OUR STORY
So, who exactly is Samantha Moller-Bowden?
Australian-Danish. Born in Australia. Raised around the world.
Long-term Londoner. Occasional French barge dweller.
Award-winning chef. Creative magpie. Maximalist. Collector of cookbooks, records and things I probably don't need.
Currently somewhere between London and rural Scotland.
And yes, there is a story behind all of that.
Art.
Interiors.
Food.
Music.
Fashion.
A good G&T.
Always,
S x
I LIKE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT
HAVE A STORY AND A SOUL.
My Dad, the master of G&T.
WHY SO MANY PLACES?
Q.
My childhood was spent moving around the world before returning to Australia to finish school.
Growing up like that probably explains some of my restlessness. I was always fascinated by different places, different people and the little details that make somewhere feel like itself.
And even back at school in Australia, there were glimpses of the world I was drawn to. I remember coming home one afternoon to find a group of old-school drag queens in the swimming pool, wearing ball gowns and tiaras and drinking champagne.
I thought it was brilliant.
Then came London.
I lived in Russell Square, South Kensington, Paddington and Fitzrovia -always close enough to Soho to feel its pull.
I loved the locals, the food, the music, the art and the fact that every neighbourhood seemed to have its own character.
Perhaps I've always been drawn to places where people aren't afraid to be themselves.
Q.
WERE YOU ALWAYS THIS WAY?
Probably.
I grew up with one foot in art and the other somewhere slightly less sensible.
My father was an artist whose work was topical, political and abstract.
He taught me to look at things differently, not to follow the rules and not to worry too much about what people thought.
He also taught me about good wine, great music and the correct way to make a G&T.
My mother taught me how to cook, how to entertain and that a good dinner party is about far more than what's on the plate.
Between the two of them, I didn't stand much of a chance of becoming conventional.
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One street can feel like a different world.
AND THEN THERE WAS FRANCE.
Q.
I love France. The food, the markets, the scenery, the light, the slightly slower pace of things.
We went there intending to buy a house. Instead we fell in love with a Dutch barge.
For a while, home meant picking up the anchor, travelling through locks, calling in at markets and wine shops, and changing the view whenever we felt like it.
It was wonderful.
But it was a chapter, not the whole book.
YOU WERE A CHEF?
Q.
Yes.
A few years ago I opened a tiny French-fusion bistro in Devon called The Salty Sparrow - Sparrow being my nickname.
It was cosy, relaxed and very much my kind of place.
And then I won Best Restaurant.
I had no formal culinary training, just years of cooking, entertaining, eating and being obsessed with food.
I'd always wanted to know whether I could actually do it.
Once I'd proved it to myself, I was happy to close the door and move on.
Bucket list: ticked.
"Good food brings people together. Always."
WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY LIKE?
Q.
Old things with stories.
Good linen. Great furniture. Forgotten fabrics. Vintage clothes. Beautiful books. Records. Art. Food. Fashion. Objects that make you stop and look twice.
I'm a maximalist. I like walls with things on them. I like a room that looks as though someone interesting actually lives there.
I don't believe in decorating everything beautifully and leaving it untouched.
And I have very strong feelings about coffee tables.
SO WHAT IS THE ROCK & ROLL COUNTRY HOUSE?
Q.
It's not a decorating style. It's more of a state of mind.
A little bit country. A little bit rock 'n' roll. A bit French. A bit London. A bit vintage. A bit glamorous. A bit scruffy around the edges.
It's a room with too many books and too much art. A table set properly even if you're eating alone. Records playing. Good food.
A ridiculous amount of ice in a G&T.
And absolutely no interest in beige.
WHAT'S THE POINT OF S/M-B?
Q.
To put all the things I love in one place.
Something might begin with a piece of fabric, a record, a photograph, a meal, a chair, a place I've been or something I've found.
Sometimes it becomes something for the home. Sometimes something to wear. Sometimes a recipe. Sometimes a playlist. Sometimes a collection.
Sometimes just a story.
That's the fun of it.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IF I BUY SOMETHING?
Q.
WHAT'S YOUR IDEA OF A GOOD EVENING?
Q.
You become part of the story.
I'm not particularly interested in shouting BUY THIS NOW at people.
I'd rather show you something I love and let you decide whether you love it too.
If you do that's brilliant.
I'll probably want to know what you're drinking while you unwrap it.
Good food.
A record playing.
A short glass of gin with ice and lime.
Squishy cushions, soft lighting.
A few people I love.
And absolutely no intention of going anywhere.
That's pretty much it.
