Interviews
Making A House Feel Like Home
Earl of East in conversation with Easthaus
We spoke with East London estate agents, Jenna and Patrick about our shared love of homes, interiors and finding comfort in the small things. A conversation that naturally occurred whilst we collaborated on a custom candle for their agency, Easthaus.
As a brand rooted in home scents and creating welcoming spaces, we are always looking for ways to make small changes to our homes and environments that brings about a sense of calm and belonging.
Speaking with Jenna and Patrick about their knowledge on buying and renting as well as making a place a home once you've moved, we talk forever furniture and adding value to your space.
As a brand rooted in home scents and creating welcoming spaces, we are always looking for ways to make small changes to our homes and environments that brings about a sense of calm and belonging.
Speaking with Jenna and Patrick about their knowledge on buying and renting as well as making a place a home once you've moved, we talk forever furniture and adding value to your space.
You’ve just moved in. How do you make a house - rented or owned - feel like a home?
Easthaus: A true ‘home’ is made up of countless small things, both objective and subjective, and often accumulated over time. But if we had to focus on three things that potentially make the biggest and quickest impact on turning a house into a home, we would say art, plants and lighting. And remember, a candle can be both a source of light and a work of art!
Paul & Niko: Obviously, we find scent to be the best way to start to make someplace feel more homey. The second we get home we burn incense and light candles and it’s an instant way to disconnect and feel like you’ve come back home.
How can you add value to your home? Whether it’s a new home you’re moving into or one you’re trying to sell?
Easthaus: Every home is different, so it really depends on what you have to work with in terms of space, and budget. Looking at the practical improvements you can make, such as extending rooms or improving the energy efficiency and then, look at the overall ‘feel’ of your home. The fixtures, fittings, furniture and soft design elements you have used to create the space you live in. If you are able to create a space that people want to be in, and a space that people aspire to own, then you will generally be able to achieve a premium price when the time comes to sell.
Paul & Niko: Other than making big structural changes, ‘set designing’ your home can make a huge difference to how it’s perceived by outsiders. When we moved into our home it was a new build so we had a completely blank canvas to renovate and add to, so everything we did from there sort of added value.
Are there any key things you would look for when buying a new property?
Easthaus: This really depends on your search criteria but for us personally, light is a huge one. Neighbours are another important one, who is living around you, if you can, try viewing the property at different times of day to get a sense of the immediate area. If you’re looking for a renovation project, going on to the council planning portal and seeing what has been approved/ declined on the road/surrounding streets can also be extremely useful intel.
Paul & Niko: This is totally dependent on what you’re looking for! We were looking for somewhere that had opportunities to renovate, and we like the idea of indoor-outdoor living so a place that would allow for this. Somewhere that has a good feel of community is important for us as well.
When working from home or working on your home, how do you still find the enjoyment and comfort of being at home?
Easthaus: Having a space where you can go and truly relax is important. Somewhere you can completely detach from the work you have been doing. It could be just a cosy chair or maybe just taking a relaxing bath. We look to Nelly Duff for brightening up our walls, Rebel Rebel or Columbia Road market for fresh flowers and Conservatory Archives for more plants.
Paul & Niko: It’s the home comforts that help alter your state of mind. For us this has always been scent. Scent triggers memories and can help you easily wind down after a stressful day even if you’ve been working from home. Or a good bath that takes you away from it all.
How do you find your interior style and start buying forever pieces for your new home?
Easthaus: We are very fortunate to see many great interiors in our line of work and naturally they have influenced items we have chosen for our home. We have a shearling armchair and a really fun vintage farmhouse table/craft table which was a bargain that we picked up on Vinterior and was inspired by a trip to the Cotswolds... It's about the feeling that these pieces evoke, and they fondly remind us of people we’ve met, homes we have been fortunate enough to let or sell or places we have been. Our style is also reflected in our workspace, we have worked hard to make it feel more like a home rather than a typical office.
Paul & Niko: We’re lucky that we work in the home and lifestyle world. Always seeing newness from our favourite brands like ferm LIVING and HAY help to generate new ideas and constantly give us interiors inspiration. There’s always the pressure to buy everything immediately when you move into a new place, but taking your time and finding pieces that truly feel like you and don’t jump on a trend is really important to sourcing those forever items that make a house feel like home.