House Style with Jo Sindle and Kyle Stewart
After giving us a tour of their Japanese-inspired family home just around the corner from Columbia Road in east London, Jo Sindle and Kyle Stewart, founders of Goodhood, share their house style.
How would you describe the interiors of your home?
Kyle: “Japan meets Scandanavia with a healthy dose of Beautiful Losers chucked in.”
Jo: “An honest representation of the things I love in one place. It’s cosy, practical and easy to live in.”
You’re happiest at home when…
Kyle: “It’s first thing in the morning – the moment before everyones awake. Admittedly, I rarely make it up before the others, but when I do, it’s great.”
Jo: “Either in the chaos of having our friends around with lots of kids everywhere, food on the go, music on, chats and laughter, or in moments of peace and quiet when the kids are in bed and I’m sat by the fire with a book. That, or on a Saturday, when everyone’s in the house doing their own thing.”
If you could save one thing, what would it be?
Kyle: “I’d probably save some very personal artworks that have been gifted from close friends over the years of running Goodhood.”
Jo: “I’d save a few sentimental things from my past: a box of photos, some belongings of my mum and dads, a couple of old toys.”
What is your favourite living space around the world?
Kyle: “I have a particular soft spot for the actor Terry Thomas’ old house in Ibiza, called Can Talaias. We often stay there when we visit the island. It’s now run by his son and family.”
Jo: “I have lots of favourite spaces around the world. I often visit places that aren’t homes, which I can imagine myself living in. I spend time wandering around buildings picturing which space would be my bedroom or the living space. We divide our time between London and Somerset, where we recently bought a house, and I think the Garden Café at The Newt in Bruton would make an amazing home. The gardeners’ cottage would be a cool place to sleep in too.”
What was the last thing that you brought for the house?
Kyle: “I think it might be the sofa which is from Ligne Roset and designed by Christian Werner.”
Jo: “I bought two wooden mushrooms from a shop on Golborne Road and I love them.”
Top three coffee table books?
Kyle: “Our coffee table books all pertain to our interests. My favourites might be Painting by Mike Kelley, Seditionaries by Hiroshi Fujiwara and Tomorrow Is Another Day by Mark Bradford.
Jo: “We have a lot of decent books. Most are on shelves and used for reference. The ones knocking about are normally those we are reading that time. At the moment, I’m reading John Taylor’s Dumbing Us Down, about why we need reform in education.”
If money was no object, what changes would you make?
Kyle: “Dig the basement out and put in a swimming pool, sauna and gym.”
Jo: “I’d petition more for the upward development of the terraced houses in our estate. I’d work with an architect to design a uniform contemporary extension for all our neighbours that would help people generate their own energy and offer space for rooftop growing. Unfortunately, we’re in a conservation area and rules won’t allow it; people leave our neighbourhood when the houses become too small for their growing families. But I think upward development could be really beneficial to the people living here, and the juxtaposition of old and new could be beautiful.”
You’re having people over for dinner: what do you cook?
Kyle: “Fresh and simple vegetables from our veggie patch in Somerset, with a perfectly cooked fillet steak from The Ginger Pig.”
What does Sunday here look like?
Kyle: “A wander along Columbia Road for coffee and some flowers. Maybe a trip to the BMX track in Haggerston with my eldest son, Duff, and then a walk along the canal to Victoria Park. We’ll finish by having friends over to the house for Sunday lunch.”
What are the best things about the neighbourhood?
Kyle: “The people. I love the East End as it’s such a diverse community.”
Jo: “I really love that my brother lives on the same street.”
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