I decided when I moved back to the UK [from New York City] I’d like to live near the water. Where we live in the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire is an area of outstanding natural beauty, close to the River Thames. We [husband Vernon Kay and daughters Phoebe and Amber] do so many walks by the river with the dogs. It just feels like an escape. It lifts the spirits seeing the light on the water.
What is your house like?
It’s a very pretty 1930s house. Wherever we could we opened it up. I’ve knocked down walls and put glass partitions between rooms in their place to add light, and I’ve put in more windows and skylights. We’re a little bit deprived of light in this country.
Where did you grow up?
In the countryside in the Peak District. We grew up jumping off trees and having river adventures — it was a real free-range Enid Blyton childhood. When I was 19, I was living in New York and it was riotous fun. Luckily we had no social media then, so there was no one to document us when we danced on tables. My kids sometimes lament that.
What do you remember of your nomadic years?
I cut my teeth in the fashion business, so that’s why it’s a huge honour to be asked to collaborate with Biba. I walked in many shows, including Vivienne Westwood — in those famous platforms that Naomi Campbell fell over in — and I lived in some of the great cities of the world. I’ve lived in Madrid, Barcelona, Tokyo, New York. In LA I was lucky enough to live right on the beach in Santa Monica. In Paris I lived in a sixth-floor rooftop apartment in Montmartre. The colours of the sunset from my tiny balcony overlooking the rooftops of Paris would take my breath away.
Where is the worst place you have ever lived?
I lived in a pension in Barcelona when I’d just started modelling. I was sharing with another model from my agency. We were so poor we would share a Twix on a Friday night. There were ladies of the night downstairs in the doorway conducting their business. There was a guy who would run down the corridor shouting and banging on doors at all hours of the night. It didn’t feel safe. I realised very early on that if you want your own Twix you’ll have to pay for it. If you haven’t got much, you work hard to get what you want. I’m grateful that I had that fire in my belly.
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Tell me about something unusual in your daily routine
I sometimes tape up my mouth up at night so I only breathe through my nose. It’s better for your immune system and for your skin. We get dehydrated when we breathe through our mouths and then we’re baggy-eyed in the morning.
Do you like a kitchen disco?
It’s always been the best place for an impromptu post-dinner party. My husband usually has a Nineties playlist going. You have to have a circular dance around the kitchen island. I’ve realised it’s limiting actually. We designed it when we moved in and I’m way overdue an upgrade so a new kitchen is my next project. The size of the island [needs to change] so there is enough space to move around it sociably for a kitchen disco.
Which is your favourite room at home?
The living room is where I read, where we chill as a family and play UNO on Sunday after lunch. I’ve just treated myself to an 8ft cactus. I’m channelling a west coast, Palm Springs vibe when it comes to colour.
What are the items you could not live without?
I’m obsessed with trays. I can’t live without them. That’s why I’ve got two in my House of Fraser range. A glass tray adds a pop of glamour and brings a coffee table, bedside table or a bathroom shelf to life. I still have a leopard spot ceramic tray I bought in a flea market in New York in 1999.
Do you have any property regrets?
One of my few regrets is that I bought my first property when I was 30 years old. It would have made much more financial sense if I’d bought a property earlier on. I was travelling all over the world. I didn’t have a permanent UK address from my late teens until my late twenties. I spent money on rent that I could have put towards a mortgage. Now I see that as a frivolous expense. I kick myself that I wasn’t paying towards my own mortgage five years earlier.
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Tess Daly x Biba for House of Fraser collection is now available at houseoffraser.co.uk
