the seasonal home

"Home is not simply a mark upon a map, anymore than a river's just water. It is the place at the centre of the compass from which every arrow radiates and where the heart is fixed. It's a force that forever draws us back or lures us on. For where the home is there lies hope...and the future waits and everything is possible."
- closing quote from an episode of Call The Midwife

In the past few weeks I've made changes in each room; home has shifted with the seasons in subtle yet essential ways. Two pairs of gumboots sit near the front door in lieu of sandals; scarves and raincoats have replaced beach baskets and sunhats on the coatrack. Each bed now wears flannelette and mohair and wool. 

Whilst the balcony is definitely looking bare and wintry, the kitchen is abundant with muted colour. Pears and apples and pumpkins grace the fruit bowl, oats are favoured over museli and a pillar candle offers ambient light in the evening and early morning. 

I've been thinking about the way a home morphs and expands to fit the growing needs of a family, how baskets fill with blankets and shelves disappear beneath towers of books. In the six years we have been here I have re-arranged each room, making space for both practical and aesthetic purposes. I've added and subtracted in a bid to refresh and rarely have I spent a lot of money; wabi-sabi is my constant inspiration. Changing the way things look ultimately affects the mood of the home; our little abode is currently telling a winter story of warmth, cosiness and early nights. 

What seasonal changes do you make in your home? 

Next week I'll be working with stylist Stefanie Ingram on a little series about creating beautiful vignettes with simple, everyday items. I hope you'll pop back to see what we come up with...