Explore the room you’re in as if you’re seeing it for the first time. Pretend you know nothing. What do you see? Who is the person who lives there?

I’m sitting in our lounge/dining room.  It’s a large room which was knocked through by the previous owners. There are double doors leading into the conservatory and another door that leads into the hallway.  There is a lovely square bay window at the front of the room which young Billy loves to look out of (I guess he gets his nosiness gene from me!).

As I look around the room there are toys everywhere – the little one has only just gone to bed so we haven’t yet tidied the toys away to make it back into our room yet.  There are two massive bookcases containing an eclectic mix of books on travel, music, comedy and crime mysteries.  There’s family photographs on every shelf around the room and more on the mantelpiece which also contains candles, keys, pots of bubbles and a vase.  There’s two, incredibly comfortable leather sofas and a matching chair.  The dining room table has three table mats, six chairs and a highchair.  There’s a laptop and a desktop which are both being used and a TV in the corner (that for once is actually off).  Apart from the sound of typing on computer keyboards, it’s very peaceful.  We live in the suburbs, very close to a major hospital, but it’s normally very peaceful – that’s why we chose to move here a year ago.

The room looks like so many I know, from friends and family.  It’s the centre of a busy family home and, although I could look around it and see the faults and the things I’d like to change, it’s our home; the place where I feel safe, loved and happy.  A state that I want to extend to all those who live here or visit.