Luke Edward Hall’s consuming passions: ‘I like listening to ambient electronic music, particularly dungeon synth’

Luke Edward Hall is something of a 21st century Cecil Beaton — a creative polymath, dog lover and well connected — which is all rather fitting, given that he helped to design London’s Garden Museum’s latest exhibition, Cecil Beaton’s Garden Party.

The list of things he is good at goes on and on, but includes painting, interior design and writing (he has a column inside the Financial Times). In 2020, his first large-scale design project opened in Paris — a 38-bedroom hotel and bistro in the city’s 10th arrondissement — and in 2022, he co-founded Chateau Orlando, a fashion and homewares brand. More recently, in 2023, he co-authored 300000 Kisses: Tales of Love from the Ancient World which was published by Penguin.

Hall lives in Oxfordshire with his husband, Duncan, and two whippets, named Merlin and Dragon.

Your aesthetic hero

Cecil Beaton is an ultimate hero — I love his work, and his entire creative outlook on the world. His personal style was excellent, too. David Hockney, of course, has top taste in clothing. In terms of the work they made, I’m a big fan of Duncan Grant, Christopher Wood, John Craxton, John Minton, Christian Bérard… the list is long.

A book you've found inspiring

I love Benjamin Myers’ The Offing so much. I listen to the audiobook often. The character of Dulcie — gosh, I wish I could meet her. She is so brilliant, and reminds me that we must live life to the full, and really, really vividly. Recently, I finished Lally Macbeth’s The Lost Folk — a fascinating and well-researched deep dive into British folk practices, ancient and new, obscure, magical and profound.

An exhibition that has really impressed you

Talking of folk, I loved Making Mischief at Warwickshire’s Compton Verney in 2023: this was the first exhibition dedicated to the rich tapestry of folk customs found in the UK today. It explored the role played by costume in local and seasonal folk customs, bringing together over 40 costumes created, customised and worn by individual practitioners, many of which had never been exhibited before.

Your favourite painting

I remember telling Country Life once that it’s F. C. B. Cadell’s The Boxer, but I have so many. In a dream world I’d love to own a Bronzino portrait — a young man with a ruffled collar and a nice hat, or incredible armour. Ideally with a pink curtain in the background.

What music do you work to?

A mix, and it really depends on my mood. When I’m painting I like to get myself into a kind of trance, and music really helps me to do this. I like listening to ambient electronic music, particularly dungeon synth, a genre of music that pairs layered synthesisers with fantasy themes. A lot of Enya, to be honest. Some Elizabethan and medieval music... Also more experimental electronic stuff by people like A.G. Cook and Casey MQ. I also love listening and working to folk music. (I’ve been trying to learn the fiddle for the past year and a half!)

What possession would you never sell?

Some of my favourite drawings and paintings by other artists. I have a beautiful drawing by the American artist Larry Stanton (1947 –1984) that I could never part with.

What would you take to a desert island?

My husband Duncan and our whippets Merlin and Dragon. A bunch of friends. A huge library of good books. Scrabble? A striped tent with castellated awnings to hide away from the sun in.

The best present you've ever received 

Duncan gave me a set of glasses made by the artist Miranda Keyes for my birthday last year — the glasses are all unique, and extraordinarily ethereal things.

A hotel you could go back and back to

Hotel Bellevue des Alpes in Kleine Scheidegg, Switzerland.

The last podcast you listened to

Not a podcast as such, but every week I listen to my favourite musician Patrick Wolf’s audio dispatches on Patreon. He talks through songs on his previous albums, musing on meanings and production methods. He often releases demos and live recordings, too. His new album Crying the Neck, inspired by Kentish folklore, comes out in June and I can’t wait.

The last thing of note you bought yourself?

A pair of 19^th century Italian hall chairs — they’re carved with crowns, lions, castles, mermaids and Green Men. They will live in our new house in the far reaches of Cornwall.

Who would play you in a film about your life?

Oh gosh! Hmm… If I’m being very, very kind to myself… Dane DeHaan!? With a big pair of round glasses. That’d be nice.

What gets you up in the morning?

Usually a pair of extremely pointy whippets demanding to get under the covers. I’m sleepy in the mornings, but that first cup of strong tea always hits just right. At this time of year (spring) I like getting out into the garden first thing to see which flowers have opened.

Do you collect anything?

Loads of stuff! I particularly love collecting grotto furniture, painted and carved Italian odds and ends, minerals, and old books on mythology and magic. Oh, and theatre costumes! Right now I’m on a rampage collecting bits for our Cornish house — the decorative theme we’re going for is ‘pirate baroque’ — I’m all about pewter, 17^th century wood, shells, galleon-shaped things…

Your most memorable meal

So many to choose from… We have lunch at The Woolpack in Slad more or less every week — it’s my favourite place to eat in the world, looking out over the valley and its patchwork of greens.