Transcript

SPEAKER 1 I used the spare room for boxes until I began working from home twice a week. I didn't buy much: a second-hand desk, a lamp and a narrow shelf. The biggest change was moving the desk away from the wall so I could look out of the window. I concentrate better there, and at the end of the day I close the door. That small action stops work spreading into the evening. I haven't decorated the room much because too many objects distract me. A mug and one plant are enough to make it feel less temporary. I keep the chair clear, so the room doesn't become storage again. SPEAKER 2 Our kitchen had one deep cupboard where everything disappeared behind everything else. My brother helped me put open shelves above the table. I worried they'd look untidy, so I keep only cups, bowls and things we use every day on them. Cooking is quicker because I can reach what I need. The cupboard now holds large pans instead of twelve forgotten mugs. Well, the shelves need wiping more often than a cupboard. I accept that because I no longer empty half the kitchen to find one bowl. The cups are visible, which also stops us buying more that we don't need. SPEAKER 3 Street lights shone through my thin bedroom curtains. I kept saying I'd replace them, then a friend stayed over and complained after one night. We chose heavier curtains and fitted them ourselves. The room is darker and also a little quieter. I hadn't expected that. I still wake early in summer, but now it's because of the birds rather than the lamp outside. I didn't buy the most expensive curtains. The lining made more difference than the pattern, which you barely see when they're closed. I gave the old curtains to a neighbour who wanted lighter fabric. I'd choose the same lining again. SPEAKER 4 My balcony looked grey and I hardly used it. A neighbour gave me two pots and a cutting from a plant that survives almost anything. I added herbs and a folding chair. I'm not an expert gardener; I forget to water things and then apologise to them. Still, I sit outside with coffee now, and neighbours stop to ask what is growing. I haven't grown enough herbs to cook entire meals. A few leaves for pasta are still better than another empty grey corner. The folding chair comes inside during winter, but the pots stay out. I wouldn't add many more pots. SPEAKER 5 We moved the sofa because the television had become the centre of every evening. Now the chairs face each other and the television sits to one side. It sounds like a tiny change, but people talk more when they visit. We still watch films, of course. We just have to turn one chair around, which makes choosing to watch something slightly more deliberate. We don't ban television when friends visit. It simply isn't the first thing every chair suggests as soon as people sit down. The television is still easy to use; it simply no longer controls the layout.