OPEN HOUSE with Bridgerton

Adjoa Andoh, Bridgerton’s Lady Danbury, on birds, blossom and bold walls

Home is… My sanctuary. I live in a modernist, wooden-clad, concrete-and-brick 1964 ex-council townhouse in the middle of a Victorian terrace that got bombed in the war. In the garden, I’ ve found Victorian tiles and an intact iron range cooker, which took me nine hours to dig out! I’ ve got floor-to-ceiling windows – it’ s open plan with open staircases. It’ s beautiful and spacious.

My childhood home was… A little flat in Leeds, where we lived until I was four. Then we moved to a tiny farming village in the Cotswolds into a 16th-century terraced cottage, with two-foot-thickwalls,stone-clad floors and inglenook fireplaces. It was a lovely rural English environment – lots of cows and sheep. I can milk cows by hand!

Right now… I’ ve finished filming series two of Bridgerton. Then, we ’ re shooting a prequel show and moving on to filming season three after that.

My dinner party table-top aesthetic is… A properly set table with all the cutlery in the correct order. My father is Ghanaian and all my placemats are Ghanaian – circular, red and woven. Some were made in the 1920s and belonged to my stepgrandfather,whowas amissionaryinGhana, and I picked up others in the same design in Brixton market. I’ ve got a pair of wooden carved candlesticks that belonged to my great aunt Leah. I like stuff where I can think, ‘Somebody I know handled these. ’

My biggest bargain is… Adelicatelycarvedchaiselongue thatmymotherboughtforabout £20atauctionintheearly1970s.It’ s inmylivingroomandisbeautiful.

My Zoom backdrop is… In thebedroom–it’ salargebookshelf butifnooneelseisin,I’llbein thefrontroomlookingoutover thegardenwithabackdropof floor-to-ceilingbookshelves.

My favourite homeware store is… Habitat.Myparents ’ bestfriendsinthe1960swereanother mixedracecouple–hewasPakistaniandshe was English. They were the most stylish people ever and shopped at Habitat. My Habitat habit came from them.

Inside my bathroom cabinet I’ mMrs

Homeopathy.Mythreekidswere raised on homeopathics and I didn ’thaveanypainkillersduring theirbirths.Thecabinetisfull ofpillbottles,ointments,plasters andantihistaminesbecauseI’ m superallergictomosquitoes.

My favourite smell is… Flowers, such as freesias, roses or lilies, and I like scented candles. There ’ s something nice about infusing a house with a lovely aroma.

At church. I’ m a reader in the church so I can preach and lead services.

My walls are… Museumred apartfromoneroom,whichisa darkslategreyandanotherthat isoldEnglishwhite.Thehouse issolight,Iwantedacolourthat framedthespace–the paintings, the piano, the furniture. It’ s the same colour that JMWTurner likedtohavehispaintingsexhibited against. Cosy but presentational.

‘TV in the kitchen? Absolutely never. No. me… Inthekitchen.It’ sthe hub where people are in and out, and at the end of the nighteveryoneishanging out there surrounded by pilesof Terrible!’ washed-up half-drunk bitsoffoodand bottlesofwine. Right now, outside my window are…

My biggest extravagance is… A big old, white floor-to-ceilingarmoire–my aestheticisabitcountry.It hasshelveswithlongdoors andcupboardswithsmalldoorsatthebottom andlivesinthekitchenwithallthecrockeryin.

I collect… China teacups and saucers, lovely little ones. I buy them when I’ m touring – I’ ve got a load from when I was in South Africa. I don ’t actually drink tea so I put coffee in them.

Birdfeeders in my back garden. I love watching the birds, and in the spring there ’ s lots of blossom on our trees, which I adore.

Adjoa can be seen soon as Lady Danbury in series two of Bridgerton

THI S OR THAT?

Quick shower or relaxing bath? Relaxing bath. Before bed: box set or book? In theory, a book, but it’s usually Radio 4 with the light out so I can fall asleep. Scented candles or diffusers? Candles. Entertain or be entertained? Either. The only time I cook properly is if I have people over! things? I love plants.

Gadget guru or technophobe?

Technophobe.

Interior design: DIY or get someone in? Generally, I do it myself – I’m a control freak. TV in the kitchen: Yes or no? Absolutely never. No. Terrible!