How we choose to decorate our homes often reveals our sense of identity, interests and past. Ornaments, paintings, furniture and even room decor choices often have unique stories attached to them. Ornaments can form part of collections and can be added to by the inhabitant as well as gifted to them or inherited. One resident I visited recently has a beautifully presented sitting room, which is filled with hundreds of ornaments. The vast majority are housed in a large glass fronted display cabinet. The cabinet was divided into three sections: her own collection and those of her mother and father. Other ornaments were then carefully arranged into groups, nearly always with a story behind each item. To be surrounded by these items is a comfort, especially to those living alone, as a lot of the objects have been gifted and bring to mind celebrations, milestones and occasions with family and friends. 

The walls of the homes I’ve visited have been decorated with a mixture of family photographs and pictures of the natural world. I have noticed that there is a trend among the Woolaway homes for bringing nature into the home. For example this autumnal scene pictured above. This was in a home where the occupants were preparing to move house. The walls were nearly empty, but this landscape painting remained, perhaps left up so the room didn’t seem so bare for the final days in their home. These residents remembered when the area was only trees, before the houses were built.

Colour is also important in people’s homes. When I walked into one kitchen I instantly noticed the yellow theme: yellow walls, kettle, tins, ornaments, mats, pictures, post it reminders and even the Utterly Butterly tub. The resident explained, ‘Yellow is a happy colour and it brings the sunshine in.’ 

The home is a person’s private sanctuary and net curtains are often used. They let the light in, but afford privacy and also allow more identity to be expressed in the choice of pattern, which often references nature. This last photograph shows some floral net curtains with a suspended sun catcher, which apparently enthralled the resident’s grandchildren with rainbow lighting effects which played across the front room. 

I’m looking forward to visiting more Woolaway homes in November and will continue to share photographs, stories and reflections on this blog. I would love to hear more stories of life in and around the North Taunton Woolaway houses. If you would like to get involved, a home visit can be arranged by contacting the Woolaway Project Team on 01823 219 159 or northtauntonwoolawayproject@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk

Carolyn Lefley

All of the homes I have visited so far have included a tour of the garden, as an extension of the home. Even those in flats with shared gardens have fond memories of tending allotments and sharing herbs and vegetables with their neighbours. People’s gardens seem to be their sanctuary and joy is found in nurturing and growing plants. One resident has grown a fruit tree, from a seed from her native country, some thirty years ago and the tree now reaches up to her first floor flat window.

Another resident designed a fairy themed rockery for his wife which illuminates at night. I’ve also had glimpses into potting sheds, greenhouses and most interestingly, hobby sheds. One resident kindly showed me his ‘boat shed’ where he enjoys time to himself building intricate, miniature boats.

Walking around people’s gardens and looking into different sheds has triggered fond memories for the residents of gardening triumphs and family gatherings. But people are also now thinking ahead and beginning to pot up plants, preparing to take them on to their new homes. These plants, garden ornaments and sheds are part of people’s homes and they want to take these treasures with them. With the seasons changing and the leaves turning, residents will be tending their gardens less. Last month I was proudly shown a beautiful passion flower hedge in a front garden.

This month I walked through a front garden with a grapevine archway, with which the resident makes his own wine. The front gardens in the area are also seen as extensions of the home, with occupants sitting out to catch the sun, or in some cases chatting to neighbours passing by. 

I’ll finish this post with a lovely story recounted this week. I was sitting with a gentleman looking out of his window to his front garden and the road beyond. He started to reminisce about when he first bought his family to see their new home thirty years ago. Then he recalled his old job and its frequent proximity to his home!

‘I used to work on the buses and the route came past my house. If I was thirsty, I’d stop outside my house and pop in for a drink. Those were the Rhubarb and Custard buses, Ford Transit 16 seaters, the old B route’. 

I would love to hear more stories of life in and around the North Taunton Woolaway houses. Memories of what home means to you, homemaking, your family, your neighbours, what the area was like before these houses were built and when the houses were new (or new to you). If you would like to get involved a home visit can be arranged by contacting the Woolaway Project Team on 01823 219 159 or northtauntonwoolawayproject@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk

Carolyn Lefley