In our new column, interiors and lifestyle editor Georgina Blaskey asks some of the most inspiring names from the worlds of interiors, food, travel and lifestyle to reveal the treasured possessions they would rescue first in a fire. From sentimental heirlooms to beloved design pieces, each object tells a story about the people who cherish them. This month, we speak to interior designer Emma Sims-Hilditch, founder and creative director of Sims Hilditch
Family photo albums
The first thing I would save would be our family photo albums from the pre-digital days. They hold such a precious record of family life – holidays, birthdays, childhood memories and all the everyday moments in between. There is something about printed photographs that feels so much more personal and tangible than images on a phone. They are completely irreplaceable.
The artwork we’ve collected over the years
I would also save the artwork we’ve collected over the years. So much of it holds memories of different chapters of our lives and the homes we’ve lived in. Two of our favourite artists are our daughter, Daisy Sims-Hilditch, whose work we are enormously proud of, and Ken Howard, whose paintings we have always loved. Art brings personality and warmth into a home, and the pieces we’ve chosen over the years feel very much part of our family story.
Our reclaimed pine kitchen table
Our kitchen table would absolutely be one of the things I’d rescue. My husband John and I bought it when we were first married, and it has been with us ever since. Made from reclaimed pine, it has witnessed decades of family life and so many important beginnings. In the early days, I used it as my worktable for my curtain-making business – what eventually became the foundation for Sims Hilditch – and it was also where I sewed John’s original hammocks, the very first products Neptune ever sold. Over the years, it has hosted countless family meals, celebrations, conversations and moments of chaos and it still remains the heart of our home very much.
My George Smith sofa
I would also save my George Smith sofa, which was given to us by my parents over 40 years ago. It is still looking remarkably good and has been one of those pieces that has moved through every stage of our lives with us. It’s incredibly comfortable, beautifully made and full of family memories.
A framed letter from King Charles
One slightly unexpected thing I would save is a framed thank-you letter from King Charles, which hangs rather amusingly in our downstairs loo! In the very early days of Neptune, after visiting the gardens at Highgrove, we sent him a hammock as a thank-you gift for his two young sons to play in. To our delight, he wrote back personally. It’s such a thoughtful gesture and a lovely reminder of those early entrepreneurial days.
Our family china collection
I would also save our collection of family china, which includes a beautiful tea service designed and made by Hilditch & Sons in the 1800s – John’s ancestors. It feels incredibly special to have something so closely connected to his family history still in daily life today. The Hilditch family were part of the Staffordshire pottery industry during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when Stoke-on-Trent was becoming the centre of English ceramic production. Their pieces were known for their craftsmanship and elegance, and I love the sense of continuity that comes with using and living alongside something that has survived for generations.
My stash of Vogue magazines
This collection goes 25 years! They are very nostalgic and I enjoy flicking through now and then to see how fashions have changed over the years.
My family’s Edwardian dolls house
It was designed and built for my grandmother when she was a child and is a replica of her family home. Over the years the dolls house has been passed down the generations and is now waiting for the next children to enjoy. When my girls were young we redecorated most of the rooms with new furnishing and wallpapers. New dolls were given as Christmas and Birthday presents from a specialist dolls house shop in Holt, Norfolk. Now everything is wrapped in Tissue and stored carefully.
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