WHERE THE EYE WANDERS
July 2025
Over Easter lunch this year, my niece asked if I had any documents proving my father’s (her grandfather’s) Belgian nationality.
Born in London, he was called to the Belgian Embassy for national service but chose to serve in the British army instead, relinquishing his Belgian citizenship. He grew up in a multi-generational home in southwest London. The family had emigrated together in 1922 — my grandfather, his five siblings, and their parents — descendants of a lineage rooted in Liège since at least the early 1700s, according to my research on Ancestry.com.
My grandmother’s heritage was in Pas-de-Calais on her mother’s side and Turin on her father’s.
My mother was from the North Sea port of Bremerhaven, Germany.
When I was born, my grandfather set aside £100 for me and told my parents I should learn the languages of my ancestors. Thanks to his practical and emotional encouragement, I did.
Eventually I married a Greek, extending my family story even further across Europe.
This summer has led me continually back to the theme of ancestors.
I’ve been reading There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak, after hearing her speak recently in Oxford. Among other things, she spoke of intergenerational memory. Within the context of migration, memory often follows a pattern: the first generation remains silent, bearing the weight of departure; the second assimilates quickly, often forward-looking and entrepreneurial; by the third or fourth generation, there’s a turning back—a desire to understand, to reconnect, to remember. These later generations become the storytellers and memory keepers.
This resonated with me profoundly.
Each of us carries multiple worlds within us — our experiences, histories, and inherited identities —and as an interior designer I believe our homes can become powerful reflections of those multitudes. I’m less interested in just creating a beautiful space, more drawn to designing homes that feel deeply lived-in and meaningful. Spaces that support people’s lives, inspire them and evolve with them — homes that tell their stories.
‘A home which springs from comfort, good manners, colours that please the eye, works of art, flowers, and cherished objects. A vista from room to room. These are gifts that enhance the world you have created.’ – JS
I leave you with four more brilliant books that I’m lucky have come my way this summer — each one offering a powerful and moving reflection on ancestry and intergenerational connection:
The Good Ancestor – Roman Krznaric
Ancestral Futures – Ailton Krenak
The Art of Living – Thich Nhat Khan
The Man Who Planted Trees – Jean Giono
The world would have been a much more interesting place if everyone was given a chance to meet their ancestors at least for an hour in their lifetime.
Elif Shafak- There are Rivers in the Sky