The Beat That My Heart Skipped – A blog dedicated to daily design inspirations. By Rohini Wahi.

My name is Anne Hubert I am the founder and designer of  La Cerise Sur Le Gateau, which has existed Since 2005, I create quirky and poetic collections of bed linen and accessories for the home. My collections are appreciated for their use of playful, nostalgic imagery and fluorescent colours.

I collect… I collect things that attract my attention. Certain objects… like at flea markets I always buy souvenir spoons. When I travel I always buy a tube of toothpaste from the country I’m in! I have a whole shelf full of little figurines, little bambis and things like that. And black and white photos from photo cabins.

I cant live without… moving around and being curious…

My guilty pleasure is… to take off at a minute’s notice and treat myself to something special.

Our house is filled with… a curious mix of things from flea markets, things we’ve made ourselves, some designer pieces, books and souvenirs from travelling.

I treasure my… souvenirs from my travels.

Right now I can’t stop thinking about… my new online store, which has just opened. I’m so excited about it!

Currently I am reading… Zakuro by Aki Shimazaki.

My favourite item of clothing is… I spoilt myself and bought my first Dries Van Noten shirt during the sales. I love it. And the denim skirt I bought in Brazil 5 years.

At the top of my furniture wish list is… We want to make a massive cube in wood, open at the sides, that we will put on wheels – that is 2 metres squared. In which we will put a mattress and lots cushions, as a chill out area in our living room – to read and relax [we live in a refurbished industrial space].

The last thing that really inspired me was… I have lots of different sources of inspiration, for example, the inspiration of the Moustache cushion in my new collection came to me while rummaging in a flea market and finding a game for kids….

My comfort food is… vegetable soups with big bits of fresh veg! My mum used to cook it for me when I was ill, it comforts me still…

On my desk are/is… A big mess! Every night I tidy up and the next day it’s a mess again.

This weekend I will… go walking in the mountains with snow-shoes near my home in Alsace [East of France]

Tonight I must… write in my beautiful new diary.

I love what I do because… it’s so diverse. Managing La Cerise sur le Gâteau involves doing many different jobs, with different skills. It’s great fun. I also put a lot of myself into my creations, so my work is always very close to me.

My name is Sofia Antonovich, and with my partner [in life and work!], Pierre-Yves, we have our own company ‘Les Invasions Ephémères‘. In 2005 we launched our brand, creating, at first, wall stickers, now we also create accessories for the home, and fashion accessories. I am the creative director of the brand. We just launched a new line of fashion accessories available on our online shop or with retailers – and shortly at our new showroom & boutique in Paris, which opens soon!

I collect… Small objects, vintage photographs and illustrations, decoration books.

I cant live without… Pierre-Yves, my family, my best friends, my cat… And my computer & my phone!

My guilty pleasure is… Weeds ! [I saw all the series and I can’t wait for the new episodes] and my favourite pleasure is: to do nothing [ne rien faire] – this is something I never do and I think that I have to begin to do it more!

Our house is filled with… My cat’s hair, decoration magazines, antic and Scandinavian things everywhere.

I treasure my… new garden and can’t stop thinking about spring to enjoy it!

Right now I can’t stop thinking about… The deadlines of the work, our next collections and the decoration of our new boutique.

Currently I am reading… Design magazines , no time to read books this month!

My favourite item of clothing is… my old blue jeans

At the top of my furniture wish list is… The Charles Eames blue rocking chair for my living room

The last thing that really inspired me was… The new Bartabas show called ‘Darshan’ in Zingaro [Paris]. So poetic! And discovering Buenos Aires with my friend Leslie last year.

My comfort food is… A big coffee with milk with a fresh baguette + ‘Kalles Kaviar’ on it [pâte de poisson suédois!]

On my desk are… My Mac laptop, my camera, invoices, my agenda, decoration magazines, my perfume, jewels and vintage objects

This weekend I will… party with my friends in Paris, go to the gym, chose furniture for the garden.

Tonight I must… sleep, I’m too tired!

I love what I do because… I love to work, to communicate and to create on my own.

My name’s Kate Mooney and I’m the founder of interior design practice Occa Home, the online home-wares boutique.

Interiors run in my family and my career began working on domestic architecture and interiors in the late eighties in my family’s business. After six years on this I moved into the hospitality sector with Occa Design working on new build and refurbishment projects as well as procurement of hotel furniture, fittings and equipment. Over the years, myself and my designers were regularly been asked by colleagues, friends and family to give them tips on how to design their own homes or advice on where to buy the products seen in hotels – that’s how Occa Home was born…

I collect… shoes that I only seem to wear once.

I can’t live without… my husband and my children [not forgetting my iphone!]

My guilty pleasure is… a cold glass of Sauvignon filled with ice.

Our house is filled with… rugby kit and hockey stuff – oh and family pictures, scented candles and lots of bits and pieces collected from our travels over the years.

I treasure my… Dad.

Right now I can’t stop thinking about… summer and sunshine .

Currently I am reading… design magazines and business news – I only seem to be able to indulge in books on holiday.

My favourite item of clothing is… my sister’s cashmere scarf, ‘borrowed’ a while ago.

At the top of my furniture wish list is… a Charles Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman.

The last thing that really inspired me was… the latest Maison & Object trade show in Paris – bursting with great ideas for the web site.

My comfort food is… my daughter Erin’s cup cakes.

On my desk are… drawings, samples, sketches, brochures, coffee cups and far too much paperwork.

This weekend I will… watch my boys play rugby and Erin play hockey, work a little; then cook a lovely roast lunch on Sunday for a friends and family get together.

Tonight I must… get some sleep.

I love what I do because… there is never a dull moment!

Hi! I decided it was about time for me to take this questionnaire myself… My name’s Rohini Wahi, I’m a freelance stylist and writer and live in East London. As well as writing this blog, ‘The Beat That My Heart Skipped’, I write and style house features, analyse trends for trend prediction companies and style imagery for homewares brands and magazines.

I love living in London and seeing traces of history everywhere I look, its magical spirit is the inspiration for my work, and influences everything I do.

I collect… quirky illustrations, ceramics and books.

I cant live without… coffee.

My guilty pleasure is… eccentric period dramas and magic stories.

Our house is filled with… laptops…the sounds of the internet and general industriousness. My boyfriend and I both work from home from our respective offices, because we both run our own businesses  [he runs an awesome game development company Big Pixel Studios] – we are often on our laptops from the time we wake up, to the time we go to bed. It works for us!

I treasure… memories of lazy family holidays at my grandparents comfort filled home in Calcutta.

Right now I can’t stop thinking about… some really exciting shoots I am working on and my holiday to India in March.

Currently I am reading… I read about three books at time depending on what mood I’m in [it's pretty exhausting carrying them around] at the moment it’s The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney, From Dead to Worse [the Sookie Stackhouse Series] by Charlain Harris, and Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman

My favourite item of clothing is… my comfy black leggings, they go with everything and look good with anything!

At the top of my furniture wish list is… soooo many things, a Trace Dining Table in wood or marble by British designers Naughtone, an iconic grey B&B Italia sofa, Tom Dixon ‘Beat’ lights…

The last thing that really inspired me was… Micheal Jackson’s ‘This is It’. I’ve always thought as an entertainer Michael was amazing but his concepts for his would-be tour were insane in the best way! He had futuristic suits made from never before developed light technology, 11 dancers on stage that slowly multiplied into an army of 11, 000 on the screen, a jacket that burst into flames when he threw it on the floor and so many more progressive ideas that blew me away.

On my desk are… a wooden holder with all my press invitations and paperwork inside and a space under for a stapler and my camera, a violet Pantone mug with pens, a ruler and a scalpel, a box with all my receipts, an Atherton Lin calender, and a round mirror propped up at the back of the desk against the wall, with Les Invasions Ephemeres feather stickers falling around the mirror so that when I look up into it, it looks like feathers are falling around my head : )

This weekend I will… work on the blog, eat some good food and go to see Decode at the V&A.

Tonight I must… cook dinner and work on the blog whilst watching something utterly trashy!

I love what I do because… every day and every hour is different, sometimes I laugh out loud with glee because I can’t believe I get to do what I do!

My name is Helena Amourdedieu. I’m a Londoner, but have lived in Paris for about 14 years. I run a PR agency that specialises in contemporary crafts and design, Agence Violette. I established it about two years ago after working as a free-lance PR in the same area, as well as for the contemporary arts.

I collect… I don’t really collect things. I’m more of a magpie.

I cant live without… Iris, my daughter, and my husband, Bruno.

My guilty pleasure is… spending time on my own [which sounds very sad (!) but as a working mum, it’s indulgent].

Our house is filled with… my things! Clothes, bags, scarves, jewellery – and more bags, scarves and jewellery… crockery, photos, bits and bobs, and things I find interesting.

I treasure… the photo of me and nan on holiday in Spain when I was about 8 or 9.

Right now I can’t stop thinking about… when spring will arrive.

Currently I am reading… three different books and I can’t concentrate on any of them. It’s like I’m waiting for the sun to come back so that I can get on with reading them in the garden.

My favourite item of clothing is… oooh, too hard. My Liberty print Topshop dress… My jacket from Isabel Marant… My 50s dress from a cheap and cheerful boutique in Notting Hill…

At the top of my furniture wish list is… an Acapulco chair in turquoise, from the galerie Sentou.

The last thing that really inspired me was… I’m often inspired by the people I work with. The dedication to what they do, the energy, the creative thinking….

My comfort food is… fish and chips, beans on toast, marmite – very un-French and all things that remind me of home!

On my desk are… too many bits and bobs.

This weekend I will… spend time with my little Iris and my husband.

Tonight I must… sew up the hole in my cardigan. Should have done it last night, the night before, the night before that…

I love what I do because… because the people I work with inspire me. I feel extremely lucky to do the job I do.