Home Comforts: more is more with Ned and Sarah Corbett-Winder

Life at home with Ned and Sarah Corbett-Winder is, frankly, a hoot. Known for both their flair (he founded the perennially popular present company Not Another Bill; she’s a fashion stylist and consultant) and their sense of fun, the couple live a semi-detached house in north-west London that, Ned tells us, Sarah is desperate to paint brown. Inside, its playful palette is defined by earthy pinks, gorgeous greens and a serious amount of stripes – which together make an elegant backdrop for Sarah’s much-vaunted OOTD videos on Instagram that show her doing everything from taking the bins out in a sparkly frock to laying the table for dinner… In the bath. Sarah’s enviable wardrobe, Ned says, is the seventh member of the household, along with their three children (Lyon, five, Nancy, three, and Celeste, one) and Margaret, the dappled sausage dog.

The house is also a canvas for the couple’s huge collection of mementos and treasured artworks – not least those by their kids (“I’m a real believer that anything en masse is fab,” says Sarah). And while Margaret hasn’t yet submitted a pawtrait to the gallery wall, “she does have a lot to say for herself!” – normally holding court from the kitchen’s yellow armchair. She’s clearly got good taste.

My most recent home improvement…
Ned: Building a bed for our eldest, Lyon, who wanted one that was “off the ground”. We are (Sarah is!) rather particular and we couldn’t find one that was right, so we got building. We bought lots of wood from the hardware store – et voilà! Sarah then painted it using Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in dark olive. Everyone watched/joined in/cheered on the event. It was a lovely thing to do for our son.

Sarah: Jazzing up our spare room, the walls of which used to be painted a very flat blue. We are a stripe-obsessed family, but were yet to have hand-painted ones anywhere; I saw this as the perfect moment. The artist Lucy Mahon did them using Edward Bulmer paint, which really is sensational – the pigments are like no others. We kept the room’s blue theme and just added a few more stripes.

The latest addition to my wardrobe…
Ned: I have an obsession with Camper shoes, so of course it’s the latest pair: some very chic mustard and olive trainers.

Sarah: An incredible pre-loved Etro coat, bought from Reluxe – think fringing, stripes and orange. The dream. It’s a forever coat that I know our daughters will fight over.

The most useful item in my kitchen…
Ned: The marble bar. It was meant to be our kitchen sink, but after getting the measurements wrong twice we installed it as our bar. We call it a happy accident. It’s a great talking piece and, because it’s not fixed, we can take it with us if we ever move. As Sarah says, everything happens for a reason.

Sarah: The mustard corduroy armchair from Arlo & Jacob, which means you always have company when you’re cooking. It’s one of Margaret’s favourite spots. I have to say her colouring works rather well on it.

What’s always in my fridge…
Ned: A selection of hot sauces.

Sarah: Freshly cut watermelon in a large ceramic watermelon-shaped bowl.

The prize bottle in my drinks cabinet…

Ned: A really good cold white burgundy.

Sarah: Clas Azul tequila and delicious champagne. Sorry, I’m having two!

Hanging on my walls…
Ned: We put anything and everything on there.

Sarah: Plates, plates and more plates! I also particularly love framing our kids’ artwork; it looks great and inspires them to create.

We love hanging things in groups. We’ve filled our sitting room with only botanical prints, while our downstairs loo is filled with just mirrors. The wall in our kitchen is our forever-changing gallery. We even have one of our son’s loafers up there! I framed the Starbucks cup that Ned proposed to me with and the napkin from our first date. Anything can be art, right?!

The knick-knacks on my mantelpiece…
Ned: Stones from beaches we’ve visited and offcuts of concrete.

Sarah: Ceramic dogs – and lots of them! Porcelain fruit, vases, candlesticks and many mementos from our travels. I love nothing more than rearranging our shelves.

The books on my shelf right now…
Ned: Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart.

Sarah: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, Darling by India Knight, and If in Doubt, Wash Your Hair by Anya Hindmarch, which I am constantly returning to.

The music on my stereo…
Ned: A mix of old classics and modern grooves.

Sarah: Don’t laugh, but I know nothing about music. I’d be lying if I answered this question. All I know is that I know what I like when I hear it!

Growing in my garden…
Ned: We are attempting to grow vegetables, but sadly the slugs are winning.

Sarah: Plants and I don’t get on, so we’ve got olive trees, which don’t need a huge amount of attention. They’re en masse, of course – our flowerbeds are filled with them and we put them in terracotta pots too; we have a huge pair at the front of our garden. You should have seen our builders’ faces when I asked for them to carry them through the house.

Hidden away in my cupboards…
Ned: Sarah is an obsessive tidier. She keeps nothing hidden! She clears and cleans it all immediately. You can only imagine what that’s like when I’m cooking…

Sarah: Ned’s cupboards, however, are filled with unread post and other things that should have been thrown away ages ago!

On my to-do list…
Ned: Sail the Atlantic and conquer the gifting world with Not Another Bill.

Sarah: Launch my women’s suit company, learn about music and relax more. I find it impossible to sit down.

Further reading

Not Another Bill

Sarah Corbett-Winder on Instagram