Cath Kidston fits into the quintessentially English designer mode of another name synonymous with homely interiors' chic . . . Laura Ashley.

With an estimated annual turnover of £10m, nine shops worldwide and a thriving web-based mail order site, it seems the world can't get enough of Kidston's artful take on retro floral prints. The latest company to fall for the look is the Carphone Warehouse, for whom the fortysomething designer has created three mobile phones that will appeal to everyone's inner girly.

Her trademark floral patterns, reminiscent of l950s' bedroom wallpapers rather than the grand tradition of classic country chintz fabrics, are found on everything these days from retro Roberts radios to tents at Glastonbury. It probably won't come as a surprise to fans of this style that not only was Kidston's grandmother an interior designer, back in the days when such a thing was practically unheard of for a gal, but also that she grew up in the sort of English 'shabby chic' houses that Ralph Lauren can only dream about.

And she went to school with Diana Spencer.

We talk in her west London studio, all soft white walls, floorboards and furniture, interspersed with her signature printed cottons and ticking stripes. Stanley, her Lakeland terrier, sits patiently by her chair, and if he's heard all these questions before, he's as polite as his mistress, only stifling the odd yawn.

"Yes, poor Stanley does get bored waiting around for home-time. The office here is a lovely working environment . . . it has to be when you're involved in the creative process. My approach to design is that I make things for myself, things that I love. Luckily, others like them too. I don't limit that to one category. We are now doing clothes, very simple wrap dresses for those days when you just don't know what to put on, but want to feel simply stylish. Although I'm known for a certain, feminine look, I don't like anything too fussy.

"I get approached from a surprising amount of companies who want my involvement in their design process. I think it's because the prints are quite uplifting and cheerful . . . we all need a bit of fun in our lives.

"I was in the year above Diana Spencer in school, but I can't say anything stands out in my memory . . . you never remember those in classes below. What I do remember is my grandmother's house. It was beautiful, and I was brought up with an appreciation for nice surroundings . . . I know the correct depth of a pelmet, and those sorts of details."

All of which could make Kidston sound fluffy and pampered. But her skill for developing nostalgia into something tangible, whether its cushion covers or tea cups, cannot be under-estimated. Those '50s' florals blossomed throughout the interior design love affair with minimalism several years back, and it's a look that shows no signs of fading. Like Nigella Lawson, her name conjures up a glamorous image of domesticity . . . even though Kidston admits she can't sew to save her life. She can iron however, and it's from such an everyday necessity that her design empire began.

"My very first product was an ironing board.

I was living in a very small flat at the time and just behind the door was this very dreary ironing board with the usual grey cover. I decided to cheer myself up by covering it in a piece of bright fabric, and from there, I began to design everyday items with very pretty fabrics."

Her conversation is liberally peppered with "cheerful" and "fun", and her sunny disposition is down to the philosophy that each day should be lived to the full. That underlying pragmatism comes with an un-sentimental approach to all that life has thrown at her. Both parents died from cancer, then Kidston was herself diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago. "I consider myself as so lucky as I was diagnosed early, had treatment, and am now fine.

Someone quoted me in an interview as saying I 'battled with cancer'. I loathe that phrase. You just get on with it. And I have to say, it hasn't changed my life."

In her design approach, she is conscious of how fast technology is moving, and the impact that has on how we live. She is she says, "married to someone who is very technical" (record producer Hugh Padgham), who she met in her mid-30s. Their home in Chiswick is, naturally, an old house, but Kidston is keen to have ultra-modern mixed in with the vintage trappings. Her awareness that interior design has a power that goes beyond that of mere colour and fabrics . . . how, in an age of uncertainty and war, people are drawn to the comfort and security of home . . . informs so much of what she does.

"I'm very excited about my new kitchen, which has two full-height glass walls. I also love contemporary art so that will be a major element throughout. But there will be floral furnishings in there too. I suppose when I think of the rosebud print pyjamas and floral bedroom wallpaper that I had back when I was six, I'm trying to re-enact that feeling of cheer and comfort that I had back then."

Cath Kidston's limited edition Nokia collection, designed exclusively for The Carphone Warehouse, is available at leading outlets.

www. cathkidston. com