[3] She and her sister, Margaret O’Rorke, a light maker in fine porcelain, attended the progressive co-educational St Christopher School in Letchworth.
[4][5] After four years of restoration, it opened in 1992 as “one of the world's most famous and exclusive hotels.”[6] In recognition of her work she was named a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Artes et Lettres by the French government.
[7][8] Her interests include the design of products to be used by people of all ages,[9] and the restoration and re-use of the Albarquel fort in Setúbal, Portugal.
[11] She has received honorary doctorates from Fordham University (2004),[12] the Rochester Institute of Technology (2014)[13] and the Royal College of Art (2016).
[18] In February 2013 she was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.