Anyone can match a color or pattern, bit it's in mismatching where the real talent lies. That's where British designer Nina Campbell comes into the picture-or room. Campbell came of age during the deprivations of post-war England (her mother famously lined the floors of the family's house with green felt because carpets were not available), which begins to explain why she has been tirelessly restoring beauty and comfort to domestic life ever since, not just in her celebrated interiors, but in everything from desk accessories and glassware to blankets, trays, linens, gift wrap, wallpaper, and furniture. "Voluptuous minimalism" is the way she summed up her approach to all of it to Veranda magazine.

Still, it's her visual wit that you may remember her most for: the signature heart-shaped glasses, perhaps, or the faux lizard aubergine lining of a dressing table. Then there is the wallpaper patterning she has applied to gas ranges. Why shouldn't a stove be etched as black damask or with a silver and white wisteria pattern? No reason at all, which is why she has spent the last 35 years successfully offering the eclectic chic of the English country house to clients as diverse as the Queen of Denmark and Rod Stewart. -Akiko Busch

Nina Campbell's website:
www.ninacampbell.com