Homing

Artist Sue Webster built a career and a home by refusing to fit in — it’s why she identifies with the Mole Man so much.  She found fame alongside her husband Tim Noble, as part of the post-YBA generation — their anarchic self-portraits, made from found objects and discarded rubbish, made them the “rock stars” of British art. Together they built the Dirty House in Shoreditch, which helped define th...

Most of us think we need more — more space, more things, more possessions. Japanese architect Takero Shimazaki believes we may already have enough. Takero has designed some of the most elegant private houses in Britain, including one that was nominated for the Stirling Prize. His buildings are never grand or showy. Instead, they are thoughtful and restrained. He grew up in Japan, where there’s a l...

For fashion designer turned ceramicist Henry Holland, reinvention isn't about starting over – it's about evolving on your own terms. Henry first made his name with the cult fashion label House of Holland, famous for cheeky slogans like 'Do Me Daily Christopher Bailey' and 'Let's Breed Bella Hadid'. But in recent years, he has pivoted to making homewares and contemporary ceramics, using the Japanes...

We think of home as our ultimate refuge – a sanctuary from the noise and pollution of the outside world. But what if the space meant to protect us is actually the one we should be questioning most? Dr. Jenny Goodman , a practitioner of ecological medicine, has spent years examining how modern life exposes us to toxins and sharing practical steps we can take to reduce exposure. Jenny breaks down th...

Beyond the whirlwind of galleries and exhibitions, Tate Director Maria Balshaw 's home holds the quieter, deeply personal moments of her life. Growing up in Northampton, she longed to escape her characterless new-build house and nurtured a desire to be different. Her current home in Kent is a reflection of that creative rebellion, with medieval beams at its centre, classical sash windows on one si...

Why are some people drawn to minimalist architecture while others prefer nostalgic rooms filled with antiques and personal artefacts? Writer and philosopher Alain de Botton believes the answer might lie deeper than taste.  For many years, Alain has explored the emotional forces that shape our inner lives – from love and loss to status anxiety. Through his educational organisation, The School of Li...

Landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith has spent most of his life on the same plot of land, tending its gardens and letting the land shape him in return.   Tom has designed gardens at places like Chatsworth, Tate Britain and The Hepworth Wakefield. He’s won nine gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, and was awarded an OBE in 2023.   But long before any of that, he was a child roaming Serge Hill in...

Anxiety is something many of us carry quietly. It can shape everything, from how we move through the world to how we feel at home. In this episode of Homing , Dr Alexandra Shaker explores how the home can become a sanctuary and how physical environments can either soothe or unsettle us. Alexandra is a specialist in anxiety disorders with a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her book The Narrowing combine...

Author and podcaster Elizabeth Day spent years chasing a vision of the ‘perfect’ home life, only to discover that reality can look very different. She grew up in the Northern Irish countryside, in a home that was physically safe but shadowed by unrest in the wider community. Childhood fears of monsters under the bed were replaced by the reality of masked terrorists, which has made the concept of h...

In the first episode of a new strand of Homing , Katherine May frames the home as a place to slow down and take refuge from the overstimulating world beyond. Katherine is known for her bestselling book Wintering , which explores the importance of rest and retreat during the fallow periods of life that we all experience.  The conversation delves into what happens when we allow ourselves to notice n...

For interior designer and art curator Natasha Landers, home is where the public and private worlds meet. Her Walthamstow house is a curated gallery, where Black art is not just displayed, but lives among her daily life. Natasha grew up in a Hackney council house, sharing a bedroom with her brother in a home where space was tight, but imagination wasn’t.  From an early age, she found ways to expres...

For Dan Pearson, working with the landscape isn’t simply his profession — it’s how he makes sense of the world. In this emotional conversation, he opens up about self-image, mindfulness and the alchemy of gardening – something that can feel like magic, but is really about careful attention and a deep respect for the natural rhythms of life. Dan fondly recalls his childhood home: a dilapidated hous...

For homewares designer Matilda Goad, balance isn’t just a design principle – it’s a way of living. Her home is a reflection of that: comfortable and familiar, but full of playful touches. Growing up in a country cottage, boredom became a lesson in invention. With her grandfather an artist and her mother a fashion designer, Matilda was surrounded by creativity from an early age and developed a stro...

For a special Christmas episode of Homing , I was invited into the home of cookery writer and ultimate host, Skye McAlpine. Skye is like a modern-day “Mother Christmas”. She was raised between London and Venice by parents who were great bon viveurs , and her childhood home was an open house, filled with guests, conversation and celebration. It’s there that she absorbed the idea that a home is mean...

Max Rollitt is a highly respected interior decorator and antiques dealer. Extraordinary pieces pass through his hands every day, yet most of the objects he chooses to live with at home have little monetary value. Instead, they are tokens of respect and love. The conversation begins with Max’s childhood in Winchester , where he struggled at school because he processed information in images – someth...

Much like her taxidermy -based sculptures, Polly Morgan is an artist who delights in looking beneath the surface.  Her home in Camberwell is deliberately minimalist - a space viewers may recognise from Netflix’s Baby Reindeer . As she prepares to move out after 13 years, with most of her possessions already shipped off to the countryside, she reflects on the highs and lows of her time there.  Grow...

Chris Packham has always fascinated me. As a broadcaster, naturalist, and conservationist, he’s helped millions connect with wildlife and the natural world through shows like BBC’s Springwatch – but sitting down with him in his home, I realised how much of his story is about creating refuge, both at home and within himself. In this deeply personal conversation, Chris speaks candidly about his chil...

The Homing podcast explores the importance of home in shaping who we are.   Join Matt Gibberd , author and co-founder of The Modern House , as he takes listeners inside the homes of inspiring guests to examine what really happens inside our walls – how they influence our emotions, creativity and sense of self.   Featuring leading voices from art, film, wellbeing and beyond, Homing is a thoughtful...

Bethan designs everything from furniture to lighting and textiles, and some of her work is currently on display at the Design Museum in London.     She presents herself to the world like a human peacock. She dyes her hair different colours, wears layers of vivid clothing, and puts dots on her cheeks.     Her flat in east London isn’t exactly demure either. We recorded this podcast in the company o...

Today's guest is the wonderful Lakwena Maciver. Lakwena is an artist whose work has exploded out of the Instagram generation. She uses bright colours and patterns inspired by her African heritage and bold written slogans. Given that her work is so positive and uplifting, I was really interested to find out that she's a natural pessimist with a very tough inner critic. So the words that appear in h...

Christopher was President of the Royal Academy for eight years and given a knighthood in 2021.    I first met him a few years ago, when The Modern House was selling his beautiful home in Camberwell. Shortly after that, he had a joint exhibition in Los Angeles with my wife, Faye Toogood, so I got to know him better during the week we were out there together.    This podcast gave me the chance to go...

Zandra's home is one of the most colourful, cluttered and downright bonkers living spaces I've ever been in.    We recorded this podcast just before Christmas, so there was an extra layer of sparkle on top of the kaleidoscope.    Zandra walked me through her incredible life story... from being born during an air raid in 1940, to being discovered by  American Vogue's  fashion editor Diana Vreeland....

Nigel is the first podcast guest ever to make me cry. I'm a big fan of his writing, and suspected he'd be a kindred spirit, but spending the day with him in his house was an overwhelming experience I wasn't prepared for. He lives around the corner from where I grew up, in a pared-back way that feels very familiar. In this remarkably honest conversation, he outlines the essential role his home play...

Kevin has been a fixture on our tellies for so many years that we feel like we know him. But, actually, I didn’t have a clue about his life story, so this conversation was really interesting for me. He tells me about growing up in what he refers to as an ‘architectural zoo’ of housing from different eras. We talk about his involvement with Footlights, the famous comedy troupe at Cambridge Universi...

Skye Gyngell was born and raised in Sydney, but has never felt Australian. In this honest and heartfelt interview, she paints a picture of a deeply introverted child who wanted to “turn down the volume” on everybody. Her father, Bruce Gyngell, was the first person to appear on TV in Australia, and uttered the immortal line, “Good evening, and welcome to television.” She describes him as very flamb...