Image: Oleksandra Martson ‘Soft Shelter’
The fold: A home, a shelter, a collective.
Shared values, security, belonging.
The act of inhabiting; of taking up space and making it our own, is one of our most basic human instincts and needs.
Yet many of us bend how we live to suit the homes we dwell in, instead of adapting our spaces to better fit us.
The fold: A home, a shelter, a collective.
Shared values, security, belonging.
The act of inhabiting; of taking up space and making it our own, is one of our most basic human instincts and needs.
Yet many of us bend how we live to suit the homes we dwell in, instead of adapting our spaces to better fit us.
When care is taken to make sure that the sensory, material and emotional qualities of a home fit with those that live within it, a deep sense of comfort – that’s more about renewal than luxury – can be achieved.
You feel the difference when you enter a space that has been designed with empathy. The equivalent of pulling on your jumper when it’s cold outside. Once it’s on, you realise how much the cold has been wearing you down.
As with clothing, there is a seasonal quality to our spaces, and we need to be able to change and adapt our homes to suit the current climate we find ourselves in. When these changes are inspired by following trends, the wasteful pull to constantly update and refresh will drain both our personal and shared resources.
If we look to our lifestyles, our natural context, our feelings and personal relationships instead, then something entirely different is created.
A timeless resonance: a place that we know is home.
Rachel Mills-Powell, founder and director of ITF, started her practice in 2019. Her designs consistently have both a resourceful and relational focus; carefully balancing all the unique personalities within the household, and always striving to make best use of the space and budget available.
Proposals are shaped through a personal and collaborative design process with clients, and a core belief that thoughtful design of our homes is crucial in order for our well being and relationships to thrive.
Studio Address:
Saqqra Studio
30 Hancock Road
London
E3 3DA