The Tastemaker: Rita Konig | Christie's

London-based interior designer and author Rita Konig is best known in the world of interiors for her relaxed style. The best kind of rooms, she says, ‘are those that make you want to come in, sit down and stay a while’. Over the past 17 years, Konig has completed high-profile commercial and residential projects both in London and in the US. The daughter of interiors doyenne Nina Campbell, whose clients span royalty and A-list celebrities, Rita was immersed in the world of interiors from a young age. ‘I used to work in [my mother’s] shop when I was quite little, which I loved,’ she reveals. Days spent wandering around trade fairs, as well as early shopping trips with Campbell in search of china, tassels and fringes, further fuelled her interest in design. ‘I suppose that was all quite formative,’ she muses. ‘And magical. Even a sock shop in Florence was very exciting.’ While Campbell’s style is characterised by a quintessential English elegance, Konig’s is defined by a quieter charm which sees her deftly layering pattern, texture and colour to create, soft, intimate spaces. ‘For me, it’s all about being comfortable and really enjoying the place you live in,’ says Konig during our film shoot at Burghley House. ‘Ultimately, you’re trying to make the spaces really comfortable, because unless they’re comfortable you won’t go in them.’