Today’s guest is Heide Hendricks - one half of the architecture and design studio Hendricks Churchill. I joined Heide in her beautiful renovated farmhouse which is the subject of a book published by Rizzoli in 2023 called ‘Our Way Home - Reimagining an American Farmhouse’. We talked about what goes into the Hendricks Churchill aesthetic, Rafe’s habit of turning sketches and renderings into works of art, before moving on to her own dream studio. If you want to learn more about the work of Hendricks Churchill, you can find them on Instagram @hendrickschurchill, or on their website at www.hendrickschurchill.com
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AROYO 36 // Lucy Steeds
Today’s guest is author Lucy Steeds. Lucy won the 2025 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize for her novel ’The Artist’. It’s a subtle and really atmospheric book that takes readers into the household of a great reclusive master - Tartuffe. The story unfolds through the eyes of Joseph - a young English journalist who has the unique opportunity to write about Tartuffe so long as he sits for him as a model, and through Ettie - Tartuffe’s shy, elusive niece - whose own character and brilliance slowly begin to reveal the true heart of the story. As well as a brilliant character portrait, it goes to the heart of the ‘great master’ myth, erasure, and the ways that creative genius finds a way to show itself under tyrranical suppression.Lucy and I jump straight into discussing the novel, and move on in the second half to discussing her own dream library hideaway. I hope you enjoy it.
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AROYO 35 // Abigail Horace (Casa Marcelo)
In this episode, I was joined by Abigail Horace, who runs her own Design Studio - Casa Marcelo. I joined her in her studio in lovely Salisbury, Connecticut, to talk about her early childhood influences - walking round New York City's great buildings with her father, and her young dream of becoming a librarian. If you want to find out more about Abigail’s work in design, you can follow her on Instagram @casamarcelo.co or look on her website: www.casamarcelo.co
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AROYO 34 // Stephen Ellcock
This week I’m joined by author Stephen Ellcock to talk about his creative process, and the books and works of art that have inspired his work. Stephen has a remarkable gift for finding patterns among images. Anyone who has read his books or who has visited his Instagram page knows that it’s his attention to the subtle details of artistic works that make his observations a joy to follow.I discovered through our chat that what drives Stephen is a relentless and almost obsessive curiosity to find the patterns beneath what we see at first. For his readers, following these patterns offers a glimpse behind his eyes and offers the opportunity to follow the burrows that he relentlessly digs.I had the pleasure of recording this episode in Haven Talks Studios in Bermondsey, whose lovely owner Rachel was so so helpful, and on hand for all of our set-up. You can find them at: https://www.haventalks.co.uk/
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AROYO 33 // James Mackie
This week I’m joined by interior designer James Mackie to talk about his journey from the world of fine art and Sotheby’s to taking on a new challenge heading his own design firm. I was lucky enough to join James in his beautiful purpose-built library in Oxfordshire, where he has created his own private reading space filled with the designers, artists and houses that he loves. After talking a bit about his early years in the art world, we jump into a really interesting discussion on the country houses that continue to inspire him, and what we mean when we talk about ‘English’ style.If you’re interested in finding out more about James’ work as a designer, you can find him on Instagram @jjamesmackie, or on his website at www.jjamesmackie.com.
I’m Max Moorhouse, and I curate people’s personal libraries for a living. Fairly recently I came to a realisation - that the stories people were telling about how they imagined their dream space and what books they would surround themselves with - said something fairly profound about who they imagined themselves to be. They were weaving their memories with their aspirations and telling me a story about who they thought they were.
In A Room of Your Own, I’ll be inviting guests to explore the books and the spaces that they’ve loved. I’ll help them to construct their own dream library, and act as architect, designer and curator, inviting you to listen in on our rambling consultation on books, life and memories.
Österreich