I have a project that I’ve been trying to get off the ground for a while now. One key aspect of it needs a bit of grappling with in order to take the work further and, this blog is where said grappling will take place.
This image is of my armchair, the thing that most represents home for me. It provides relief after a day of work – physical rest and comfort – as well as being directly next to the things that I enjoy: my books, record player, my whiskey and probably above all the little cat, who’s pillowed box is under the chair.
This is the place I get to relax doing the things I enjoy, and in that sense it is my most homely object, as well as providing a secluded nest for my cat to sleep in peace, and in that sense is probably her most homely object too. (Ed Lea)
Thank you Gary Mansfield!
Home-rton
Having recently moved (for the third time this year) into an unfurnished property, I had the opportunity to ask myself again – what things make my environment feel like home. In the first chilly and slightly barren weeks I realised something to sit on was actually very important to me to feel relaxed at home, so I bought a second hand sofa. In East London, I never have to walk far to find a vintage shop full of, what are intended to be, one-offs for home wear although with so many around, the sense uniqueness has worn off somewhat. Within this project I have set myself, and whoever reads this and would like to participate, the challenge of identifying one object which speaks of home most strongly. I don’t think I’ve found ‘the one’ yet but retrieving these pictures from my grandparents’ loft and decorating my new living room with them has certainly made me consider them as strong contenders.
‘This image reminds me of home the most, it’s of a grey sky, because the sky seems always unsettled in Birmingham, mostly keeping its grey hues though. I would always sleep with my blinds open so that I could wake up to the stormy clouds in the morning, a very indecisive midlands sky.’ Sophia Moseley
Thanks be to Paul for his contribution:
Why a tray of tomatoes to be roasted? These are the basic ingredients for a homemade tomato sauce (+ garlic & torn basil leaves) and this for me represents a number of aspects of home. The heat from the oven warms the kitchen. There is the zen moment while you prepare the food and do nothing else – just being in the moment. There is the glorious smell of the tomatoes as they cook with the garlic. Most of all there is the sharing of the spoils with the family. I have grown these tomatoes myself and I always make more than I need so that we can share with whoever arrives at the house first in the period after their preparation. The warmth and the smell brings back memories of home from the past and memories of those now dead who shared their food with us. It also conjures up thoughts of the future and what might be prepared for those yet to visit and those not yet born. Preparing and cooking food is one of the basic elements that makes a home and as a family we spend an inordinate amount of time talking about all aspects of food and probably less time eating it. Sharing a meal is, of course, about eating but it is also about warmth, connecting, communicating and developing relationships. That’s what home and family is about as well.
