Financial Times Europe - 04.04.2020 - 05.04.2020

6 ★ FTWeekend 4 April/5 April 2020

House Home

C

rafts and pastimes are the

perfect pleasurable distrac-

tion for days spent in lock-

down, and now is the time to

defertotheexperts.Howare

leading designers and aesthetes spend-

ing their unexpected free time, and

what are they doing to bring comfort to

domestic life in unsettling times? We

asked a few leading designers to share

their tips. Follow their Instagram

accountsformoreinspiration.

Kitten Grayson, florist

It has been an extraordinary experi-

ence, having to stop and take stock, and

to be creative by myself — normally our

workisledbyclients’briefs.

I have been sowing seeds while the

weather has been so beautiful. A few

weeks ago I bought a lot online — mostly

sweetpeas and cosmos. It is something

that is really easy to do and there are

always clear instructions on the inter-

net. I have been looking at lots of pho-

tographyonlineforinspiration.

I am still able to go out for a walk

around the block, or the nearby park,

and I have snipped the odd branch of

foliage and brought it in for decora-

tion (although for me, foraging always

has to be done responsibly). If you

look around on your daily walk there

is always plenty to use. You do not

have to go home with armfuls of

things — just one or two branches will

instantly give a lift.

An area of wild woodland is ideal for

this — but any fallen branch is good.

This week, I brought in an old branch

and turned it into an installation with

flowers that I dried myself. I have cre-

ated a nature corner — a couple of bud

vases with some small branches in

them. It could be a couple of narcissi or

daffodils from the garden, placed in bud

vases to create a little scene, always

lovely to look at on a windowsill, man-

telpiece or side table, perhaps with can-

dlesatnight.

@kittengraysonflowers

Luke Edward Hall, interior

designer and FT columnist

Having a lot of extra time on our hands

has allowed us to focus on our garden.

My partner Duncan and I half-moved to

the Gloucestershire countryside last

June and we are isolating ourselves here

forthetimebeing.

We are trying our best to grow our

own vegetables. This is our first spring

here and we have endless packets of

seeds to sow.

Yesterday we planted rows of peas

and radishes in the vegetable beds,

which we had made last autumn.

On the other side of the garden I made

a tent-like structure out of bamboo

canes — I am hoping our sweet peas

might like climbing up it, eventually.

Indoors, we are spending time cook-

ing. It has been fun trying out those

dishes that we always mean to get

around to but never have done.

Lastweekwemadeourownpapp-

ardelle, which we dried on

wooden spoons balanced on

empty wine and Campari

bottles. (Aperitif hour from

6pm has become a daily thing

inthishousehold.)

Ihavealsobeenattempting

ashortruneverydaytokeep

my mind in check. On my

sprints through the fields and

woods I like to

keep a beady eye

out for food grow-

ing in the wild,

such as garlic, and

on my way back to

the house I gather fist-

fuls of daffodils which I bring

inside and shove into

chippedoldjugs.

It is a huge privilege to be sitting it out

in the countryside; witnessing the

arrivalofspringonadailybasisreminds

me that the world keeps on spinning.

The promise of tulips and sunshine

certainlyhelps.

@lukeedwardhall

Yinka Ilori, designer

I bought a game called Magna-

Tiles and a box of wooden toys —

shapes to build structures with. I

have been playing with Lego

too, building anything and

everything. It is about trying

to find design solutions for

the situation we are in now.

Using the wooden toys, I

have made a prototype

“social-distancing

bench”, which I have

posted to Instagram.

The concept of

social distancing is

new to everyone,

including me. I wanted

to see what it would look

like in a public space as an

object. If lockdown contin-

ues, the bench might be some-

thing you see in a park towards

rian food. It is still a creative process.

Chefsareartists,too.

@yinka_ilori

See interview with Yinka Ilori on page 8

Matilda Goad,

interior designer

What I have found helpful — probably

partly to do with being eight months’

pregnant — is sorting out and cleaning.

It feels therapeutic, unlike when I am

doing something creative, which is

never finished and can be a turbulent

andexhaustingprocess.

As I am in self-isolation, I have taken

to “make do and mend”. I google clean-

ing products that I can concoct myself,

such as ketchup for polishing old pots

and pans, or a potato cut in half, dipped

in salt and used to scrub a saucepan. We

are used to living in the middle of a city

and being able to shop for anything.

Now we have to compromise. But I have

found these home-made concoctions

work in exactly the same way as my

usualproducts.

Ihavebeenironing,too,whichInever

normally do, and I have made my own

linen water. It is a mixture of essential

oils in water — I love the smell of gerani-

ums, so I added some of that, and I have

mixed it with lavender because the

(Left) Yinka

Ilori is ‘letting

a creative flow

take its own

route’ with

his wooden

sculptures;

(right) Beata

Human’s little

house at the end

of the garden

(Clockwise

from left)

Kitten Grayson’s

branches and

flowers,

collected on

her daily walk;

Kelly Wearstler

has also been

foraging to bring

nature indoors;

Matilda Goad’s

seed catalogues;

Luke Edward

Hall and his

partner Duncan

(pictured)

are growing

vegetables

‘I brought in an old branch

from my daily walk

and turned it into an

installation with flowers

that I dried myself ’

The promise of tulips

the end of the year. Every day I try to

make a new sculpture for Instagram

with the wooden toys. Hopefully, after

thisisolationperiod,Iwillhave20or30.

It is always nice to meet a client

because I slow down and take time to

think about design from their perspec-

tive. But here in lockdown, I have no

brief, so it is about letting a creative flow

take its own route. I have been process-

ingmythoughtsandhavingfun.

Along with the sculptures I have been

doing a lot of cooking, including Nige-

Interiors| Designers and

decorators reveal how they

are finding comfort during

lockdown. ByLucy Watson

andEdin Imsirovic

moths hate it. And I have found comfort

inmendingthings.

Goingthroughyourstorecupboardor

fridgeandwiping,sortingandtrimming

down is therapeutic. It is to do with con-

trol: the situation at the moment is so

unknown but this is something very

tangibleandeasilyachieved.

If you can bring anything from out-

side indoors it will lift your mood. Even

pottedherbs,orasinglesteminavase,if

youarenotabletovisitaflorist.Ibought

a basil plant yesterday, half for cooking,

halfforaesthetics.

@matildagoad

Kelly Wearstler,

interior designer

I have been doing something I have

neverdonebefore—foraging.Myfamily

and I have been spending more time

together now that we are all home and

we have been going on nature hikes

aroundourMalibuhome,takingtimeto

gooutsideandgetsomeexercise.

On our daily excursions, I have been

collecting beautiful wildflowers and

bringing them home to make little

arrangements. It has been so medita-

tive, and a way to bring the outdoors

inside—especiallywelcomenow.

@kellywearstler

Beata Heuman,

interior designer

The best homes are life-enhancing and

all-enveloping: little worlds where you

want for nothing. I am so obsessed with

creating these environments that not

only do I spend my life doing this for a

living, I also think of little else than my

own home in my spare time. So I am

actually quite happy to be housebound,

for the time being, but I have tried a few

newthingstojollythingsalong.

I bought a very nifty socket on Ama-

zon for £13, which comes with a remote

control, so that I can turn on the lamp in

the little house at the end of our small

garden. At night, it gives the illusion of

extending our living space, even though

wearenotoutthere—cosyandinviting.

I am also getting into pot plants: it

feels good to care for them and I like

moving them around for variety, which

is healthy in a space you spend a lot of

timein.Thesamegoesforcandlesinthe

evening, or styling things differently,

suchasbyrearrangingabookshelf.

Try to make things as enjoyable as

they possibly can be: coffee, for exam-

ple, with the best beans and drunk from

your nicest cup. In our household, per-

haps more important than all else, we

have a very well-stocked bar. It is

unbeatable support in times like these.

@beataheuman

‘Sorting feels therapeutic,

unlike something creative,

which is never finished and

can be a turbulent process’

How have you been spending

your time at home? What are your

tips and recommendations for

bringing comfort and cheer,

wherever you are in the world?

Leave your comments beneath

the online version of this story

at FT.com/house-home.

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