Home Truths: Penny Lancaster shares the homeware shop she loves and her all-time favourite chore

The TV personality and photographer lives close to the Essex-Hertfordshire border with her husband, Rod Stewart, and their two sons.

Where's your happy place when you're at home?

Definitely the garden. We’re lucky to have a good bit of land because it’s in the country. We have three goats, three horses and about 20 chickens sprawled over the property. We’ve also got five beehives, and have just installed five more. I love being among nature, watching the bees do their work. I love gardening too, but have a bad habit of not wearing gardening gloves. I end up spending days trying to get the dirt out of my knuckles!

What's your favourite shop to buy homeware?

I like to shop at Homesense as they have a great selection of all sorts of items. Proceeds of their sales go to The King’s Trust charity, and my husband and I have been ambassadors of theirs for over 20 years. It ticks a lot of boxes for me.

What's on your bedside table?

Body moisturiser, water, a notepad and a crystal candle. It’s different to a wax candle and gives off a lovely glow. It makes me feel so relaxed when I light it.

Are you a good host?

Yes! I really like to take my time on the ambience. I’ll make sure to light candles, get the canapés ready and put the wine on ice before my guests arrive. I like to set the scene so, when people walk in, it feels like someone has made an effort.

What's your home pet peeve?

My husband always has the TV on really loudly and, whenever I go into the room where he’s watching it, I always turn the volume down. He says I can’t help myself, but I can hear it from upstairs!

What chore do you adore?

I do love having a big clean and declutter. When I do one I give myself a good two or three hours to clear the room of everything, and then I only put back what I really feel I need. It will look like a bomb has hit it for a while, but it’s worth it in the end.

What do you do when you first walk through the door?

I have a room that I call ‘my room.’ It’s on the right side of the house and there’s no TV in there, so it has a very quiet energy. I normally plonk myself down in there to read a book or do some admin. If the boys are looking for me, I’m often in ‘my room’. It feels like my home inside of home.

What's your favourite time of day at home?

Probably around 11 o'clock. I make myself a coffee and take the doggies for a long walk.

What smell says 'home' to you?

Lavender. I have lots of it in the garden because it's a good plant for the bees.

Do you have a bad home habit you’d like to quit?

There's so many! I wish I could be more organized and more tidy. I think once I do tidy up and I get more organized, then I feel centred and more organised in my mind. But I'm a bit of a procrastinator and I always jump from one project to the next, so I kind of leave a trail of stuff behind me.

In the hot seat

Shoes on or off? Shoes off.

Eat at the table or on laps? Mostly at the table.

Lighting: bright or moody? Dim, dim, dim!

Quick shower or long bath? A long bath.

Colourful or neutral? Colourful.

Neat or creative chaos? I like the idea of being neat, but it’s never going to happen. Creative chaos seems to follow me!

Music, TV, radio, or silence? I use Spotify radio – it’s a good way to hear different artists.