Chloë McCarthy is an interior designer and the creative mind behind Room On Fire, one of our favourite inspiration sites around. She curates an impeccable range of interior spaces both on her tumblr, and her instagram, showcasing the kind of spaces you can only dream to live in: perfectly designed, perfectly executed. Thoughtful, measured and inspiring, we love her responses to our Proust Questionnaire. Read on for more our conversation with Chloë!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Bed.
What is your greatest fear?
Walking into a room full of people singing “Happy Birthday” to me.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Indecision.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Narcissism, discourtesy, dishonesty.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Good food and wine.
What is your current state of mind?
Searching.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Piety.
Which living person do you most admire?
Dieter Rams.
What is your favourite colour and flower?
Colour: Blue. Flower: Phalaenopsis orchid.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Like”
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Intelligence, ambition, honesty, taste and a sense of humour.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Same as above.
When and where were you happiest?
Now.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Invisibility.
What is your most treasured possession?
Memories.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Ilse Crawford, John Pawson, David Chipperfield, Jean Prouvé.
Where would you like to live?
New York or Paris.
What is your favourite song?
‘Playground Love’ by Air.
What do you value most in your friends?
Kindness, honesty and loyalty.
Who are your favourite writers?
Haruki Murakami and Jeffrey Eugenides.
Who are your favourite artists?
Donald Judd, Richard Serra, Richard Wilson, Mark Rothko, James Turrell, Dan Flavin.
Who is your favourite hero of fiction?
Haruki Murakami's antiheroes.
What is your motto?
Onwards and upwards.
Read more in our In Conversation series here.
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Chloe says "Darren [Mcdonald, Chloe's boyfriend] took this photo of me at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale curated by David Chipperfield, one of my favourite architects."
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Bed.
What is your greatest fear?
Walking into a room full of people singing “Happy Birthday” to me.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Indecision.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Narcissism, discourtesy, dishonesty.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Good food and wine.
What is your current state of mind?
Searching.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Piety.
Which living person do you most admire?
Dieter Rams.
What is your favourite colour and flower?
Colour: Blue. Flower: Phalaenopsis orchid.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Like”
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Intelligence, ambition, honesty, taste and a sense of humour.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Same as above.
When and where were you happiest?
Now.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Invisibility.
What is your most treasured possession?
Memories.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Ilse Crawford, John Pawson, David Chipperfield, Jean Prouvé.
Where would you like to live?
New York or Paris.
What is your favourite song?
‘Playground Love’ by Air.
What do you value most in your friends?
Kindness, honesty and loyalty.
Who are your favourite writers?
Haruki Murakami and Jeffrey Eugenides.
Who are your favourite artists?
Donald Judd, Richard Serra, Richard Wilson, Mark Rothko, James Turrell, Dan Flavin.
Who is your favourite hero of fiction?
Haruki Murakami's antiheroes.
What is your motto?
Onwards and upwards.
Read more in our In Conversation series here.
