Patrick Williams on Grief, Restoration and the House That Shaped His Life

Patrick Williams is an interior decorator who specialises in period buildings and restoration projects. He views design not just as decoration, but as a form of storytelling and historical preservation.Patrick is the founder of Berdoulat, a design practice named after the remarkable house in France that his parents restored over a twenty-year period during his childhood – a project that became central to their family story and continues to shape his work today.In this conversation, we talk about grief, inheritance, and the rituals that connect him to his family roots, including a cherished family recipe he makes called "The Truth".  We also explore Patrick's fascination with classical architecture and his belief that the best buildings are designed in harmony with the human body: through proportion, acoustics and the accumulation of patina over time. This is a story about memory and belonging, and how the places we inhabit keep us connected to the people who shaped us, long after they're gone. A full tour of Patrick’s beautiful eighteenth-century house in Bath is available to our Patreon community.Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMattPatrick's book, The House Rules, published by Quadrille, charts the evolution of Patrick Williams' design studio, Berdoulat and is a stunning visual exploration of his practice and meticulous approach to working with period buildings.To hear more from us:YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt, to watch the video versionInstagram: @homingwithmattContact: Email us at hello@mattgibberd.comMatt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live, is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496Music by @simeonwalkermusicIdentity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponlineThe full visualised tour of Patrick’s home is available to our Patreon community.Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★