Features / 8 December, 2017 / My Baba

Sophie Stanbury on Ladies of London, Top Beauty Tips and Family Life in Putney

I know we ran this interview a few months ago but I wanted to re-share it to celebrate the launch of my darling friend’s beautiful website. Sophie is an incredibly talented interior designer and I’m so proud of her with her new super slick and inspirational website. You can check it out here. Sophie Stanbury has just made her debut in the second series of Ladies of London, Bravo’s US reality TV show. Interior designer Sophie lives in Putney with her husband, two sons, cats and dogs.

Where are your favourite places to go in London for fun, food and culture?

My favourite restaurant is the River Café, I love the food and the views and it feels like a real treat going to dinner there.

You’ve recently moved to Putney. Have you found any hidden gems there yet?

I’ve just moved to Putney and the best fun we’ve had was to invest in some bikes and set off to Wimbledon common everyday, they do a great hot chocolate for the children at the windmill café in the middle and our dog loves the walk too.

What’s the one baby product you couldn’t live without?

Sudocrem is an absolute must for any rash or mosquito bite. It works from birth to adulthood and is such a great and safe way to treat almost any bump or bite!

Caroline Stanbury is your sister-in-law, is she your best friend on the show?

I was super lucky to have my sister-in-law on the show, not only is she is very close friend but she made the whole introduction into reality TV a lot of fun and I actually forgot the cameras were there for most of it. We have lots in common and our boys are the same age so it’s always so much fun hanging out, and doing the show meant that we were hanging out all the time which was really great!

 Share with us your favourite family recipe.

My husband and I love a traditional chilli con carne with an extra helping of fresh chillies, we normally cook it together on a Saturday night and then cosy up in front of a movie, it’s the perfect night in.

The children love making banana bread, I have such an easy recipe:

• 100g softened butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 225g self raising flour
• 2 Eggs
• 2 or 3 mashed ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of milk

Mix and beat all the ingredients together in a bowl and then spoon into a greased loaf tin. Bake in the oven (around 180C) for about 45 mins -1 hour until it is well risen and golden.

We’re all obsessed with your hair, what’s your secret?

The secret is I have never really done that much to it, a little colour and great cuts by Michael Charalambous, who has cut it for over 15 years! He has never really let me play around with it and has always cut it in a really good shape so it’s super easy to maintain. A good dollop of Kerastase colour mask really helps keep its shine as well. Oh, and my heated rollers which work anytime night or day to give you a salon look in literally five minutes!

What was it like filming with two small children?

The first thing I’ll say was it was amazing, actually taking a break from the normal day to day routine. Sometimes it was super hard trying to get the school run done and then dropping my other little one Finn to a class or activity with our au pair but we made it work and once I was free it was an amazing feeling. I had to be very organised making food and freezing it and leaving step by step instructions for when I wasn’t there but I actually think it was as good for my children as it was for me to have some time off. I got time to be me again and the children and I appreciated each other all the more! I was quite happy to go back to normal once it was finished though; you never lose the feeling of guilt when you are not there all the time. Harry my eldest loved the little bits he was in!

What’s your go-to outfit for the school run?

It depends what I’m doing, normally it’s work out gear as I try to do a quick run with the dog after drop off, other times it is whatever comes to hand the quickest, and if I have client meeting then a little more effort goes in and I get up earlier to apply makeup and jazz up my hair a little.

What are your top five beauty tips?

I went to the opening of Sarah Chapman’s new beauty rooms on Sloane Square and we were given a fantastic goodie bag.  I am now obsessed with all her products, her cleanser, overnight facial and eye creams are amazing. I still love Yon-Ka’s all natural creams which are very soft and great for sensitive skin. I try and drink plenty of water during the day too.

How would you sum yourself up in one sentence?

I am a big hearted, fun loving working mum who tries her best to juggle a busy family / work life as so many women do! I love being outdoors and feel blessed to have two beautiful healthy children!

sophiestanbury.co.uk