- Mar 18
- 5 min read
Tete a Tat With Ruth Sleightholme, March 2026
My initial meeting with Ruth Sleightholme was on my first day at House & Garden. She let me into the office on the fourth floor and showed me to my new desk in the corner of the Decoration Department. I was to be the Decoration Assistant, where I would help the stylists on their shoots. From early on I got the measure of Sleightholme; she was sharp, beloved and hugely talented, a mix that rarely goes together. We came from such different sides of the coin, mine rather embarrassingly tangled with many in the industry, my mother having worked in it for 20 years. Ruth's, with no hint of blush, came with pure grit and determination. After studying English Literature at Newcastle she made her way to Condé Nast, starting in one of the most formidable departments: Classified. It is not for the faint of heart; you have to be willing to work incredibly hard and be good at sales without being too salesy, and Ruth, being the determined bean she is, not only managed it but excelled.
Although Classified is an entry point to Condé Nast, it is not an easy jumping off point. Jobs in this so called 'failing industry' have been in high demand for the last twenty years and there is little surprise in that, there is a lot of magic in those pages. Ruth saw a position open up at House & Garden and went for it. Gabby Deeming was Head of Decoration and very much took a liking to this CV from Classified; she asked to meet with Ruth and they hit it off. Deeming has long said she has excellent taste in employees and I cannot help but agree, having also been hired by her. Ruth's former boss was utterly devastated to see her go. She had been their best seller and, as everyone who knows Ruth will attest, a true star to have in the office. Ruth, however, was champing at the bit and could not wait to get her teeth into this new world of design. She slowly moved through the Decoration Department and by the time I joined their ranks she was second to Gabby. I watched Ruth on countless shoots not only come up with concepts that were far beyond my imagination and try things way out of the realms of bravery, managing all of it with the organisation of a military officer and the kindness of Miss Honey. There was not a removal man, photographer or assistant who was not taken by this rare human.
Her time at House & Garden marked a very happy period in my life. Ruth and Gabby were the centre of my existence while I worked there and they created a family inside an already warm and heartfelt place. Both mentored me along the way, teaching me to sometimes hold my opinions back until I had properly understood the concepts behind certain designs and perhaps things that were not immediately to my taste. It was a place for understanding rather than off the cuff judgement. Ruth also has an encyclopaedic knowledge that spans far and wide; after a few drinks she can recite every king and queen in English history or, more to my liking, has an archive of rap lyrics she will happily recite at the drop of a hat. One of my favourite things is watching Ruth calmly but astutely correct someone. Once an intern declared they hated the Scandinavian look and Ruth said, in the kindest and most eloquent way, that it was a rather misguided position, before reciting the history of its designers and the extraordinary diffusion of ideas it had created. I loved it. It always reminded me of that famous scene in Annie Hall where Woody Allen grows increasingly frustrated with a pompous man in a cinema queue loudly misquoting media theorist Marshall McLuhan, so he simply produces McLuhan himself from behind a partition to correct him. Ruth has always been my McLuhan; the person I look to for correction, discussion and inspiration.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows her that she has recently ascended to the heady heights of Style Director at World of Interiors, a role that is one of the most highly regarded in the industry. You can already see her work on the cover of their April issue and I know there is so much fantasy, imagination and ingenuity still to come. I love those who are kind enough to take part in Tête à Tat, but it is even better when it is a woman I have so greatly admired for the last ten years.
TA RUTH!
Favourite restaurant? Is it ridiculous to say The Wolsey? I love the sense that it gives of being a 'posh treat', but still with a bustling canteen energy. It combines a wide open interior with a sense of intimacy which is great, like a railway platform scene in a period piece. Silver pepper pots, newspapers, etc, all add to its sense of 'dress up'.
Do you believe in ghosts? No, I don't think I do. But I am a huge fan of all things ghostly. I love ghost stories and read/ listen to them fairly consistently from October to March.
Are you a fan of surprises? Yes! In fact, I am an active participant! I'm very willing to turn a blind eye to clues and signs of preparatory action, all the more to enjoy the treat!
Favourite poem? I love the first few lines of TS Eliot's The Wasteland, and how it sits with the first few lines of The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales. I like thinking about both descriptions of April, which is such an important month. All the mixing, churning and stirring of Eliot's first lines, and then same sense of action in The Canterbury Tales.
Any good advice? Who gave it to you? My Dad used to say 'better light a candle than complain about the dark', which always stayed with me. He also used to say lots of maddening things about parson's daughters and hen's teeth though, so we will leave it at that!
Pet Peeve? (e.g. mine is people not saying thank you if you hold the door open etc)
It has to be someone not listening (like, continuing to chat) whilst someone is trying to give a talk or speech. I feel so sensitive to the speaker's nerves and become very protective if people are being rude: overcompensating with wide-eyed attention!
If money was no object, what painting would you like to own? I reckon if I could have all ten of 'The Ten Largest' by Hilma Af Klint, that would be a pretty impactful choice, which I could ponder on for life. I feel sad that I didn't choose an atmospheric canvas though, so maybe Job Mocked by his Wife by Georges La Tour would fit that bill nicely.
Top destination in the UK? I adore the Northumbrian Coastline: amazing castles, villages and beaches. But don't tell anyone! Its relative quietness is glorious.
What song will always make you tap your foot?
It could be I Want You (She's so Heavy) or Happiness is a Warm Gun by The Beatles... but I could give you a different answer on any given day!
What language would you most like to be able to speak?
Irish or French (properly!)
If you could live in any era of history, which one would you choose and what would you do?
If I am going purely for a combination of curiosity and vanity, I might like to attend The Great Exhibition in 1851, and get dizzy with all the sense of haste and excitement. I would also love access to a great wardrobe for the day. I think I would suit Edwardian styles more than Victorian (I have sharp shoulders, and the 1850s ringlet is quite a tough ask). So maybe I can create shockwaves by strutting around as the very first Gibson Girl.
What a joyous read !