A glass full of Laura Jackson

Broadcaster magazine columnist and podcast host, Laura Jackson loves nothing more than a coveted chair hunted down on ebay or picking shells on a Cornish beach which make their way to her mantelpiece.

The self-confessed, ‘Lover of stuff’ lives in Forest Gate/ Hill (chk) in a house which she shares with her photographer husband Jon Gorrigan and their two children. It is filled with an amalgam of market finds from trips to Mexico and Brussels and the affection Jackson feels for these highly cherished pieces is infectious. Last November, she co-founded, Glassette, a homewares market place.

Have you always been an interiors aficionado?

Growing up in Huddersfield it wasn’t anything I thought too much about it. It wasn’t until I had moved to London and was in a flat share and then moved into a flat with my husband that I realised that what you choose to surround yourself with can really personalise a space. And when I did the supper clubs, I really loved thinking about the whole experience: from laying the table, which cutlery, what candles and all spiralled from there.

I bought this house with my husband six years ago and it has been fun really thinking about the layout, how I wanted to live my life and how I could put my personality into a room.

And how do you put your personality into a room?

I think I’m such an eclectic collector of stuff. My husband lives quite minimally, and I’m very much the opposite. He doesn’t understand how one person can need so much stuff. But I like stuff, whether that’s books on the shelves, lamps and photographs and a mantelpiece full of shells I’ve collected from Cornwall. And then buying art we’ve bought off Instagram or from vintage fairs and art markets. All these things in a room spark a huge sense of joy when I look at them.

Is it the comfort of having stuff around you?

I think so and when I was little and would go away on holiday or even if it was to visit my Grandma’s, I would take something from my bedroom with me. I always liked that feeling of being homely.

What are the key elements which make a home feel a home for you?

I feel like layers and plenty of textiles really elevates a space. I love throws, cushions and then lamps, wall lights and candles …it takes a while to create a home and it isn’t something that should be rushed.

I love being surrounded by things which really mean something. When we got married, we didn’t have a list as such, we asked our guests to buy us books and I wanted a couple of shelves to be all the books we got from our wedding. I love the idea of the objects you own telling a story.

I also like the idea of a family home and children coming back, knowing that they have grown up there. I gave birth to my son in the living room, and we occasionally talk of leaving London, but it would be hard to knowing I brought life into the world here.

How did you go about doing your house?

We did the back of the house in one big swoop as it needed an architect and for walls to be knocked down and moved around but we did the rest room by room. We lived in it before hand so we really got to know the space. The bathroom took the longest to do and was the most expensive as we had tadelakt and built a Morocan style curved shower. love it - it’s one of my favourite rooms with a working fire and it is so different to the rest of the house but it somehow works.

Advice to anyone decorating their home?

My advice would be not to rush into anything and take time to look for things that have a story. One of the reasons I set up Glassette was so that you weren’t just buying a faceless product. It’s from someone who has made it thoughtfully and you know where it’s from. I have so many things in the house and I know who has made them all. Collecting takes time so don’t feel pressured to make this perfect home.

www.glassette.com