My Happy Home: Broadcaster Mariella Frostrup talks to House Beautiful UK about settling down in Somerset, her most-hated gardening job, and last year's bumper dahlia crop.
Mariella is a Norwegian-born, Irish-raised journalist, author, and women's rights campaigner, best known for her distinctive voice (she was once voted the 'sexiest female voice on TV'). Her career spans television, documentaries, and even the London Overground announcements.
Over the years, Mariella has fronted BBC Radio 4's Open Book, served as an agony aunt for The Observer, and was appointed the UK Government's Menopause Employment Ambassador, working to improve support for menopausal women in the workplace.
She spends her time between London and Somerset, where she lives with her husband, Jason.
Describe your home
MF: Home is where my kids [Molly and Danny] are, which is often at our small flat in London. But home is primarily our home [with her husband Jason] in Somerset.
Tell us about your childhood home
MF: It was ever-changing. My mum used to move whenever the going got tough – and that happened quite often – so I feel at home in Ireland, Norway and London. We've been in our Somerset house for 12 years and it's the most permanent place I've ever lived.
What is the first thing you do when you get home?
MF: Check my dahlias. Last year, we had a dahlia orgy. I was giving them out to everyone who came past the house.
What is your favourite room in the house?
MF: The kitchen. Every important thing in the past 12 years has happened there – tragedies, happy times, boisterous lunches, family dinners.
Where do you shop for the best homeware?
MF: I don't do much shopping unless I'm on holiday. We've got way too much stuff.
Describe your decorating style
MF: Quite Scandi and calm in London. Our Somerset house is a medley of things Jason and I have gathered over time, including tapestries from Ghana, statues from Mozambique and tiles we commissioned in Morocco. They're really nice, but nothing like what we asked for!
What is the best bargain you've ever snapped up?
MF: My Nutribullet. I've had it for seven years and use it every single day for smoothies, sauces, grinding nuts and coffee beans. I don't know how I survived without it.
Nutribullet Nutribullet 600 Series Nutritional Blender651/9090
Nutribullet Nutribullet 600 Series Nutritional Blender651/9090
What design trend are you least likely to follow?
MF: Anything chintzy or frou-frou. I like neutral shades, linen and bare stone.
Do you collect anything?
MF: Islamic art and Iznik pottery. They bring strong colour into the house, which I love.
What would you buy as a housewarming gift?
MF: A little bowl or dish – I find them at a local antiques fair – that I get filled with a scented candle by Rachel Vosper.
What is your favourite object from your travels?
MF: A painting from a market in Cuba. We bought it on our first trip together. It's quirky and full of stories.
Are you green-fingered?
MF: No, but I'm quite good with veg because it has a purpose. I'm bad at things other people would see as recreational. To me, weeding is a form of slow death.
Describe your perfect Sunday
MF: Cooking lunch, listening to a Bach cello piece and hoping that my kids are going to arrive.
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George Clarke
