A life in design

WHEN Jacqueline Duncan first opened the doors of the Inchbald in 1960, interior design was hardly regarded as an occupation, let alone a profession. With a few notable exceptions, such as Syrie Maugham, Nancy Lancaster and Mrs Duncan’s first husband, Michael Inchbald, interior decoration was the preserve of a breed referred to euphemistically (and, one suspects, pejoratively) as ‘nice young men who sold antiques’.

Mrs Duncan first encountered Mr Inchbald’s work in 1949, when he curated an exhibition at Peter Jones that juxtaposed exquisite English furniturestyle of decoration. In those days, the Sloane Square store’s interior-design department was akin to an upmarket decorating firm (it was where John Fowler cut his teeth). Even by its standards, the exhibition was something of a trailblazer.