‘the forever kid’

I loved playing house-house as a child. Whether it was building multiple cities out of LEGO in my bedroom way past bedtime, constructing an entire universe in the sandpit, or building a single fort by reorganising all the living room furniture and covering it with all of our bedsheets, much to my parents’ dismay.

One specific memory is of my twin brother and I, building our own mini brick house in a secret corner of the garden. In our little (or should I rather say limitless) minds, we had constructed the most magical home, barely big enough for both of us to sit in to admire our enormous achievement. Our parents eventually saved us from the walls collapsing in on us (we were only four years old, to be fair, and bricklaying wasn’t our forte). We could lose ourselves for hours on end in these dream worlds, free to play and forget about the real world. I remember so clearly how we would wake up on Saturdays to start a day of play, only to be dragged into the house after sunset, the day having disappeared in mere minutes. I took playing very seriously.

My favourite space was our speelkamer. All of our toys, LEGOs and miniature cars were colour-coded and neatly organised into groups (OCD much?). In many ways, this space with its colour-coded objects (two of each, cause twins) probably fuelled the design-obsessed adult and curatorial eye in me, nurturing an appreciation for spaces that embrace colour, whimsy and personality. Drawing (or rather doodling) was an early obsession of mine. Together with our mom, we would draw for hours on end. She’d cover our kitchen table with sheets of paper, and we would draw from all angles and sides. My mom would map out the city and streets, while my twin would draw the houses. I was the one who coloured in the detail with my bright Koki pens.

We’ve always loved playing house, as you can tell. And in some ways I think we never stopped. My twin became an architect (duh!) and is now “drawing policies” supporting affordable housing and integrated developments. I’m still “colouring in spaces”, in my new huisie, or via the pages of House and Leisure.

I love a house. But more than that, I’ve always loved playful homes, filled with colour and joy. And for that I have my parents to thank, for creating a home that makes me feel like a kid every time I visit, and for always having let their kids play out their dreams, be it in the speelkamer or garden, or out in the world as adults, encouraged to be “forever kids”, nurturing our creativity, and always nudging us to follow our passions. I would not be here at House and Leisure or LOOKBOOK Studio if it weren’t for them. This is for my parents, and our beloved childhood home.

I hope you enjoy all of the playful spaces and stories we have curated for you in this edition – it’s a kaleidoscopic feast of colour and character. Enjoy 😉

Until next time, for Volume 17!