Welcome to the first in a new series of columns by Francesca Swan, as she joins Ideal Home's Open House to show how she has used the phrase 'your home is everything' as a helpful way you can begin to decorate your space.
Welcome to Your Home Is Everything, with me, your slightly OTT, deeply passionate, ADHD, interiors loving creative, Francesca Swan.
So, firstly, I am positively effervescent with excitement to be here. Let me explain why. Some of you may be familiar with my instagram account (formerly known as The Concept in Curation), now yourhomeiseverything.
I started the account during a tough spell of mental health and time out after my first renovation. It gave me a creative outlet, but also, unexpectedly, a connection with the outside world when I wouldn’t leave the house, see or speak to anyone for days on end.
Through this, I met amazing people (you know who you are!). Although essentially strangers, they were incredibly kind, supportive, funny, intelligent and inspiring. Interiors Instagram is a lovely little corner of the internet.
These kindred spirits helped me so much, and I wanted to do the same for others. I'm a big empath and get very invested in other people’s experiences. I'm also very good at fixing other people's problems, just not necessarily my own…
I use my IG to offer insights and advice that might help and inspire. I try to make sure I always reply to every comment and question and share what I can.
My thinking is this, (and yes, I’m aware it’s a tad trite); if, when I give someone useful advice, it prevents them from reliving my total nightmares, it actually makes my stressful experiences that little bit more worthwhile.
That's why I'm so grateful to be given the opportunity to write this column.
Firstly, let me introduce you to a feeling called Everything
Let’s not beat around the bush - the world is not great right now. It’s deeply divided, filled with hatred, conflict, chaos and uncertainty.
As if that wasn’t enough, we are also being battered and overwhelmed by algo-driven, homogenised content; no wonder our mental health is declining and many of us are slowly becoming more desensitized and numb.
Yet, there will always be unexpected moments where you suddenly find a beautiful little connection; it submerges you - richly and passionately. For one second, it is Everything, all that exists, whether it's good or bad or whatever - it’s the antithesis of nothing.
These moments of clarity, beauty, connection & meaning matter. We all need to feel Everything more.
Everything as a feeling is a core part of me. It informs both my design process and wider philosophy to life. It’s how my ADHD and anxiety show up for me in both my interiors/reno creative and planning.
Oh yes, so I’ve recently been diagnosed with ADHD aged 44 - I’ve also lived with anxiety and depression all my life. It’s not been an easy ride.
The ADHD diagnosis unlocked everything for me. I’m finally in a place where I’m getting support to understand how it shows up for me. More importantly, how I can work with it, not against it.
I’m discovering who I am and unpicking things that have happened in my life. It’s been a gift and a revelation.
The biggest lightbulb moment is now seeing that my ADHD and anxiety mean I see the world in a very nuanced, sensory and full-on way. I feel everything. Deeply.
For example; I'll spot something small, excitedly drop a passionate non-sequitur, such as “Oh my God, isn't that cushion absolutely gorgeous? Is that just not Everything? It's the best thing I've ever seen in the entire world. EVER”
Vice versa; “Oh my God, I hate that SO much. I have never seen anything so utterly vile.”
I kid you not, I am actually this much; it’s all or nothing. People often observe that I see life in superlatives.
If I love something (and I usually either love or hate – there is very little middle ground!), that thing is absolutely EVERYTHING!
There's a lot of passion there – I see things and run with them. Sometimes it’s overwhelming and painful – but more often than not, it’s a bit of a superpower and helps me see joy and beauty in the most unexpected places.
Those moments are transportive and sometimes transformative. They are Everything.
The immersive feeling of Everything can be created by a flash of colour. A ray of light (all-time favourite Madonna song). A piece of fabric. A deep breath in. A single second of joy or meaning; a sense that anything is possible, where nothing else matters.
I’m always seeking my Everything; a spark of coherence, hope and positivity – a reminder that maybe the world isn't actually a wholly bad place (despite all ghastly evidence to the contrary). Remind myself to look up. Pay attention. Be Present. Reconnect.
Everything is also about individuality, originality and uniqueness.
Another fun side of my ADHD means I am a terrible people pleaser; I've spent much of my life trying to conform to what I thought other people wanted of me.
I used to work in fashion, which is obviously very brand and trend-driven. Please don’t get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with brands or trends. It's exciting, because design is continually evolving – and of course, fashion is also a place of huge opportunity and freedom to express yourself and develop a strong sense of creative self-identity.
Ironically, I didn’t do this. Now understanding my ADHD, I now see that I didn't have a clear sense of self-identity or individuality, so it was difficult to fully embrace my personal style.
Trend and brands were an easy way for me to fit in and belong. It was once remarked upon that I would completely change my personal style to fit in with whichever fashion brand I was working with at the time.
So, when I worked at Dr. Martens, I wore DMs with everything. Never in a million years would I have called myself a DM customer, but there I was, having previously tottered around in vertiginous heels, now wearing quad sole boots.
It was interesting to hear that observation, as I simply didn’t realise I was doing it. I was just trying to fit in. I was trying to belong.
At the same time, I never paid any real attention to interiors. I didn't have an interior style. I was living in rentals, where of course you're very limited with what you can do. Think beige walls, wood floors, and generic furniture. No personality. No real Everything.
I did know two things; I love art, photography, and exhibitions. I also love books and have a decent library with everything from Edith Wharton, Jonathan Franzen and Rachel Cusk to Jilly Cooper and Brambly Hedge.
Not to mention a lot of hardback coffee table books; art, fashion, culture, etc. Plus, a huge magazine collection (fun fact – I own every British Vogue since August 1996 – hellish when you move house!)
These things are precious to me – they’re collections built over years, loaded with memories and they make me feel my Everything. So, I started using them to bring my personality and taste into my home.
Slowly, home felt a bit more reflective of me. A bit unexpected, slightly chaotic but with consideration, colour, full of contrasts and energy.
Nevertheless, it was completely uncharted territory renovating the first apartment. I was on a journey, still seeking a sense of who I was, using interiors to try and unpick it.
It was all new, overwhelming and stressful; when you start in this process from scratch, you don’t know what you don’t know. So where on earth do you start?
It felt easiest for me to start on Instagram and Pinterest. But it’s also A LOT! If you don’t know what you want, it is easy to be sucked into trends, because that's obviously what the algorithm shows us, meaning it can look very samey very quickly.
This is what trend does. Suddenly, we've all got the same art, the same rug, the same cushion. We've all been there, myself included - it happens really easily. And again, it's not necessarily always a bad thing.
If that's what you love, and that feels like Everything for you, then fantastic.
However, like many of us, I definitely don't have an unlimited budget to keep constantly refreshing things. And of course, there's the sustainability issue.
Mostly, now in my mid-forties, I want to feel like myself and my home be an expression of me.
So, I took a step back to process the overwhelm and think, pragmatically, how the hell am I actually going to do this?
This is where the idea of Everything came in.
It starts with a single item that makes you truly feel Everything.
I'm looking for a deep, almost chemical fusion; we are sensory beings with instinctive and intuitive responses to colour, scent, texture, light, smell -– it’s not rational, it’s deeply ingrained and primeval. It brings passion, meaning and a place from which to build emotional connection.
Whether your Everything comes from a picture, a ceramic, fabric, anything – use this to inspire your design concept.
In the old living room, I used an early 00s Concetta Gallo for Habitat bowl – a rare and expensive interior purchase for me then. It’s beautiful; graphic illustration and photography of horses with a white base, gold accents and splashes of bold colour – et voila, my colour palette – yellow, green, accents of blue, red, neutral base.
The living room then felt like an expression of me; original, unique and slightly unexpected. Bonus; it was flooded with light, so the yellow simply glowed, no matter the weather. It brought sunshine all year.
I'd never considered primary colour would be so central to my interior style, but the Everything of the bowl naturally led me there and it felt right.
When I want design that's not going to date, I look for an Everything prompt and then build a concept around it.
There is one more crucial component to Everything, and it’s this; our home needs to be a safe, comforting sanctuary and retreat, so we feel present, grounded and emotionally held.
Imagine this; you glance at your favourite cushion, capturing colours reminiscent of a truly special holiday. Just for a second, you’re transported back to an aquamarine sea-view, tangerine tinted Aperol in hand, fuchsia glow of the bougainvillea, soft warmth of sun on your skin; it’s a moment of reverie, and you feel Everything. In turn, you then feel grounded and present in your own home.
I want to create things, spaces and words – that move people to feel something real and unique. I do recognise the utopian dream within this, and it’s not an exact science. When it works, it works.
I also appreciate some people may find this a bit self-indulgent and possibly woo-woo. Which, of course, is fine. I am definitely a bit marmite – you either get me, or you don’t, and if you don’t, I’m fine with that.
However, in a pistachio nutshell, my hope is that by sharing my slightly quirky, fully passionate and colourful philosophy of Everything, I can maybe help you find your version and see if it works for you.
From a practical sense, I've had a very steep learning curve and learnt a LOT across two renovation projects. I've been lucky, because through the renos and IG, I’ve met incredible experts. I've also done a brilliant short interior design course at KLC, so I've got a little bit of theory too.
I’m by no means an expert and certainly not a professional interior designer. But I am here to share the hard-earned lessons from my own personal Odyssey – the good, the bad, the ugly, the funny, the downright terrifying.
They are ALL good lessons, even when they stem from something bad. They mean I will never ever let that happen again. In theory. Ahem.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll get into it all; design, project planning, sourcing, space planning, colour, styling, flooring, planning permission, kitchens, bathroom, gardens - the lot!
Hopefully, there’ll be something along the way to make things a bit clearer and easier for you - and in the process, maybe swerve a mid-project meltdown?
This is your invitation to tune in and explore your Everything. Your home is a part of you, and you deserve real connection, joy and beauty – not to mention a few top tips on dodging disasters!
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