It wasn’t until years later, when her daughter faced similar difficulties, that Pippa had a powerful realisation. The problem had never been her; it was the environment that had let her down.
This sparked her lifelong mission to understand how our spaces help or hinder our well-being.
Pippa has long used plants, colour, texture and materials to create calming, sensory-friendly environments. A late diagnosis of autism and dyslexia gave this work deeper meaning, inspiring her to write The Sensory Home, reframing how we think about interior design.
At the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025, Pippa unveiled an immersive, nature-rich Houseplant Studio designed as a restorative retreat to explore how sensory-led design can help us heal.
Sensory design
In partnership with Beards and Daisies, Pippa transformed the Studio Retreat into a masterclass in sensory harmony. The exhibit showed how houseplants are more than decoration and can play an active role in reducing stress, lifting mood and supporting well-being.
Inside, five immersive sensory zones invited visitors to reconnect with nature through a different sense:
Sight
A living memory tree, adorned with lush foliage and personal keepsakes, invites reflection. Organic shapes and gentle textures offer visual calm and balance.
Smell
A vintage apothecary-style cabinet brims with fragrant botanicals like geranium and hyssop, encouraging visitors to slow down and breathe deeply.
Touch
A cocoon-like nook, anchored by a cosy seat and surrounded by Boston Ferns, Devil’s Ivy and broad-leafed Calathea Orbifolia, demonstrates how tactile planting can soothe and ground.
Taste
A whimsical, Alice in Wonderland-inspired table tempts the senses with edible herbs such as mint, thyme, and rosemary, inviting connection through taste.
Sound
Outdoors, the gentle murmur of a water feature blends with the soft backdrop of sounds from nature to create a sensory soundscape.
Calming colours
The exhibit was supported by Graham & Brown, featuring shades from the Sensory Home® x Graham & Brown collection — the first paint range designed specifically to promote well-being through colour. These muted, sensory-conscious tones help cultivate focus, comfort and serenity. Also supported by The Wood Veneer Hub, who provided the acoustic panelling.
A word from Pippa
“This project is incredibly personal. I am autistic and dyslexic, yet I’ve written a book, built a business around sensory design, and now find myself exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show.
I hope that by sharing my journey, I can inspire others who have faced similar struggles and raise awareness of how plants and sensory design can transform daily life. There’s no better place to share this message than in nature, where I feel most at home.
A moment of calm in the chaos
Pippa recalls a particularly moving moment during the show when a woman stepped into her Houseplant Studio visibly overwhelmed.
“She told me the show was too busy, and when she asked the organisers where she could go to decompress, they said there wasn’t anywhere. She came into the studio, started crying, and just sat quietly to recover and regulate,”
Pippa shares. “Later, she emailed me from back home in America and said: ‘Thank you for seeing me, hearing me, and holding space for me. Your studio was exactly what I needed.’”
The encounter has stayed with Pippa and sparked a deeper reflection on the need for a dedicated sensory space at Chelsea in 2026—an intentionally designed, low-stimulation environment where visitors can take a moment to pause and breathe.
“The Sensory Home is perfectly placed to offer that. I’d be happy to open the conversation…”
