Happy Place: 10 ways to spark joy at home
“I love pottering and listening to a food podcast. But I also like nothing more than when our family is in a state of flow in the house, when each person is moving between their own creative activities – such as gardening, cooking, Lego or playdough – and occasionally sharing what they are playing with or working on, but also able to get into an individual rhythm. This is a rare occurrence but when it happens, it’s magic!”
Ella Jones, founder of lifestyle store A New Tribe“I’m definitely happiest when the sun is shining and my partner and I can spend time in the garden – it’s a really nice extension of the inside space. We’re lucky to have quite a big garden as we have a train line at the back of it, which also means that it’s not overlooked. As we live quite close to Walthamstow Marshes and the wetlands, we get an amazing variety of birds in the garden, which is really lovely.”
“I’m happiest at home when it’s filled with life or in a moment of complete stillness. I love evenings full of energy as friends roll around the space, sitting at the dining table, laughing and dancing at the bar or lying by the fireplace.
“But I also love it at its quietest, when you can hear the neighbourhood murmurs while watching the canopy of trees, as tranquil as can be. Those are the moments when I light the fire, sit on the floor and work on the first stages of new designs in the complete indulgence of peace.”
“We’re happiest at home when we’re cooking for friends. We love informal dinner parties. In summer, we have the back door open, create a makeshift cocktail station and have friends chatting on the steps to the kitchen. The bench opposite the kitchen island is great – you’re never too far from the action there. The house feels just as warm and inviting whether we’re hosting a big group of friends, or it’s just us.”
Corinna Dean, architectural curator and lecturer“When I have the windows open and I can hear the sounds of woodpeckers and other wildlife, combined with the occasional sound of King’s College Hospital’s helicopters. It reminds me of the great location and my proximity to central London, but also that I am surrounded by green space.”
“The ideal scene in my mind is being at home with fire on. There’s wine on the table and I’m surrounded by friends or family. Either that, or simple nights where it’s just me and husband, Suku, reading, chatting, playing games or watching a movie. When it’s summer we throw open the patio doors and let the nights roll in and out of the house. We get the outside burner going – lighting a fire outdoors reminds me of our past life, when we lived in America, especially of our visits to LA.”
Annabelle Tugby, architect“I’m happiest at home when hosting friends and family. We have a very close group of friends in our Cheshire village and having everyone round is a lovely way to spend an evening. Our house is designed for family life and I’m happiest when it is full of my favourite people.”
Hannah: “When Michael is cooking. I love being at home with the family, sitting in the kitchen with the double doors open wide and the sun streaming in. Our lovely neighbours have grandchildren of a similar age to our daughters and they spend their weekends jumping back and forth across the terraced garden walls to play. It’s great fun!”
Michael: “When it’s oh-so quiet. I enjoy pottering round the kitchen, preparing or planning a meal, in the peace of the morning before anyone else is awake.”
“Although I’ve got a shared ceramics studio where I make most of my work, I do a lot of my sketching and designs at home and that’s when I’m probably most content. My vessels are inspired by my travels and studies in anthropology and archaeology, so I have lots of dusty old reference books lying around to use for inspiration when starting on a new collection. My last research trip was to Pompeii in early 2020 and I brought back lots of reference pictures and books. Having a peaceful apartment to sketch and design in really got me through those first few mad months of the pandemic.”
Rosh Mahtani, jewellery designer“I’m happiest at home first thing in the morning. I sit at the dining table and have my morning coffee and look out of the window. I love that morning lull when nobody’s awake yet – that’s my quiet time. And the light is so magical in that moment.”
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