Listen To Our Home Truths Podcast... With Athena Calderone
In the eighth of our Home Truths podcast series, we chat to Athena Calderone...

We’re very excited to share episode eight of our brand new podcast, Home Truths, with designer Athena Calderone. Available wherever you download your podcasts, each week one of the biggest names in design reveals the secrets, stories and fascinating insights behind their most famous career moments.
Hosted by Livingetc’s Executive Editor Pip McCormac, for the eighth episode he is joined by Athena Calderone, for a revealing chat about her career path, offering insight as to how she got to where she is today (listen here).
Having struggled to find her creative groove in her 20s, it wasn’t until Athena Calderone started doing up her own home that her talents began to become clear. Designed so beautifully, she was able to use it a calling card to launch herself as an influencer in the truest sense of the word, someone whose sense of style, thoughts on curation and ability to push the design envelope truly influences how so many of us decorate today.
She has written two books, launched her own podcast and run her website, Eyeswoon, and this conversation talks about how she discovered her own voice, how she grew her reach and what a typical working day can look like when you don’t have a typical job. Not only is the conversation a way to peek behind the curtain at one of the most recognisable names in interiors right now, there are also entrepreneurial tips aplenty, and advice for how to make it in the industry.
See Also:Explore A Penthouse In Notting Hill With Elegant, Parisian-inspired Interiors
And if you missed episode one, then you’re in for a treat, as award winning designer Lee Broom chats about a career that spans nearly 15 years. He reveals how he went from designing chairs in his tiny flat in Oval with one other colleague, to heading up an international brand sold all over the world. He talks about the thinking behind his groundbreaking Parquetry collection, his eye-catching show-stopping displays at Salone del Mobile in Milan, and the steps he took to grow his business into what it is today.
Episode two, featuring Linda Boronkay from Soho House, includes a revealing chat about how she overcame her imposter syndrome to work her way up at London’s biggest studios.
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While Episode three includes Tom Dixon talking about going from being a rebel of the 1980s design scene to gradually working his way up to becoming the godfather figure he is today, with insight into the story behind his famous copper ball pendant.
In Episode 4, Matthew Williamson explains what happened when Kate Moss popped over to his bedsit to pick her outfit, how his relationship grew with Sienna Miller to be mutually beneficial creative partnership, what dinner at Karl Lagerfeld’s was like and why and how he made the move into interiors.
See Also:Inside Tommy Hilfiger's vibrant, Pop Art filled Miami mansion – decorated by Martyn Lawrence Bullard
And in Episode 5, Tricia Guild shares her insight into what it’s like heading up Designers Guild for 50 years, how she made the Kings Road cool back in 1970, and the struggles she faced as a woman in business.
Then in Episode 6, Sebastian Cox tells of how he has collaborated with brands such as deVOL and Burberry, how he realised he could do something pretty smart with some fungus he found in the woods, and how he can run a practice that is both ethical and profitable at the same time.
In Episode 7, Yinka Ilori explains what it was like to work part time in a high street store to supplement his income from design, how he almost gave up in 2015 and tried door to door sales for one day, and his experience of working in an industry which is predominantly white, mostly middle class, when he himself is neither.
Home Truths, sponsored by Heal’s, is an eight part podcast series, with a new episode ready to download each Monday. We have some huge stars lined up so stay tuned for more interiors inspiration and a glimpse into the thinking behind some of your favourite designs.
Episode Eight of Livingetc’s Brand new Podcast, Home Truths with Athena Calderone, is ready to download now, or listen here.

Lotte is the former Digital Editor for Livingetc, having worked on the launch of the website. She has a background in online journalism and writing for SEO, with previous editor roles at Good Living, Good Housekeeping, Country & Townhouse, and BBC Good Food among others, as well as her own successful interiors blog. When she's not busy writing or tracking analytics, she's doing up houses, two of which have features in interior design magazines. She's just finished doing up her house in Wimbledon, and is eyeing up Bath for her next project.
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