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PODCAST

Homing

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 journey into remarkable homes and the minds that shape them. Be prepared for tears, laughter, and

arts design

All Episodes

37:41

Sue Stuart-Smith on Nature, Childhood and The Garden...

Homing ·

2026/05/07

Sue Stuart-Smith is a psychiatrist, gardener and the author of The Well-Gardened Mind. She has spent her career making the case that going outside and getting your hands in the soil is one of the most powerful things we can do for our mental health.Sue runs the Serge Hill Project, along with her husband, Tom Stuart-Smith — a garden and events space where children and groups from disadvantaged backgrounds come to learn about the profound link between gardening and wellbeing. Her research

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64:22

Why Doesn’t Where You Live Feel Like Home? — with...

Homing ·

2026/04/30

We tend to think of home as the space inside our four walls. But for David Engwicht, home doesn't stop at the front door – it extends out into the neighbourhood beyond.David is a master placemaker and urban designer – he explores how the design of our towns and cities can either bring us closer or push us apart. With his cowboy boots, heavy-framed glasses and 'Pat Cash' hair, he's more like a rock ’n’ roll philosopher than an urban thinker. His philosophy was shaped by a nomadic childhood,

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83:11

Sue Webster on Punk, The Mole House & The Art of...

Homing ·

2026/04/23

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 the area as the epicentre of London's art scene.More recently, Sue has created an equally radical

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54:48

Do We Really Need More Stuff? — with Japanese...

Homing ·

2026/04/16

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 long tradition of embracing imperfection and accepting that materials age naturally. His

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72:38

Henry Holland on Reinvention, Resilience and a Home...

Homing ·

2026/04/09

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 Japanese technique of nerikomi.With his East London house currently being refurbished from top to

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35:31

How to Detoxify Your Home with Dr. Jenny Goodman

Homing ·

2026/03/26

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 the "cocktail effect" of everyday cleaning products, the common mistakes we make with food storage

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76:32

Maria Balshaw on Creative Rebellion, Life After the...

Homing ·

2026/03/19

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 side and Crittalls on the other.Maria grows vegetables in her garden year-round, swims in the sea

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58:46

Alain de Botton: Is Your Home Making You Happy?

Homing ·

2026/03/12

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 Life, he has focused on wellbeing and self-understanding. Much of this thinking connects directly

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60:21

Tom Stuart-Smith on Landscapes, Legacy & The...

Homing ·

2026/03/05

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 Hertfordshire, the estate his grandfather bought decades ago. Tom spent his childhood climbing

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68:30

Anxiety in the Body: Creating a Sanctuary at Home...

Homing ·

2026/02/26

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 combines her personal experiences of panic attacks with what she’s learned over years as a practitioner

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79:47

Elizabeth Day on Perfectionism, Positive Affirmations...

Homing ·

2026/02/19

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 home as a place of safety so central to her life today.In the high-pressure early years of her

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70:39

Wintering at Home: The Power of Rest & Ritual, with...

Homing ·

2026/02/12

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 natural rhythms and cycles: the solstices, the shifting light, and the subtle signals that tell us

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69:36

Natasha Landers on Curating Black Art, East London &...

Homing ·

2026/02/05

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 express herself – decorating her bedroom and reworking her clothes. She was the first in her family to

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73:28

Dan Pearson on Landscape Design, Mindfulness & the...

Homing ·

2026/01/22

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 house where wildlife knew no boundaries, with rat holes under doors and vegetation pressing up

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74:21

Matilda Goad on Balance, Joy and Playful Homeware Design

Homing ·

2026/01/12

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 strong drive to prove herself.That ambition runs through everything she does. From designing her

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71:38

Skye McAlpine on Hosting, Christmas & the Myth of...

Homing ·

2025/12/11

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 meant for sharing – a philosophy she has carried into both her life and her work.If you follow Skye

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73:41

Max Rollitt on Interior Decorating, Sentimentality &...

Homing ·

2025/11/27

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 – something we’d now recognise as dyslexia. It’s this visual approach that is the foundation for a ‘Max

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85:18

Polly Morgan on Taxidermy, Family & Letting Things Go

Homing ·

2025/11/13

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. Growing up in the Cotswolds, Polly’s childhood was characterised by watching animals die and by seeing

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1:28:42

Bethan Laura Wood: the multidisciplinary designer on...

Homing ·

2025/09/30

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 worldlike 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 of various hats and handbags, a jar of balloons in liquid, and a lamp shaped like a jellyfish.In this conversation,

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54:49

Lakwena Maciver: the renowned artist on colour,...

Homing ·

2025/09/18

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 her art, which say things like 'Do Better' and 'Raise Your Hopes', are actually messages to herself.She

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97 results

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