Fiona McKenzie Johnston
Fiona McKenzie Johnston has been contributing to House & Garden since 2017. She writes the art pages as well as decorating columns for the website, having started her career with the magazine’s sister publications AD and Vogue. She has an MA in History of Art from the University of St. Andrew’s, which included the study of furniture and decorative arts, and she came to journalism via a spell in the V&A’s Furniture Department.
Fiona has lived in - and loved - a variety of houses of differing styles, from a Jacobean manor house to a 1960s-designed central London maisonette. She is now in the process of renovating and decorating a Victorian terrace on the East Sussex coast, involving much DIY. Her spare time is mostly spent on the beach with her children, or at exhibitions, or reading vintage decorating books and biographies and scrutinising the interiors and exteriors of any house she can visit – both for ideas, and because she is endlessly fascinated by how people live.
A minimalist's guide to coping with Christmas (when the stuff just gets too much)
Whether you prefer pared-down surroundings, or simply don’t have space for the full caboodle, Fiona McKenzie Johnston shares how to manage the most maximalist season
Inside Martin Parr’s studio: a look around the late photographer’s creative space
With the sad news of Martin Parr’s death, we revisit a story from the House & Garden archive that takes a behind-the-scenes look at his foundation in Bristol
Inside the Brighton studio of painter David Shrigley, as an exhibition of his work opens in London
Welcome to the cheeky, satirical world of David Shrigley and the former office building where he teases his work to life
Art
The best art exhibitions in London for December 2025
Turner v. Constable, Wes Anderson’s archives, a collection of architect-designed Christmas Cards – all the must-see art in London this month
Can commissioning a room portrait endear us to our houses?
The appeal, history, and process of having a room eternalised in paint
Behind the scenes with the artists who share their creative spaces
While some artists thrive on solitude, others have discovered that working in the company of another creative can not only be invigorating but also have unanticipated advantages
A look inside the colourful world of artist Bridget Riley, as two exhibitions of her latest work open
With showcases opening at Turner Contemporary and the Musée d'Orsay, we take a look at the inspiration between the celebrated artist's work
The value and charm that fantasy brings to an interior
Examining the inspiration we can find in ballet, opera, and theatre set designs
What it's like to sit for a portrait in 2025
Having made use of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ commissioning service, Fiona McKenzie Johnston discovers that sitting for an artist is a rewarding and thought-provoking experience
The evolution of the home library
Home libraries have historically been a popular choice for houses big and small. Fiona McKenzie Johnson looks at what past and present can tell us about the possibilities for organising and displaying a book collection – and why we should retain one
The history of interior design
Inside the extraordinary world of Lee Miller as a new exhibition of her work opens
As a new exhibition opens at Tate Britain, we look again at Lee Miller’s East Sussex home
Dear Fiona: can Halloween ever be done in a tasteful way? Or is that not the point?
Our resident agony aunt Fiona McKenzie Johnston considers how to decorate for and celebrate Halloween in a meaningful way
Can good design make children tidier?
The challenges of combining a beautiful interior with desperately untidy occupants of questionable taste
In the studio with artist Sophie Barber, whose paintings and textiles take inspiration from the Hastings landscape
At her Hastings workspace, Fiona McKenzie Johnston and photographer Joshua Monaghan find the painter taking everything in her shoe-covered stride, as she turns apparent failures into new work
The vital and enduring decorative influence of ancient Egypt
The fascinating history of our collective obsession, the boundless decorative benefits, and the sometimes surprising impact
The joyfully creative house and studio of textile artist Pauline Caulfield
Textile artist Pauline Caulfield's home and studio, decorated in the 1980s with her former husband – artist and printmaker Patrick Caulfield – is a layered, timeless interior that bears testament to a creative life well lived.
How the decorator Syrie Maugham established the quietly luxurious style known as ‘Vogue Regency’
As a collection of Syrie Maugham, the decorator known as the Princess of Pale’s belongings go on sale at Dreweatts, we look at the lasting appeal of her Vogue Regency style – and how we could harness it today
How to decorate a perfect guest bedroom
Fiona McKenzie Johnston delves into the details of a spare bedroom that make hosting easy, and make people want to stay
Inside Cecil Beaton’s fashionable world, as a new exhibition opens at the National Portrait Gallery
As a new exhibition opens at the National Portrait Gallery, we look at his marvellous interiors, and the aesthetic tips we can take from them
Why you should be making the most of your doors (and how to do it well)
Have you been ignoring your doors? Fiona McKenzie Johnston explores how doors can be a valuable part of a decorative scheme