Home dis-comforts

I have a bit more free time on my hands at present and so am in the process of getting those little jobs done around the house that you otherwise never seem to get round to. The trouble with an older house is that it constantly ‘matures’. So if it’s not a light switch, it’s a wonky gate or leaky shower or peeling window sills. Having said that, I love my own space here and wouldn’t want to move any time soon.  But a current exhibition at the Royal Academy called ‘Invisible Landscapes’ was not only a welcome and cool contrast to the crowds in the Summer Exhibition but also provoked me to  consider just  how traditional I am regarding use of space and technology in the rooms of my house. So on display now at the RA is Act 1 of this three act exhibition project, which focuses first on the Home.  The context is that digital technologies are transforming home space to work just as well as work space and smart gadgets are growing smaller so less intrusive. Also sharing platforms and the disruptive economies are generally leading to us to really need less space, fewer appliances and less ‘stuff’. If only we can embrace the change, we can be endlessly flexible with our ‘front’ rooms and bedrooms and bathrooms and kitchens – space can become more generic.  Apparently the average UK house hold owns 143 unused items (only?)  so for sure, we can be ditching stuff there.  To be honest, I’m not yet brave enough to transform my living spaces here but I am certainly encouraged to speed up my planned clear-outs of stuff and for that to be the start of perhaps, considering room changes – baby steps!