“The home should be the treasure chest of living,” wrote the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier in a line that continues to resonate. Our homes are not merely places to inhabit, but spaces that gather the textures of who we are as individuals.
For French painter Claude Monet, his farmhouse in Giverny and its surrounding gardens evolved into a deeply personal canvas, shaped by the devotion to colour and light that defined his artwork. For Italian fashion designer Valentino, Château de Wideville near Paris was an embodiment of his love of opulence and theatricality; each room an expression of his exacting sense of beauty. And for French poet and playwright Jean Cocteau who tattooed the walls of his Riviera villa, the space carries indelible traces of his creativity, inspired by his travels in Greece and affinity with Greek mythology – describing the house as “another world, a world in which it is indispensable to forget the one in which we live.”
Here, we explore the ways in which the home becomes a reflection of oneself. Our spaces, from floor to ceiling, lie layered with the imprint of experience.
Castle Trematonia, Cornwall
This heritage Cornish castle was given a new lease of life under the custodianship of House of Hackney founders, Frieda and Javvy. Its historic, stately bones are now entwined with their signature botanical prints; a vivid expression of their love and reverence for Mother Nature. “Now, the castle serves as the gateway to a mythical land dreamt up by its newest guardians,” Frieda notes. It’s a riot of colour and pattern – of bedroom nooks draped in springtime floral canopies, of leopard print carpets, and of a bespoke deVOL kitchen stirring visions of leafy jungle canopies. Tropicality takes bloom in the nine acres of grounds that surround too, with soaring palms framing the estuary and guiding you down towards the Indian-inspired pool and pool house. “Out here, amongst all the rich colours and evocative scents, you’ll experience not only the sensory pleasure but the peaceful, un-lonely solitude of the natural world.”
Cadence, West Sussex
Cadence is layered with the life of its owner and creator, architect Adam Richards. Beyond the striking façade and sculptural interiors lie moments that have shaped him, both emotionally and creatively. “The house is a kind of biography of our lives,” he explains. The imprint of personal loss is quietly embedded within its architecture – after losing his father in a plane crash as a child, Adam found resonance in the 1946 film ‘A Matter of Life and Death.’ “The staircase on the top floor is based on the film’s vision of a doomed airman’s fight to return to life and love,” he notes. Elsewhere, the cathedral-like kitchen draws from Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1979 film ‘Stalker’, echoing its atmosphere of suspended time and searching. The result is a home that feels at once Brutalist and otherworldly, yet grounded in the life Adam has built with his wife, expressed through objects gathered on their honeymoon and antique trips to nearby Petworth.
Aria, Somerset
In Somerset, Aria is living art – the home of world-renowned sculptor Neil Simmons and artist Emma de Bendern Simmons. Designed by the couple themselves, the house unfolds as an extension of their creative practice. Most notable is the bespoke poured concrete spiral staircase that rises through its centre; a sculpture in its own right crafted by Neil – whose works include the Princess Diana Memorial at Althorp House and a statue of Margaret Thatcher in the Guildhall Art Gallery. Yet Aria reflects more than their work alone, revealing the meeting of two sensibilities. “With my Swedish background, I like properties light and white,” says Emma, “whereas my English husband wants everything dark and colourful.” The result is a home held in deliberate balance; a bright and airy canvas enriched with depth and drama, from its beetroot-red kitchen to a commanding portrait of the Duke of Cumberland in the living room.
Carnivàle, Isle of Wight
A carnival of sorts, this Isle of Wight beach house is the home of Bestival founders, Josie and Rob de Bank. From the zebra-print zig zag swimming pool tiles to the buttercup-yellow bedroom complete with paper mâché animals, here is a home so sure of its identity. “Both Bestival and our home are filled with colour, props, art, textiles and music that we have collected together over the last 30 years,” Josie explains. Carnivàle, then, is a physical amalgamation of her and Rob’s lives together – expressed through carefully-interwoven objects. Vintage Indian doorframes speak of former travels, art created by their children embodies their love story, and a crocheted peace sign taken from Bestival’s main stage is a token of their years dedicated to creating one of the UK’s most iconic parties.
Pomona, Cornwall
What appears to be an unassuming Cornish bungalow is, in fact, a home whose every corner is laced with memory. The former residence of British sculptor Terence Coventry, sitting within his sculpture garden, it has now passed into the hands of his son James and daughter-in-law Liz. Pomona carries a museum-like quality: Terence’s original works adorn the walls throughout, from early art school oil self-portraits and life drawings to simplified animal sketches that echo the sculptures outside. Together, they form a living retrospective of his diverse life’s work, inviting guests to inhabit his creative legacy. “We feel the house mirrors the exterior elements that Terence loved so much,” Liz recalls. It is a home bound by continuity; its walls holding not only a body of work, but the enduring connection between father and son. Each piece speaks to James’ pride in his father, and to the symbiotic love Terence held for the landscapes that shaped him.
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