Lifestyle: Desert island decor

We asked three lifestyle gurus to list the home comforts they couldn’t live without. Cue some very stylish beach shacks!

‘My brass palm tree lamp from rockettstgeorge.co.uk would need to come to the island. It has become emblematic of my house and I wouldn’t feel at home without it. I could also use it to find my way back to shore if I became lost, as it would stand out like a beacon!’

‘I’d take my palm tree lamp’

Kate Watson-Smyth, founder of award-winning blog Mad About The House and co-presenter of The Great Indoors podcast

Kate Watson-Smyth, founder of award-winning blog Mad About The House and co-presenter of The Great Indoors podcast, lives in a converted three-bedroom terraced house in North London with her husband and two sons. Her home is a combination of earthy spaces in rich chocolate, raspberry and soft pink, and there’s always ‘something new, something old, something dark, something gold’. It’s the decorating mantra Kate lives by. madaboutthehouse.com

Left: I inherited this shell box from my grandmother’s house, where I lived for a while after my parents’ divorce. She would always find new treasures to put inside, from scarab beetles to seahorse skeletons and shells. I would use it to collect mementos to take back home’. Middle: ‘I have a huge model hand collection. The one of my son’s hand [front right] was made from the same material as my radiotherapy mask by the doctors when I was having treatment [for cancer of the saliva gland]. It’s sprayed gold and very precious to me’. Right: These chairs, bought on Ebay, would take up a lot of space in my luggage, but are my favourite to read in. Made by Czech designer Jindrich Halabala, they date from the 30s. Last year we reupholstered them in Orla Kiely’s Spot Flower fabric (orlakiely.com)

‘I’d want my plant friends’

TV presenter and wellness consultant Jasmine Hemsley lives in a four-bedroom Californian-style house in South London with her boyfriend, a photographer, and their three rescue dogs. Their home is a mix of upcycled car boot treasures with 1970s bohemian flair. Most items have been salvaged from skips, charity shops and fairs before being restored to their former glory or reinvented. ‘I hate to see things thrown away or wasted,’ says Jasmine. jasminehemsley.com

Left: ‘This J H Lynch portrait from the 60s was picked up off a wet London street on my way to the shops. Propped on a branch in an outdoor shower, it would remind me of our blue-tiled bathroom back home’. Middle: ‘I seem to collect vases (with or without flowers), bowls and pots from car boot sales and vintage shops. I would take a few of these with me to the island as they would add colour and pizzazz with minimal effort. The orange vase – a charity-shop find – is a favourite of mine as the colour is so uplifting’. Right: ‘My London home is part-house, part-jungle, and if I was going to a tropical island, I’d still love these plant friends there with me. They would also inspire me to grow my own fruit and veg. Many of them are rescues from bins, events and friends.’ For a similar selection of house plants, try patchplants.com

Photographs: Nick Hopper. Jasmine Hemsley has partnered with new plant-based brand ZENB helping to raise awareness of food waste, zenb.co.uk

‘I’d pack a few little luxuries’

Frontline A&E consultant and founder of award-winning interiors and lifestyle blog Little Big Bell, Dr Geraldine Tan

Frontline A&E consultant and founder of award-winning interiors and lifestyle blog Little Big Bell, Dr Geraldine Tan lives in a three-bedroom Victorian terraced house in North London with her husband and two children.

Geraldine styles, designs and photographs her blog and Instagram feed. ‘When I’m not at the hospital the blog gives me a creative outlet that helps ease stressful situations. I look forward to putting ideas together and do so with my family,’ she says. Think bright, colourful rooms and spaces that make people happy and radiate positivity. littlebigbell.com

‘I always write my blog posts and edit photos at my pink desk by helloretrodesign.com. Light and easy to move around, it would also double up brilliantly as a dining table on the island’