My Modern House: The New Craftsmen creative director Catherine Lock on cultivating a personal interior style at her home in Blackheath

cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen
cultivating a personal interior style catherine lock new craftsmen

As the Creative Director of The New Craftsmen, a Mayfair gallery championing the work of British makers and craftspeople, Catherine Lock oversees the commissioning and curation of a covetable range of fine craft, from pottery to quilts. So, what does her home look like? We were intrigued to find out, so paid Catherine a visit in Blackheath to talk about modern living, the importance of cultivating a personal interior style and what home means to her.

Catherine: “Home is the ultimate expression of one’s self. It’s storytelling – the story of your life. I think that you can’t feel at ease and really relaxed at home unless you’re in a place which is utterly you.

“I’ve always dreamed of having a house, with a front door, a patch of land and stairs that you walk up to go to bed – a child’s impression of a home.

“That dream became a reality when I bought this house. I refurbished the whole thing, in what turned out to be quite an exhausting process. I knew the payoff would be there eventually, that it would be an expression of me, and a place which my friends and family could gather, but there were some points along the way when that was hard to see.

“I had to learn about every single detail which goes into making a home; it was almost like going back to school. I sort of wish I had someone who could have taken me by the hand and told me all the things I would need to think about. But, at the same time, I don’t think you can or should rush making a home.

“I’m always amazed when I see these homes that come together in an instant because I wonder how much they express their owner’s style. Homemaking is done bit-by-bit in a process that you form and layer with your own aesthetic over time.

“I think my own style has its roots in my childhood. I spent a lot of time camping or in rented cottages, seeing different regions of Britain and going in and out of National Trust houses.

“At home, we were surrounded by antiques and my mum had a wonderful friend, Katie Stewart, who was a famous cook and sort of a fairy godmother to me. She was the first person to seriously talk to me about how important it was to have a sense of style. She was a naturally stylish person but in a refined and humble kind of way. She drew my attention to the design of things, ergonomics, colour, and textures. I think those little conversations really stayed with me.

“I suppose in some way those experiences drove my desire to start The New Craftsmen, or at least embark on the trip that led to it. I had been working as a product developer for big high street brands and became unsettled by the idea that all the stuff we were producing didn’t have much longevity or meaning.

“I set out on a journey to investigate what traditional, authentic things are made in this country. I wanted to find out what has grown out of the regions and cultures of this land, from the Orkney Islands to Cornwall.

“I find that learning about the thing a particular society makes is firing an arrow right into the heart of the culture. It’s a privilege having a gallery which represents makers because it gives me the ability to strike up a conversation anywhere in the world with craftspeople and feel like I’ve got an immediate connection with that place.

“There are bits and bobs from my travels all around the house, and not just from the UK. I could walk you through and tell you the story of almost everything, like the baskets from Mongolia that are used to scoop up horse manure for the fire, or the Indonesian one above my fireplace that is used to collect rice.

“I think before The New Craftsmen I was definitely finding my own aesthetic grounding. It takes time to develop your sensibilities and identity. I now feel like this house really reflects me and I hope someone would be able to tell it was mine if they didn’t know!

“I’m a creative director and so it’s my job to look at things, curate and edit constantly. So, at work, there’s this plethora of beautiful things and that, coupled with the magazines I read, the makers I’m exposed to, and all the other sources of inspiration I see, means the hard part becomes the edit.

“Where do I go next? I think I’ve got another project in me which would be completely different from this. I definitely want something in the countryside and I would love to tap into a Japanese sensibility with that.

“They are so sophisticated in their appreciation for beauty and space, how it works with nature and how it makes you feel. I’ve been there once and it was like a pilgrimage – everything I felt to be true about design, architecture and beauty was manifested in reality there.

“So maybe something influenced by that will be next. But the interesting thing is to see how the layers build on each other over your life, in the constant process of expressing yourself through your home.”

Catherine, how do you define modern living?”
“If I think about how I live in my house, and what I require of it, it serves as a retreat, guest house, office, entertainment centre, creative canvas and decompression zone. One day the kitchen serves one role, and the next day it takes on a different personality – whatever is needed from it that day. The constant is a need for flexibility, a physical shelter and a place which encourages me to be me, whichever hat I’m wearing.

“It’s also as much about what surrounds your house and how that impacts the way you live. For me, that means the abundant nature of the area, having a place where I learn the piano, and enjoying interactions at the terrific local cafe and yoga space.”

Is there a home for sale on The Modern House website that has caught your eye?
“The New Craftsmen have been involved with Chan & Eayrs’ project on Shoreditch High Street from the get-go, so I’m very fond of it.

“I also love Lansdowne Crescent – it’s my kind of place. It was built as a family home by architect Jeremy Lever and he lived there until he passed away. I think people in the later stages of their lives have a wonderfully refined sense of themselves and their style.

“They’ve gone through that process of curating and developing their aesthetic and I think it’s those people who produce some of the most fascinating interiors and buildings, like the late Anita Besson of Galerie Besson. She mastered the balance between warmth and austerity.”

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