Things are going just swimmingly for Anna Campbell-Jones. The presenter and interior designer talks authenticity, inspiring people to live vibrantly, and a love of the deep blue

Interview: Cheryl Caira

Every home has a heartbeat, an imprint left by the humans who brought its walls to life. In the case of interiors visionary Anna Campbell-Jones, this includes the scratches scored into the chairs by a beloved cat and the clock that punctuates our conversation as time flies past.

I’m pleased to have been invited to Anna’s Glasgow abode for our interview. Being a curious cat myself – don’t we all want a peek behind the curtain? – I’m keen for the lowdown on everything my eyes land on. The ‘Home Sweet Home’ artwork made of gummy bears next to reams of fabrics; the slightly austere family portraits, and the Day of the Dead-esque nesting dolls perched on a bookshelf. 

Storytelling is a topic we keep coming back to. After all, it underpins what Scotland’s Home of the Year is all about – the BBC TV programme Anna has presented since its inception in 2019. Spanning every iteration of bricks and mortar possible across the country, previous winners have included a renovated Edinburgh train house, a property with views over Kirkcudbright Bay and an early 20th-century croft house on the Isle of Lewis. The tales of the owners’ careful restorations and the memories and personality expressed through their interiors is as affecting as it is fascinating.

The presenters/judges aren’t party to a property’s back story (“There’s no smoke and mirrors. What you see is what you get,” says Anna) and each home is scored on its “architectural merit, distinctive design and personal style”. When Anna and I chat on the eve of the season six winner announcement, she’s feeling nervous amidst the buzz surrounding the final. 

“It’s the biggest day of the year for the show, so it’s exciting, but really nerve-wracking. We’re all scoring blind in the shows leading up to the final, but we’re jointly accountable for the house we choose as the winner [It ended up being an eclectic 1960s bungalow in East Dunbartonshire]. Obviously you get an edited version on the show, but we spend hours talking about it. The conversation can get quite emotional, because we care a lot – it’s like choosing a favourite child or something.”

Classed as a reality TV series, Scotland’s Home of the Year is one of the most watched BBC Scotland shows on both TV and iPlayer, with ratings that have increased exponentially by season. Home exploring alongside interior designer Banjo Beale and architect Danny Campbell, it’s a feelgood watch, with the question at the heart of it all: what makes a house a home?

“Occasionally you’ll get somebody saying: ‘I think the judges should be more nasty’ or that there needs to be a Simon Cowell. I’m like: why? I think part of the show’s success is that people find it comforting to watch. They know everything’s going to be alright, and there’s no jeopardy – as opposed to watching Love Island or something like that.”

Anna was initially sceptical about being involved in the programme. Presenting had never been in her gameplan, despite being approached about doing TV a number of times over the years. 

“I’d always said no, because of that TV interior designer trope – that sort of posh-sounding person who swans into people’s homes and tells them everything they’ve done wrong and how to change it. I’m not interested in that. I said to the producer: if we’re going to do anything, I would want it to be about what homes mean to people, and understanding their own identity through the space they inhabit.”

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