Today her focus is on RIISE (hi!), a multiplatform media and retail company that spans editorial, commercial, TV and ecommerce. Uniting all parts of the business is an unwavering commitment to engaging individuals in the climate conversation, showing them not only how powerful their participation is, but also how beautiful a life lived sustainably can be.   

Which brings us back to her house. Where, unsurprisingly, all that work has come in handy. “I think a lot about energy use and chose this house because it is so cool in summer on the ground floor. In winter last year it was a little cold and of course we were home more because of lockdown but it was manageable. We don’t have a clothes dryer and I organise myself to wash when it’s sunny. There’s a clothesline in the courtyard and my balcony is a sun trap.”  

Despite all those considerations, the finished result feels more like a (very stylish) memory box than a study in personal environmental responsibility.    

“The furniture reflects my approach to buy for the long term. Our dining table is a salvaged floor from an old British army barracks in Myanmar which was being torn down. The table legs are the beams of the house. The dining chairs are made from recycled railway sleepers. I am having the tabletop sanded down and revarnished but plan to keep an indentation created by my older son when he was a toddler and hungry and frustrated waiting for dinner one day. Seeing it places me immediately back in that time and helps me remember. In a sign of how long I intend to have the table, my kids have already agreed they will hold a cooking competition to determine who will inherit the prized piece. With the condition that the winner will generously invite the others to continue to share meals here.”  

The house is also punctuated with well-selected, deeply researched new pieces that reflect her commitment to supporting brands and makers who are finding ways to work and produce in responsible ways.   

“A recent purchase was a bed frame from Totem Road. I researched my options and settled on them because their philosophy fitted with mine. They use fully sustainable, FSC-certified European white oak. Not only is oak incredibly durable and long-lasting, each piece is unique in its grain and finish. Their wood is select logged to support regeneration, biodiversity and the protection of native fauna. They are also able to provide a fully documented chain of custody of the journey from the forest to the furniture in my home.”