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EXCLUSIVE: Inside fashion designer and author Tabitha Webb's 'Barbie' home with pink kitchen and tiger-print sofa

EXCLUSIVE: Fashion designer and author Tabitha Webb opens the doors of her incredible Barbie home, as she opens up on working with the royals and her new saucy novel

During her 30 years of working in the fashion industry, Tabitha Webb has built up a celebrity following many designers would die for including Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton and Claudia Winkleman to name a few.

She is also a big hit with the royals. The Princess of Wales has regularly been spotted in her pieces, and Tabitha worked with Kates sister Pippa Matthews on a charity campaign in 2015 for which they both designed a dress and cashmere scarf, after they met through mutual friends.

Pippa is just a darling, Tabitha tells us. We did a collaboration for the British Heart Foundation, which was awesome and we worked really closely on that. She was really involved and invested in that.

[After moving from London to the countryside several years ago, Tabitha renovated the house in a New England style ]

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After moving from London to the countryside several years ago, Tabitha renovated the house in a New England style (Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

[With a pink piano from Etsy, tiger-print sofa and mural wallpaper imported from Turkey, its anything but traditional countryside chic]

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With a pink piano from Etsy, tiger-print sofa and mural wallpaper imported from Turkey, its anything but traditional countryside chic(Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

When we catch up with Tabitha, 51, she welcomes us into her stunning five-bedroom Winchester home with interiors she curated herself which she shares with her South African husband Gavin Ferrar and their daughters Betsey, 14, and eight-year-old Primrose.

One thing, among many, that we cant wait to talk about is her relationship with Kate and Pippa, who she says are really easy to work with. She shares, Ive nothing but wonderful things to say about them theyre absolutely awesome. Theyre brilliant people and an honour to work with. Theyre both great people.

Tabithas path into the fashion industry was somewhat unconventional. On a whim, she decided to create a metallic handbag collection back in the 00s when she was in her early twenties.

[Fashion designer and author Tabitha Webb opens the doors of her incredible Barbie home]

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Fashion designer and author Tabitha Webb opens the doors of her incredible Barbie home(Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

[Tabitha shares her home with her South African husband Gavin Ferrar and their daughters Betsey, 14, and eight-year-old Primrose]

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Tabitha shares her home with her South African husband Gavin Ferrar and their daughters Betsey, 14, and eight-year-old Primrose(Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

I worked every night in a restaurant and worked on the handbags every day and saved enough money to have my first stand at a trade show, she says. Then House of Fraser walked onto the stand and placed a massive order and said, Were going to put you in every store. That was the beginning of the Orca handbag brand.

It was a runaway success from the off. We hit a trend and I had no idea what I was doing, she tells us. It went mega. We were stocked in every big shop everywhere we couldnt make it fast enough. It was the days where the celebrities would carry your bag and you would sell out.

Unfortunately she got into a legal dispute over the name of her Orca brand and that came to an end, but by fate she met singer and former X Factor judge Dannii Minogue and together they began Tabithas next clothing line Project D. Our highlight was when Valentino rang Dannii after a show [of The X Factor] and said he loved the dress, she says.

[Tabitha shows off the stunning garden at their five-bedroom Winchester home]

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Tabitha shows off the stunning garden at their five-bedroom Winchester home(Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

Although shes achieved massive success, Tabitha doesnt hide away from the fact that making money from fashion is hard work and Project D did not go the distance.

Financially we were never really in front of all of that. When we launched there was this desperation for it that we couldnt necessarily deliver on, because we launched so quickly, she explains.

Although their venture in fashion together didnt work out, Tabitha still keeps in touch with Dannii. Yeah, we talk, she says. I dont see her much, but we talk about country music. We speak a few times a year. We were best mates and we had a hell of a journey.

[Tabitha's love of interiors shines through on our shoot ]

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Tabitha's love of interiors shines through on our shoot (Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

[Tabitha's house is colourful and beautiful]

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The designer and author's house is colourful and beautiful(Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

These days, Tabitha mainly collaborates with other brands, but she has also turned her hand to another passion writing. This month she has released her second erotic novel, Playing The Field. It follows the protagonist Eliza who moves to the countryside and falls for a sexy farmer.

The desire for bonkbusters has never been more prominent, with TV adaptations of saucy novels such as Rivals and Bridgerton drawing in massive audiences. So for Tabitha, who admits she has a big personality, it was a no-brainer to go down the sexy route when crafting her novels.

Ive always wanted to write. I wrote a lot of sex scenes in my science lessons at school, she laughs. Its not filthy sex, its really romantic, gorgeous, aspirational sex. Its the sex we all want to be having, on the river bank, in front of the fireplace, on the sofa with a glass of red wine. Its teasing and tantalising.

[Tabitha revealed the interiors, including this wallpaper, is inspired by the US, where she would love to live]

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This wallpaper makes Tabitha think of Miami, with her revealing she would love to live in the US(Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

[Tabitha opened up to us about working with the royals ]

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Tabitha opened up to us about working with the royals (Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

I wanted to bring the fun and it is fun. I think a woman is more likely to read a saucy novel than watch porn its naughty and secretive.

Shes used to having celebrity fans of her fashion brand, but she also had a legendary author as a lover of her literary. Dame Jilly Cooper, who penned the popular The Rutshire Chronicles in the 90s, read Tabithas first book and inspired her to keep writing.

She wrote to me three or four times, she says of the late author. Shed give me advice on how I should write about the farming community and how I should bring it into the real world. She wore my shirts and whenever she did a photo shoot, shed make sure shed wear an item of my clothing.

Tabithas eye for detail is what makes her a great designer and writer. Her love of interiors shines through on our shoot and her house is a spectacle to be admired. Ive now become glaringly aware that I live in a pink Barbie house, she laughs.

[Tabithas eye for detail is what makes her a great designer and writer]

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Tabithas eye for detail is what makes her a great designer and writer(Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

[This month, Tabitha has released her second erotic novel, Playing The Field]

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This month, Tabitha has released her second erotic novel, Playing The Field(Image: REACH PLC / Alex James)

After moving from London to the countryside several years ago, Tabitha renovated the whole house in a New England style and did all the interiors herself from scratch. With a pink piano from Etsy, tiger-print sofa and mural wallpaper imported from Turkey, its anything but traditional countryside chic.

I spend a lot of time on the deck in my rocking chair, she says. Thats my happy place out there.

So after her success in interiors and now as an author, will she return to fashion? Its like a drug, she says. The Orca handbags have had a resurgence, all these university students are carrying them everywhere. It feels like 20 years on theyre having a moment.

I love the collaborations. Im looking to relaunch my perfume, which will hopefully happen in the next few months. The brand as Tabitha Webb is still alive and well. Im sure Ill do something.

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