London-born New Yorker, and mother of three, Nell Diamond, founded her fashion and lifestyle brand, Hill House Home, to bring joy to her everyday rituals. Her collections are designed with both timeless style and luxurious comfort in mind, including her iconic 'nap dress' – a day dress that's comfortable enough to nap in. For this month's My Life in 10, we asked Hill House Home's Nell to share the pieces, places, and pastimes that help her slow down, take stock, and live beautifully.

1. A Good Book

As a child I constantly had my nose in a book. Not much has changed – I still love to get lost in a good piece of fiction. My favourite author is Zadie Smith – White Teeth (Amazon) is one of my all-time picks – but I also love to find recommendations on social media.

2. Catching a Show

One of the best parts of living in New York is access to great theatre. My husband and I love an early dinner before we race across 7th Avenue for a show. One of my favourite plays this year was Oh, Mary! at the Lucille Lortel Theater. It's now showing at the Lyceum Theater.

3. High-Tech Skincare

In recent years, I’ve really struggled with hormonal acne, so recently, on the advice of my aesthetician, I’ve been double-cleansing my face every morning and sunscreen. I've also been using a high-frequency wand by Nuderma (Amazon), which feels very high-tech.

4. The Best Bagels

I ate the best meal of my life after giving birth to my twins, Willow and Sebastian. Hours after delivery, one of my best friends sent a huge bag of food from the iconic New York institution, Russ & Daughters. The first bite of that sesame bagel – still warm – with cream cheese, lox, tomato, and onion. Pure joy.

5. Bows Everywhere

I put bows on everything. I used to save the ribbon from gifts to use as a hair band, but now we make our own bows, and I have hundreds stashed everywhere for hair emergencies. My current favorite is this Belle Bow Barrette from Hill House's new English Daisy collection.

6. Interior Design Stores

I always look to interiors for design inspiration for my fashion line. I love rifling through fabrics and eyeing furniture for hours. Some of my favourite homewares shops in New York include John Derian, Nickey Kehoe and Pierre Frey.

7. The Power of Makeup

I've loved makeup for as long as I can remember. My very first piece was a purple lipstick bought at MAC on the Kings Road in London, and it was my most prized possession. These days, when I know I've got a busy day or a stressful event, I pop on a bit of glitter liner and feel ready to take on the world.

8. Nantucket Summers

My Dad’s side of the family live year-round on Nantucket Island, a small whaling town in Massachusetts 30 miles out to sea. I’ve spent every summer there since I was born. Watching my own children walk the same cobblestone streets as I did at their age is so special.

9. The Beyoncé Effect

Beyoncé’s music is a balm for even the trickiest of days. When I’m in serious need of motivation, I pull up a video of her 2018 'Homecoming' Coachella Performance and sing along.

10. Playtime in the City

Living with three young children in downtown New York City can be challenging, but the Hudson River Park playgrounds really make it all work. It’s surreal to watch them play so happily against the iconic backdrop of skyscrapers.

Shop Nell's Essentials for Living Well

My Life in 10 is a series of interviews with tastemakers in the world of design and hosting that reveal their essential rules, rituals, and objects for beautiful living – from entertaining essentials they can't host without, to inspirational travel destinations and treasured pieces from their homes – to help you to live beautifully, too.

Each month, we interview a different designer or tastemaker for Homes & Gardens' My Life in 10 feature, which delves into the treasured and collected pieces, rules and rituals for living joyfully, as well as destinations, near and far, that feel meaningful and comforting to them.

Each of their 10 personal choices offers a window into how they live stylishly, whether it's a relaxing wellbeing routine, a comforting dish, a hosting essential that they can't entertain without, or a mindful pastime.

We also ask what sparks their creativity to help bring you ideas and inspiration for living beautifully.

Dame Anya Hindmarch's pieces are instantly recognizable for their fun and frivolous designs, and practical elements that help you to organize your home and life stylishly. Having launched her business in London in 1987, it's since grown to a globally renowned brand with personalization, organization, and, of course, style at its heart. Her eye-catching designs, practical solutions, and commitment to sustainability have won her doting fan bases worldwide. Anya Hindmarch went on to launch a knitwear collection with Uniqlo in 2023 and was awarded a damehood at the King's Birthday Honors in 2024 for her services to fashion and business. Here she shares the things that make her happy and fuel her creativity.

1. My Happy Place

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. Twinkly lights, darker nights, mince pies and mulled wine. My happy place is afternoon tea at my cafe in The Village on Pont Street, London. It was where my first office was, and is where all my shops and the mad and exciting projects we do are. It is very much home.

2. Intimate Gatherings

When friends and family gather I have an obsession with a very narrow table; when the plate of the person opposite you nearly touches yours. If you are all really close, you are all having one conversation and that intimacy helps bring people together. Our Christmas table decor ideas will involve a gingerbread house squeezed onto it somehow, lots of satsumas, and chocolate coins. It is messy and noisy, but brings me so much happiness. It’s a moment to shut the door, light the fires, and shut out the world.

3. Global Experiences

We do quite a lot of ambitious travel as a family, and I love going to places where you can learn. I haven’t been, but I am desperate to go to the Adrere Amellal Eco Lodge in Siwa, Egypt. They celebrate local craftsmanship, the rooms look beautiful, and it has no electricity. A complete switch off with candles and starry skies – my idea of heaven. And for old-school charm, nothing beats The Carlyle in New York.

4. Being Stylishly Organized

I am a self-confessed organisation nerd. Life just works that bit better with systems. It’s why I started the Labelled Collection, a range of functional bags, cases, and pouches which have a space for everything and embossed labels which make things easy to find.

5. Japanese Style

I have a love affair with Japan. I love the amazing respect and behaviour that people have, as well as their style. I love working with the team at Uniqlo on our collaborations, as well as the team at Itoya when we brought their iconic stationery store to London for the first time with our Itoya x Anya Hindmarch collab.

6. The Art of Combining Color

A Dictionary of Color Combinations by the Japanese artist and kimono designer Sanzo Wada, who produced this in the 1930’s, is a source of joy and inspiration for me. There are some amazing unexpected color combinations in there, like aubergine and teal with bright yellow.

7. A Classic Black Tuxedo

I have a Claire Waight-Keller Chloe era black velvet tuxedo in my wardrobe that is the gift that keeps giving. I always wear it with my crisp packet clutch for fun nights out.

8. The Scent of Morocco

I discovered a little perfumery called Madini in Tangiers years ago, which is hundreds of years old. I love its little roll-on bottles, all the fragrances smell amazing, it is really an exceptional place. There perfumes remind me of lovely times in Morocco.

9. Train Journeys

I’m very happy sitting in a window seat with a cup of tea on the train. I find train journeys really useful time for creative thinking because they are licence to switch off from the rat race for a bit and stare out the window. We have a tiny cottage in north Wiltshire, where we go every weekend. The surrounding landscape is so beautiful with deep cuts of valleys and brooks that run through it. It’s a balm for the soul.

10. Graphic Prints

As a present for my 50th birthday, my team gave me an artist's proof by the graphic designer Margaret Calvert, who, along with Jack Kinneir, designed all the road signs in the UK. The picture is of the road sign Men At Work, but she painted a skirt to turn it into Women At Work, which I think sums up running my company. It hangs proudly in my home office.

Anya Hindmarch's Essentials for Living Joyfully

My Life in 10 is a series of interviews with tastemakers in the world of design and hosting that reveal their essential rules, rituals, and objects for beautiful living – from entertaining essentials they can't host without, to inspirational travel destinations and treasured pieces from their homes – to help you to live beautifully, too.

Céline Roux is the Vice President of Global Fragrance Development at Jo Malone London and a veritable doyenne in the world of scent, having led hugely successful campaigns for some of the brand's most popular fragrances, including English Pear and Peony and Blush Suede. Hailing from France and now living in London, Céline is also a globally recognised voice on the philosophy of fragrance, which goes far beyond creating the best candles, and fragrances for Jo Malone London, but also encapsulates cultural moments and the exploration of all the senses to enhance wellbeing and peace of mind. I caught up with Céline ahead of the busy run-up to the festive period to find out what brings her joy and calm at this often chaotic time of year.

Céline Roux Shares Her Favorite Things

1. Christmas in New York

I lived in New York for eight years, when I was in my twenties, so it's a second home for me, and whenever I go back, it feels very familiar. I especially love it just before Christmas, and I'm quite traditional, so I love seeing the tree at the Rockefeller Center, and seeing Fifth Avenue all lit up. Whenever I hear Christmas songs playing in stores, it takes me right back to doing Christmas shopping in New York. Now, every year, wherever I am, I have to go to a Christmas carol concert – whether it's in a church, at school, or in the street – as that's always a reminder of New York for me.

2. Scents of the Season

Jo Malone's Orange Bitters Cologne was the first personal fragrance we did for Christmas. When I thought about what could be nice in a scent that makes me think of Christmas, it was a cocktail – something a little bit warm, a little bit citrussy, and a little bit bitter. It's both woodsy and warm but has the zestiness of the orange. It's very unisex, and it became a classic, which comes back every year, so I totally associate this scent with Christmas. We also have a Golden Barley Candle, which smells of baking biscuits without even turning the oven on – it's comforting, homey, and it takes me back to baking cookies with my mom when I was young.

3. Hugo Guinness' Dog Print

I love Hugo Guinness' work and he has a very famous outline drawing of a bull terrier dog, and it really looks like my old rescue dog that I brought back with me from America, Marty. He's not with us anymore, but old friends who see it and don't know the artist think it's actually a picture of my dog that I've had done. I just love it.

4. Advent Traditions

One year I was gifted an Advent candle, and since then I've burnt one every year with my children – I have two boys aged 10 and 14. It's a lovely daily ritual that we always do together. I love decorating the Christmas tree with the children, too. We have a very eclectic mix of ornaments, from ceramic to paper, and handmade ones, to things I've collected from my travels. There's even a glittery sushi and a Santa in a swimsuit! It looks different every year. I also do a customized Advent calendar for the boys, using the box from the Jo Malone Advent calendar. I do it a bit like a treasure hunt so there's a clue on a sticky note, and they have to find something in the apartment, or it might say: 'at 5pm be ready for a surprise with your boots and coat', or it could be just some chocolate or Legos. It's a lot of work to plan, but great fun.

5. Making Christmas Cards

I like to make my own Christmas cards. I do it at night when I should be asleep, but I actually find it quite therapeutic. I used to do collage, but that takes too long, so now I've switched to watercolors or drawings. I always draw something related to the recipient, so if it's a friend who lives in a hot country I'll add a palm tree ornament, for example.

6. My Grandmother's Angel

I have a ceramic angel from my Grandmother that I've always kept and makes me feel like she's always looking after me. It's a Christmas piece, but I keep it up all the time, so I have a bit of Christmas all year round. I don't mind that though, as I love Christmas.

7. Vintage and Global Finds

I collect a lot of random pieces from travelling and vintage markets. I like Broadway Market and Columbia Road Flower Market in London as they're my closest, as well as Sunbury Antiques Market at Kempton Racecourse, but whenever I travel I look for flea markets – you never know what you're going to find there. When I was in New York I went to Chelsea Flea Market every weekend. I like the idea of picking up pieces with history, as it brings a bit of character. I moved to my apartment in The Barbican almost ten years ago, and it's quite mid-century, so the style is a blend of mid-century furniture and items from my travels. I have vintage Persian rugs and Mexican dishes – it's quite eclectic.

8. Collecting Exhibition Posters

I started a few years ago to fill a wall just with exhibition posters to as a memory. Now I'm on the hunt for posters from exhibitions I've been to in the past. It's quite a nice project to remind me of the ones that were dear to my heart. There was a Basquiat exhibition in The Barbican years ago that I really liked, and I was able to find the print of the poster (Basquiat: Boom for Real, Barbican 2018 at King & McGaw), but there are a few more I'm still searching for in the museum archives.

9. Museum Trips

In London, I love the Tate Modern, and try to see all the exhibitions there. I went to The Young V&A in Bethnal Green recently and think it's quite a nice one to go to with older children. And we have great exhibitions here in The Barbican. In New York I love The Met – I used to go there all the time when I lived there, but I would say my favorite is The Neue Galerie on the Upper East Side, which has works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka – German and Austrian expressionists. I love this place, and it has an amazing coffee shop called Café Sabarsky, where you can get Austrian cakes. It's a wonderful haven.

10. The Great Outdoors

I grew up in Marseille near the sea, but I really took it for granted. So whenever I'm near the sea now I really enjoy it. Even if it's a walk by the estuary, or a day trip to the English coast, I find it quite comforting. I also love skiing and think it's great after Christmas. I was lucky to grow up in the South of France where ski resorts were not that far away. But having lived in the city for years now, it's easy to forget the feeling of the crisp air, and the purity of the mountains until you arrive. It's an amazing break, and the children enjoy the freedom and space. My parents have a flat in a small ski resort called Les Orres, and the boys learned to ski on the same slopes that I did when I was young, which is lovely.

Shop Céline's Essentials for a Joyful Christmas

My Life in 10 is a series of interviews with tastemakers in the world of design and hosting that reveal their essential rules, rituals, and objects for beautiful living – from entertaining essentials they can't host without, to inspirational travel destinations and treasured pieces from their homes – to help you to live beautifully, too.

The eclectic and exuberant aesthetic of globally renowned fashion and interiors brand La DoubleJ is undoubtedly a reflection of its founder's vibrant and spiritual lifestyle. JJ Martin's influences span her native California, to the city chic of New York, and across the pond to the culturally rich Italian capital of Milan, which she's called home for over two decades.

While her maximalist decor ideas have been bringing color and joy to La DoubleJ fans for just as long, JJ has also been a champion of female creatives and artisans, harnessed a fervent passion for spirituality, and become a savant in the field of Italian culture. Here she shares the rituals, places, and personal treasures that bring joy and peace to her life.

JJ Martin shares her favorite things

1. Ice baths

I am late to the cold swimming party, but my boyfriend introduced me to ice baths, which we do at his home, and I love them. We recently went on a trip to the mountains above Forte dei Marmi and found some waterfalls; the water feels like it's straight from the Arctic, and after ten minutes in there, your whole brain feels like it’s been rewired.

2. The Beauty and Energy of Sicily

I’ve been to many different corners of Italy, where I have lived since 2001, but I think I love Sicily the most, the whole place has a really potent energy. Italians are already the most vivacious people in the whole world, but Sicilians are even more so. In particular I love Scicli, a tiny town in the south, which has more churches than humans. It's an incredibly beautiful place that leaves you in awe.

3. Learning the Art of Surrender

When I first came to Italy, I went on an emotional voyage on so many levels. Italy became my first spiritual teacher in many ways: it taught me the art of surrender and to lean into a level of chaos and emotion. I’ve spent the last year and a half working on it, and it’s been amazing. I wrote about it in my book, Mamma Milano: Lessons from the Motherland (Vendome Press - available at Amazon).

4. Embracing Spirituality

I have been on a few spiritual trips, and have another one coming up in December. A beautiful sound healer, channeler, and Akashic record reader, Mikaella Akashic has launched a series of Mystery School retreats on the tiny, gorgeous Indonesian Island of Gili Air with her partner Astrea, called Guardians of the New Earth (18-22 December). I’m very whacky woo one minute – into meditation and spirituality – and then off to fashion week the next, so I try to bridge the gap between the spiritual and the material in my life.

5. My Perfect Hotel

My favourite hotel is Passalacqua in Lake Como; it’s perched on the most perfect private terrace, above the lake, which is very hidden. The owner, Valentina De Santis, has great taste, and the hotel is the highest level of quality, but she makes you feel like you’re part of family when you visit, which is the Italian way. We designed the pool area, and there’s a really fun sense of going from a very traditional environment with marble and frescoed ceilings into the madness of the Double J world.

6. Vegetarian Food, Done Well

There's the most amazing restaurant in Florence, called La Luna, which is a 15 minute drive up the hills. It’s really a plant nursery, but the owners opened it up as a restaurant, and it also has some rooms. It has such a sophisticated but unfussy menu and, as a vegetarian, I really appreciate it: it can be hard to eat anything except pasta as a veggie in Italy, but this place really gets it. It’s the kind of place where you could go for a formal meal, or just in jeans.

7. Vintage lamps

I was a rabid vintage collector for about twenty years, and almost everything in my home is vintage. I hardly ever go vintage shopping now – I feel like I’ve spent too many years doing it. But I feel that it's vintage lighting in particular that really helps bring character to a room.

8. Spontaneous Entertaining

I love entertaining, and how I host has changed since going to people’s homes for dinner in Italy – it has taught me a lesson in spontaneity. If you’re overly formal, it can take some of the magic out. I love our La DoubleJ desert plates because they are meant to be mixed and matched, and they are great conversation starters; everyone wants to know which design each other has.

9. Meditation

I have a meditation room at home, with no furniture, a beautifully painted muralled ceiling, and a Tibetan altar, (that I bought in the midst of lockdown online), with Balinese ceremonial offerings around it, and my crystals and candle inside. I really recommend that anyone builds an altar in their home – it doesn’t need to be big, it can just be a space to go and reconnect with yourself on a daily basis. I go every morning, after I feed the dog, and sit and do my practice.

10. Powerful artwork

I love the work of the Swedish artist Hilma af Klint; she absolutely captured the sacred geometries that exist in the universe and painted in such a beautiful aesthetic way. There is a tendency when you see artwork in the energy circles to be a bit hokey and seventies, but af Klint’s work nails it in such a strong way. I find her paintings really powerful; they really resonate with me.

Shop JJ Martin's Favorite Things

My Life in 10 is a series of interviews with tastemakers in the world of design and hosting that reveal their essential rules, rituals, and objects for beautiful living – from entertaining essentials they can't host without, to inspirational travel destinations and treasured pieces from their homes – to help you to live beautifully, too.

Style maven and entrepreneur, Lucy Williams grew up on a rural farm in Shropshire, England, and now lives in West London. She started her career as a fashion and beauty editor before becoming a stylist, blogger, and brand consultant, collaborating with major fashion brands on curated collections. She currently has her own jewellery line at Missoma.

Lucy has also beautifully renovated her own London home, which she has documented on a dedicated Instagram account. She now shares her wealth of knowledge and styling advice on fashion and interiors on her Substack, Remotely.

Lucy Williams shares her favorite things

Here, Lucy lets us in on the ten things that make her tick for an exclusive interview with Homes & Gardens.

1. Breakfast rituals

I never skip breakfast, and I love the small everyday ritual of getting out my Feldspar Geranium Red cereal bowl and my Sabre red spoon. I love those little grounding moments.

2. The perfect jeans and T-shirt

I am always a jeans and t-shirt kind of person, and my favourite brand of denim is the brand Still Here, New York. I am continually on the hunt for the perfect white t-shirt: I like two types, one is a boxy crew, and the other super soft, almost drapey. I love the brand ÉTERNE and also stock up on J Crew when I’m in the States.

3. Greek Island inspiration

I’m eternally inspired by the Greek islands; we got married on Andros a few years ago and are slowly making it our subconscious mission to go to all of them. Our house has subtle nods to Greek decor trends, from the pale blue windows at the back of the house to the plastered shelves.

4. Discovering new artists

I’ve really got into buying art in the last few years, especially from smaller emerging artists; my most recent purchase was a small Joe Gamble painting from online art gallery Wondering People.

5. Dog walks and coffee shop stops

I grew up on a farm, and while I love living in London, I need to be outside in nature as much as I can to keep balanced. I love to take my dog Finn (a rescue puppy) for a walk to The Elder Press Cafe in Hammersmith to get a bun – they are life-changing.

6. Cotton sheets

I struggle with sleep, but I try to make my bed as inviting as I can with the best bed sheets. I love the seersucker cotton sheets from Cologne & Cotton (I am a cotton girl; I can’t get onboard with linen) and I have an amazing blanket at the end of the bed by heritage brand John Atkinson, which is based in Yorkshire in the UK.

7. Floral deliveries

One of my favourite deliveries of the week is my floral subscription to Uncut Stems; it’s just so nice to have seasonally, locally grown flowers in the house, and it always cheers me up.

8. Wear-with-everything jewellery

I live in the same pieces of jewellery every day. I designed my Lucy Williams x Missoma two-tone hoops so that they would go with everything. I also just treated myself to my first piece of fine jewellery, by Spinelli Kilcollin and I love my Oura ring for my sleep data.

9. Shopping for antiques

I love seeking out junk shops and antique places wherever I am. Closer to home, The Old Cinema, London always throws up some gems, as well as my local Sunday antiques market.

10. A classic leather jacket

The one thing I’d be truly lost without is a leather jacket; my first-ever one was from Topshop Boutique and I wore it until it fell apart. I recently got a new Isabel Marant one in the sales. I can make anything feel like me if I can throw a leather jacket on it.

Shop some of Lucy Williams' favorite things

My Life in Ten is our series of interviews with tastemakers in the world of design and hosting that delve into their favorite things – from shopping and travel destinations to precious pieces from their homes and delicious foodie finds.