home matters

How Our Homes Shape Us, and We Shape Them

As an interiors photographer, Penny Wincer found that walking through a stranger’s home, listening to them explaining the history of the space, and the meaning of precious objects, was one of most joyful aspects of her work. And in Home Matters Penny does exactly that, taking us through the houses of 13 artists, designers and writers, inspiring us to reflect on how we want our own homes to feel.

Through beautiful photographs, interviews and Penny’s own reflections on the homes that she has lived in over the years, Home Matters brings together multiple perspectives, all centred on how we create homes to meet our needs. Looking at an eclectic range of spaces that are not often included in these conversations, each chapter of Home Matters considers a different aspect of what goes into creating a home, inviting the reader to reflect on their own memories, needs and constraints.

This book is for those who want to think deeply about their homes, as well as be inspired by the beauty and joy that others have created within their own spaces. Through asking us to consider our pasts, our current needs and to examine the values we want our homes to reflect, Home Matters shows what is possible when we look within ourselves to turn a house into a home. And when we let go of the idea of the perfect home – one that can never be achieved – we can embrace the home that works for our lives as they are.

"Penny Wincer shows us how good houses really work, and why they matter so much. An essential read in an age of gloss of styling." --Katherine May

"A thoughtful, timeless and meaningful exploration of what it is to call a house a home … I felt as if I was following Penny, via her simple and honest voice, in and out of all the homes she visited, and I was so touched by her personal story which she weaved beautifully and movingly throughout. A beautiful study of searching for home." --Huma Qureshi

"Radical, surprising and tender; Home Matters is as thought-provoking as it is beautiful. This deeply honest and elegant look at the stories of the places we call home will open-your heart and linger in your mind.” --Rebecca Schiller

‘A thoughtful consideration of the tales our homes tell, and the way they make us feel. Penny Wincer paints a charming portrait of lives lived in spaces that reflect our choices, values and needs.’ --Chloe Ashby