There is no such thing as rules in a room pulled together by English interior designer Robert Kime. Time periods, cultures and proportions co-exist to effortless, lived-in effect. Edo pairs with Edwardian, as do masculine and delicate, antiques and artifacts picked up on recent scavenging trips. A former antiques dealer, Kime is known for his ability to create timeless living spaces that are perfectly imperfect, as he has done for royals, rock stars and myriad others over his storied career.

Tory and Kime got to know one another while working together on what she describes as “warming up” the home in Normandy, France that her husband Pierre-Yves Roussel had lived in for years — a house that Tory affectionately called “part bachelor pad, part manor home.” Their friendship last year took them on a trip to Japan, where they visited Tokyo, Kyoto and the ancient capital city Nara. The seeds of inspiration were planted for the Tory Burch x Robert Kime Nara Collection — the first time Kime has collaborated with another designer on a product. A true gentleman, with a scholarly mind and inviting charm, Kime shared some of his inspiration with us.

Best style advice I have ever received… 

More often I find myself in the advising role, and my advice is: Always start with the rug.

I’m most proud of… 

I think I would like to say that I am most appreciative of being able to look at my work and feel it is substantial. That there is something there.

Soundtrack of my life… 

La Traviata.

Book I’m reading…  

Donna Leon’s Fatal Remedies. 

And the room I love to read in… 

The library at La Gonette, my house in France.

Favorite movie… 

“Some Like it Hot” – a seriously funny film.

Favorite restaurant… 

The River Cafe in London.

I love to collect… 

Edward Lear drawings, specifically of Egypt.

My favorite painter… 

Eric Ravilious. I’m quite interested in his work as he captures moments, not set pieces. I like that.

A wink or a smile… 

A smile.

More or less…. 

On the whole, less.

My favorite color… 

A sort of bluey-grey.

…And pattern 

Old damask patterns.

Childhood memories that inspire me to design… 

My parents had a wonderful shed when I was quite young, and it was filled with beautiful old textiles and rugs and furniture from India and China. I used to go and play in it, arranging things. It was magic, and I think that’s where it all started.

I feel a special connection to Japan because… 

I had never been there before, so the journey and sense of discovery was all part of a very interesting experience. 

Read more the Tory Burch x Robert Kime Nara Collection and where to shop it.