Homing

We spend around a third of our lives asleep, yet for so many of us, getting a good night’s sleep can feel like a real struggle. Could our homes hold some of the answers to sleeping better? In this conversation, leading sleep expert and Oxford Professor of Circadian Neuroscience Russell Foster rethinks the rules of sleep and explores how we can create a home environment that supports our natural rhythms. We discuss why getting outside in the morning is one of the best things we can do for sleep, how to navigate a partner's different sleeping habits and why sleep trackers often do more harm than good. But perhaps the most reassuring idea of all is that we need to stop trying so hard. As Russell points out, the more we worry about sleep, the more elusive it can become. Sometimes the best thing we can do is create the right conditions and let it take care of itself. Please note: the views expressed in this episode are those of the guest and are not intended as medical advice. To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Matt Gibberd visits writer and creative consultant Charlene Prempeh at her home in North London. Charlene is the founder of A Vibe Called Tech , a creative studio that champions Black culture. She’s a columnist for the Financial Times , and curator of an upcoming exhibition at the Design Museum called The Nue Black Aesthetic . Charlene grew up in a small council house in Canning Town that was, in her words, "teeming with people". She was the youngest of four children, raised by a single mother, with cousins, friends and members of the Ghanaian community constantly coming and going. In this conversation, we talk about how that crowded childhood left her with a love of solitude. We explore why she doesn't believe that more space necessarily makes a happier home, and how, despite having very little money growing up, the dinner table always felt like a place of abundance. We also discuss why she found herself shape-shifting when she arrived at Oxford University, the importance of books and beautiful objects, and what it means to be truly at home with yourself. Join us over on Patreon to watch the full home tour. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, https://www.patreon.com/HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Lemn Sissay is a poet, playwright and broadcaster. Few people have thought more deeply about the meaning of home than Lemn. As a baby, Lemn was separated from his Ethiopian mother and placed into foster care with a white family. He grew up believing he had been abandoned, not even knowing his real name. From the age of twelve, he was placed in a series of children's homes, where he remained until adulthood. In this conversation, we explore how those early experiences shaped Lemn’s understanding of family, belonging and identity. We talk about how poetry gave him a sense of place when nowhere else could, and what it means to build a sense of home inside yourself after losing it so young. These discussions are intended for general information and should not be considered medical, psychological or professional advice. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, please consult a qualified professional. Lemn Sissay: See Lemn on tour: https://www.fane.co.uk/lemn-sissay#event-listing Share your family story on Lemn's global storytelling website: https://tellmesomething.family/ To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Anna Jones is a cook, food writer, and one of the leading voices in modern vegetarian cooking. For Anna, making food for someone is the ultimate act of care. She began her career working alongside Jamie Oliver, before becoming one of Britain's best-loved food writers in her own right with bestsellers like A Modern Way to Eat and One: Pot, Pan, Planet. Anna grew up in a close-knit family where food was central to everything and, for a shy child, cooking became a way to express herself. She also shares how losing close family friends in the Lockerbie air disaster instilled a lifelong instinct to be the dependable one. We explore motherhood, postnatal depression and what happens when caring for other people leaves too little room to care for yourself. This episode was recorded in Anna's Victorian House in Hackney. Join us over on Patreon to watch the full house tour. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt More of Anna: Books - https://annajones.co.uk/books Website - https://annajones.co.uk/ Weekly newsletter - https://substack.com/@annajonesfood Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/we_are_food/ To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, https://www.patreon.com/HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Martha Beck is a sociologist, bestselling author and one of the world’s leading life coaches. She grew up in the Mormon community in Utah, in a home that was a source of shame for her and her siblings. Her childhood was one of profound anxiety and depression, and she’s written openly about the abuse she experienced from her father. Those traumatic experiences led to a lifelong search for safety – and what it really means to feel at home. In this conversation, Martha shares why beauty became a lifeline during the darkest periods of her life, how she learned to meditate despite finding it almost unbearable at first and why she believes our homes reflect our psychological state. These discussions are intended for general information and should not be considered medical, psychological or professional advice. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, please consult a qualified professional. Martha’s Work: Martha Beck, PhD, is a Harvard-trained sociologist, world-renowned coach and New York Times bestselling author. She has published nine non-fiction books, one novel, and more than 200 magazine articles. Inspired by the ideas in her latest book, Beyond Anxiety , this conversation explores how play can be a powerful antidote to anxious thinking. To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Jinny Blom is one of Britain's leading landscape designers. She has created over 700 gardens – and each one begins, in some way, with a search for security. Jinny trained as a psychologist and psychotherapist, working for many years in mental health, before a prophetic dream prompted her to devote herself to her lifelong interest in natural landscapes and gardens. Since then, Jinny has created spaces that promote the relationship between nature and health – from her sky garden at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to a healing garden she created with King Charles. In this conversation, Jinny speaks openly about a childhood marked by abandonment and abuse, and how those early experiences shaped the way she experiences architecture and landscape. We talk about the childhood hiding place that still influences her work today, the unusual rules she follows when designing a garden, and how creating beautiful landscapes became a way of making sense of a very difficult start in life. This episode was recorded in Jinny's converted sixteenth-century threshing barn in Oxford. Join us over on Patreon to watch the full home tour. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt Jinny's Current Work: Jinny’s studio has projects across various continents as well as in the UK. Her most recent book ‘ What Makes a Garden ’ won Garden Book of the Year in 2024 published by Frances Lincoln/Quarto. The accompanying self-made podcast series launched in October 2023, with guests as varied as Tim Walker, Skye Gyngell and Brian Eno. The studio has won prestigious awards for large, completed estates, some of which appear in her new book. Jinny has launched a bespoke range of English ‘ landscape colours ’ designed by her specifically for use outside. She has teamed up with Dominic Myland, the owner of the family run paint maker and Royal Warrant holder Mylands. It is a unique plant-based formula for wood, metal and masonry. To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, https://www.patreon.com/HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Jackie Kay is an acclaimed poet and novelist, who was previously the national poet of Scotland – a role known as the Makar. She’s the author of Red Dust Road , a memoir that chronicles a twenty-year search for her birth parents. Jackie was adopted as a baby by a white Scottish couple and grew up in suburban Glasgow. Throughout her life, she's had to explore questions of identity, belonging and family – themes that run through some of the most celebrated writing of the past forty years. In this conversation, Jackie reflects on how the love of her adoptive parents helped her navigate racism, what it means to feel at odds with your national identity, and whether it's ever possible to feel completely at home in yourself. These discussions are intended for general information and should not be considered medical, psychological or professional advice. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, please consult a qualified professional. Jackie Kay is an award-winning Scottish poet and author of Selected Poems 1991-2006 , May Day and Red Dust Road . To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Architecture critic and writer Phineas Harper believes that good design and heritage belong to all of us. Phin lives on Vanbrugh Park, a post-war council estate in Greenwich designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, the architects behind the Barbican. It's a home that completely reflects Phin’s ethos: architecture doesn’t have to be fancy to enrich our lives. Phin is deeply woven into the fabric of the neighbourhood. Together with their neighbours, they've transformed neglected corners of the estate into gardens and trained vines up the old washing posts. Every March, they all come together for a celebration called "Unlocking", where they plant a tree and share some of Phin's homemade rhubarb ice cream. In this conversation, Phin reflects on growing up on a generic new-build estate, what it felt like to be an outsider and why they've become so passionate about repair. Phin also reflects on the end of their long-term relationship, and how that experience transformed their understanding of what home really means. This episode was filmed inside Phin Harper’s Greenwich Estate Flat. Join us over on Patreon to watch the full home tour. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt More from Phin: Phineas Harper is a roving reporter for The Modern House and Inigo. Each month, they share a digital "postcard" that celebrates the "friendly, playful, warm, cosy, squishy and joyful" side of architecture. Follow Phin's escapades at https://www.youtube.com/@themodernhouse_films. To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, https://www.patreon.com/HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Does modern design shelter us, or is it cutting us off from the world? Architect Stefan Behling believes that many of today's buildings have turned us into what he calls "humans in captivity”. They keep the temperature constant, shut out the sounds and smells of the outside world, and misunderstand what it really means to be comfortable. As a senior partner at Foster + Partners, Stefan has spent more than thirty years exploring sustainable architecture and human-centric design, working on projects ranging from Apple Park in California to experimental habitats for NASA. In this conversation, we explore what the science of the senses and evolutionary biology can teach us about creating spaces that genuinely support our wellbeing. We discuss why constant comfort isn't always good for us, what space travel reveals about our need for nature, and why design should prioritise the psychological over the physiological. These discussions are intended for general information and should not be considered medical, psychological or professional advice. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, please consult a qualified professional. To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Sophie Hicks has helped fashion brands like Paul Smith, Yohji Yamamoto and Acne Studios translate their vision into built form. But before becoming one of Britain's most respected architects, she was immersed in the world of fashion. She worked alongside Grace Coddington and Azzedine Alaïa, styled shoots for Vogue and Tatler, and became an iconic face of the early Eighties after appearing on the cover of i-D magazine in a portrait by David Bailey. In this conversation, we explore her childhood between London and the Sussex countryside, why she pivoted from fashion to architecture, and the story behind her austere personal style. We also discuss what makes a house feel calm, her belief that spaces should do as little as possible while meaning as much as possible, and why she's fascinated by the challenge of creating a hotel that feels like home. This episode was recorded in Sophie’s house in West London. A full tour of Sophie’s home is available to our Patreon community. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt Contact Sophie: www.sophiehicks.com To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, https://www.patreon.com/HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Loneliness, anxiety and a loss of belonging are among the defining crises of our time. Johann Hari believes they share a common cause. Johann is the author of Lost Connections and Stolen Focus – two of the most widely read books on mental health published in the last decade. He argues that depression and anxiety are often misunderstood: not simply as biological problems, but as signals that our modern environment is failing to meet some of our deepest psychological needs. In this episode of Homing , we discuss the human need for a tribe, how the attention crisis fractures our relationships, and the practical ways we can begin to rebuild connection. It’s a conversation about one of the defining questions of our time: why do so many of us feel like we don't belong – and how can we find our way home? These discussions are intended for general information and should not be considered medical, psychological or professional advice. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, please consult a qualified professional. Guest: www.johannhari.com To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Margot Henderson is one of Britain's most influential chefs, and a pioneer of “nose-to-tail” cooking. She's spent her career finding value in what others might disregard – a philosophy that extends far beyond the kitchen. Alongside her husband, Fergus Henderson, she's helped redefine the way we eat, with an approach that's simple, honest and rooted in ingredients rather than technique. While Fergus founded St. JOHN, Margot helped shape a generation of cooks through Rochelle Canteen, Arnold & Henderson and, more recently, The Three Horseshoes in Somerset. In this conversation, recorded in her home in Stockwell, Margot describes her childhood in New Zealand, where her mother introduced her to a world of French restaurants and a lifelong appetite for adventurous eating. We talk about the pull of London in the 1980s, the influence of The Face magazine, and the whirlwind romance that led to a lifelong partnership with Fergus. Margot also reflects on marriage, loyalty and care, as she discusses Fergus's Parkinson's diagnosis and the realities of growing older together. This episode of Homing was recorded inside Margot’s home in Stockwell. Join us over on Patreon to watch the full house tour. To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, https://www.patreon.com/HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Today's guest is psychotherapist Julia Samuel MBE, one of Britain's leading experts on grief and trauma. Julia has worked with hundreds of families navigating bereavement, including members of the Royal Family. She was a close friend of Diana, Princess of Wales, and supported Prince William and Prince Harry following Diana's death. In this conversation, we explore belonging and why some people never feel settled where they are, tracing it back to the role home plays in early life. Julia shares practical advice on how our homes can support healing – from the personal rituals that help us mourn, to why changing a home can sometimes be the most powerful way to regain a sense of agency after loss. These discussions are intended for general information and should not be considered medical, psychological or professional advice. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, please consult a qualified professional. Contact: Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. For bereavement help, you can download the Grief Works App If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice To hear more from us: Patreon: Watch exclusive home tours, HomingWithMatt YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt Instagram: Follow for updates and announcements, @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Patrick Williams is an interior decorator who specialises in period buildings and restoration projects. He views design not just as decoration, but as a form of storytelling and historical preservation. Patrick is the founder of Berdoulat, a design practice named after the remarkable house in France that his parents restored over a twenty-year period during his childhood – a project that became central to their family story and continues to shape his work today. In this conversation, we talk about grief, inheritance, and the rituals that connect him to his family roots, including a cherished family recipe he makes called "The Truth". We also explore Patrick's fascination with classical architecture and his belief that the best buildings are designed in harmony with the human body: through proportion, acoustics and the accumulation of patina over time. This is a story about memory and belonging, and how the places we inhabit keep us connected to the people who shaped us, long after they're gone. A full tour of Patrick’s beautiful eighteenth-century house in Bath is available to our Patreon community. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt Patrick's book, The House Rules, published by Quadrille, charts the evolution of Patrick Williams' design studio, Berdoulat and is a stunning visual exploration of his practice and meticulous approach to working with period buildings. To hear more from us: YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt , to watch the video version Instagram: @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline The full visualised tour of Patrick’s home is available to our Patreon community. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Should the home be considered one of the pillars of health? Dr. Esther Sternberg believes good design can heal us — and that architects should think of themselves not just as designers, but almost as health professionals. Esther is a physician and researcher whose work focuses on the relationship between mind, body and environment. She is the author of Healing Spaces and Well at Work , which explores the growing science of how the spaces we inhabit affect our health and wellbeing. In this conversation, we discuss how our environments shape the body and brain; the role of light, sound and nature in wellbeing; and how small changes to our homes can help create a sense of sanctuary in an increasingly anxious world. These discussions are intended for general information and should not be considered medical, psychological or professional advice. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, please consult a qualified professional. To hear more from us: YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt , to watch the video version Instagram: @homingwithmatt Patreon: HomingWithMatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here . Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

David Shrigley has spent his life creating art that makes people laugh. He is one of Britain’s most recognisable contemporary artists, celebrated for his deadpan drawings that mix humour, bleakness and childlike simplicity. Growing up as a shy, introspective child, on a red-brick estate in the suburbs of Leicester, David was happiest alone with a blank sheet of paper and a pencil – fifty years later, not much has changed. His artworks have an improvised quality, but beneath them lies a surprisingly ordered life. David talks openly about obsessive tendencies – anxiety, control, and the daily routines that keep him grounded. He works a reliable ten-to-six day, and ticks off each drawing as he goes. This is a conversation about the compulsion to make things and the human need to make light of life’s absurdities. A full tour of David’s Brighton studio is available to our Patreon community. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt Contact: Web: www.davidshrigley.com Shop: www.shrigshop.com Email: info@davidshrigley.com To hear more from us: YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt , to watch the video version Instagram: @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline The full visualised tour of David’s studio is available to our Patreon community. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The spaces we inhabit shape who we become. But what does that mean for the people who have no choice where they live? Yvonne Jewkes is a professor of criminology, author, and leading expert on prison architecture. She has spent her career studying what echoing corridors, metal doors and harsh fluorescent lighting do to the people living inside prisons — and designing spaces that restore rather than punish. This conversation is also very personal. Yvonne spent more than a decade restoring a crumbling Regency townhouse, only for her partner to leave midway through the project. The house became tangled up with grief and the slow unravelling of the relationship itself. We explore the strange overlap between prisons and homes: the human need for dignity, sanctuary and control over our surroundings and the instinct to create beauty even in the bleakest places. If you enjoyed this conversation, Yvonne's book An Architecture of Hope: reimagining the prison, restoring a house, rebuilding myself is a powerful exploration into the universal need for sanctuary. These discussions are intended for general information and should not be considered medical, psychological or professional advice. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, please consult a qualified professional. To hear more from us: YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt , to watch the video version Patreon: www.patreon.com/HomingWithMatt Instagram: @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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 isn’t just scientific; it’s rooted in her own family history. Her grandfather found solace in gardening after the trauma of being a prisoner of war and her mother restored a large garden to cope with the death of Sue’s father. The episode builds on these stories to explore the positive hormonal effects of gardening on the body, the growing movement of green prescribing and how beauty can be a lifeline to those in recovery. This is a conversation about stepping outside, tuning into the natural world and finding a gentler rhythm. A full tour of Sue’s beautiful private gardens is available to our Patreon community. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt To hear more from us: YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt , to watch the video version Instagram: @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline The full catalogue of home tours is available to our Patreon community. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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, living in 30 different homes and attending 26 schools. This experience taught him that home isn't something we find; it's something we create. In this conversation, David talks about the social bonds modern life has eroded and the small, everyday gestures we can make to rebuild that trust. From turning his own garden in Brisbane into a public park, to travelling the world with a folding throne in a suitcase, David’s work is a lesson in how designing for community can lead us to a deeper sense of belonging. These discussions are intended for general information and should not be considered medical, psychological or professional advice. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, please consult a qualified professional. To hear more from us: YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt , to watch the video version Instagram: @homingwithmatt TikTok: @homing.with.matt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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 home for herself: the Mole House in Hackney, built on top of the tunnels where the so-called Mole Man spent forty years digging underground. Where some saw an oddity, Sue saw something worth preserving. The house is a love letter to eccentricity, and a rare pocket of creative chaos in an increasingly polished city. From growing up in a caravan in Leicester to carving out a place in the art world and becoming a mother at 52, Sue’s story is one of fierce independence and how to live a life that is truly authentic to yourself. Sue's first solo exhibition, Birth of an Icon, is on show at Firstsite in Colchester. A full tour of The Mole House is available to members on Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt To hear more from us: YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Homing with Matt , to watch the video version Instagram: @homingwithmatt Contact : Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live , is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline The full video home tour is available to members on Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★