TV’s favourite choirmaster lives in north London with his teacher wife Becky and their three children
What is the first thing you do when you arrive home?
We’ve got a Victorian townhouse and, if it’s dark and someone’s left the light on indoors, I stop and admire the way the light falls on the front step. It has black and white tiles and looks really nice.
What’s your favourite time of the day at home?
About 9.10am, when I’ve cycled back from the school run and chained the bike up. I walk through the door, have a cup of coffee and play the piano for 10 minutes, which normally turns into an hour, before I start whatever admin I have to do.
What's your homeware addiction?
I have a lot of hand towels. I’ve got a thing about replacing the hand towel each time I use it. I have one for every day of the week.
What's your favourite shop to buy homeware from?
We really like Anthropologie and, because we’re extremely middle-class, we have Le Creuset pots. We were given some for our wedding, and they’re almost 20 years old now. My last big homeware revolution was a proper skillet pan. Everything cooks better and tastes better.
What is your home pet peeve?
The lack of a boot room. It really cranks me that I come home and there are 4,000 pairs of shoes in the hallway. It’s like a very bad shoe shop.
What smell says home to you?
Lavender candles by Daylesford. My studio smells of Jo Malone, the one with tonka beans in [Myrrh & Tonka]. Our front room is dark blue with wooden furniture and a Victorian overmantle. It’s super cosy, very dim. I like a candle, a glass of whisky and watching some American series where people get murdered.
Where’s your happy place at home?
In the back of our kitchen, I have a chair that belonged to my great grandmother who was born in the 19th century. She was a really little woman so it’s really low to the ground. We’ve got big doors and a very high ceiling in our kitchen and the chair is by a little sofa where the sun comes in. It’s where I sit to drink my coffee.
Do you have a bad home habit that you'd like to quit?
There’s a very clear system with our dishwasher and I’m on a journey of improvement. I’m being carefully educated by my wife and daughter on how exactly to stack the dishwasher. On a grade of one to nine, I’m working towards a six.
What chore do you adore?
I’m an ironing obsessive. To the point where my whole family laughs at me. I’ve put Apple speakers in the laundry room. I’ll put on a podcast or some Bach and I’ll be in there for two hours, quite happy. I get completely lost.
...and what chore do you hate?
Gardening. I don’t like the fact that it’s never done. Digging up blackberry [bush] roots is back-breaking because they go really deep and go right under the lawn.
In the hot seat
Shoes on or off? Off, especially upstairs.
Eat at table or laps? Table; I hate crumbs.
Lighting – bright or moody? Little pools of theatrical light.
Quick shower or long bath? Shower.
Colourful or neutral? Colourful.
Neat or creative chaos? When I start a project, I clear the decks; at the end I think, ‘What’s happened here?’.
Music, radio, tv or quiet? There’s a lot of noise in my life, so I like silence.
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