Patricia Rodi

The interior designer on evocative family heirlooms, ill-judged impulse buying, and the chairs she covets

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What first sparked your interest in antiques?

With family spread across Sweden, France, the Czech Republic, Italy, and now the UK, my childhood was spent moving between places, each with its own distinct sense of home. Interiors weren't just backdrops, they were storytellers. I grew up surrounded by French antiques and Italian tiles, gathering in my aunt’s apartment where timeworn furniture sat against boldly layered wallpaper. I remember the creak of old wooden chairs, the patina of tables worn smooth by generations of use - the kind of pieces that invite you to sit, to spill, to live. I watched the women in my family curate their homes, layering past and present in a way that felt entirely natural. It wasn’t just about decoration - it was about atmosphere, about memory, about things that had stood the test of time.