I was asked this question recently for a magazine feature about my home … “Do you believe that the furniture and the decor you surround yourself with have a way of impacting your emotions?"
I immediately thought of my vintage leather club chair; it may be old and battered (and many will think it’s seen better days), but it holds countless memories for me. It’s where I curl up, where I nap and where I drink my coffee on a winter’s morning; I remember countless cuddles with my children in this chair and finishing off favourite books; I can recall sitting here having contractions before my babies came along and sinking into it to mourn the loss of too many loved ones.
Over the years what may seem like just an inanimate object has been at the heart of my home and with the passing of time it becomes more and more treasured. I’ve laughed in it, I’ve cried in it and more than once I’ve been kissed in it.
My vintage collecting has always been about rescuing the things that once held precious memories for their previous owners. I’ve never bought something because it’s fashionable or on-trend or because everyone has one. Instead I collect pieces because I know that they once meant the world to someone else and now they mean the world to me. That sentimentality also goes some way in explaining why I struggle to throw anything out!