have an authenticity and a richness,’ she says. The interior was very much Katharine’s domain. ‘Our deal was that I would do the inside and James would do the outside, which worked out very well because digging a vegetable garden is a lot of work,’ she says, hooting with characteristic laughter.

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The shopping list for the house was fulfilled thanks to a lively mixture of pieces from creative friends and clients old and new, as well as antiques collected over time. The combined effect is light, pretty and decorative – drawing inspiration from the US, France and Sweden, as well as classic English style. ‘What is so brilliant about this property is that it’s a perfect mix of cottage and Georgian house,’ explains Katharine. ‘The wobbly walls and creaking hallways feel quite cosy, but it also has the grander ceiling heights and large windows that meant I could get away with bolder patterns.’ Citing the Vogue Living books as being inspirational, she enthuses, ‘I could spend days lost in them – I love the way fashion and interiors are brought together.’

As you enter the house, two sitting rooms – a family room and a larger space that doubles as Katharine’s study – peel off to the left and right, each offering a glimpse of the other across the hallway. Much of the layout works in this way, so that pattern meets pattern and colours dance playfully with one another. The downstairs rooms all have two doors – this creates a lovely flow by allowing one to walk through them, rather than having to bunch up in a hallway. The layout is also perfect for little girls who like to race around.

In terms of building work, the biggest challenge that the couple faced was the kitchen. Luckily, James had worked for a furniture company before taking over his family’s hardware business, Pemberton & Sons, which meant they were able to design it themselves. The main sticking point was Katharine’s unfailing determination to have a vast kitchen island that measures 3.5 by 1.75 metres and takes up most of the available space: ‘I must say how lucky I am that James has such a generous spirit and faith in me to let me do what I want. I know many partners would be neither as patient nor as willing.’ When the results are this successful, I think that such faith was well placed.

Katharine Howard Style: katharinehowardstyle.com