HOME SERIES x ROSA PARKS
Home is a word with many meanings — a place to rest and renew, to gather and grow, connect and commune. It means different things to different people at different times, making it a constant source of fascination and inspiration.
Through this series, we explore the meaning of home through the eyes and words of creative people who move, intrigue, and energise us.
Rosa Park is an art curator and the founder of Francis Gallery. With spaces in Bath and Los Angeles, Francis encourages an emotional connection to art, “as a vital part of daily living” — a philosophy mirrored in Rosa’s approach to creating the home she shares with her husband and son.
In this conversation, Rosa tells of the intention behind the art in her space, the sounds and scents she fills it with, her lifelong love of reading and books, and finding a sense of home wherever she may be.
What does home mean to you?
Home for me exists in my mind’s eye. It’s the mental equilibrium I’m striving for, which I catch glimpses of when I feel at ease. There's a tangible, physical quality to this ‘place’— it’s airy, sunlit with an open horizon — and when I’m able to tap into this, no matter the physical location, I feel at home.
"Each piece in our house plays a role in how we move through, and engage with, the space"
Can you walk us through a ritual from your day that makes you feel calm or that brings you joy?
For calm, I move my body; whether that’s a quick stretch in my bedroom, going for a walk around the block, or taking a hot yoga or pilates class at my local studio, Silver Springs. Being in my body brings me out of my head — in short, embodiment — and it’s the best way to reset my nervous system.
For joy, I read. Reading has been, and will likely always be, the thing that leads to contentment. I’m a bookworm through and through. And I always read physical books; Kindle doesn’t do it for me, nor do audiobooks. Lately, I’ve been contemplating buying a library cart to move my many books around the house as I change reading spots!
How do you make your home a space of peace and comfort to come back to?
I focus a lot on scent and acoustics. These two senses that seem less obvious, compared to sight or touch, are paramount for me. I’m particularly sensitive to noise and smells, so our home is scented by either Perfumer H or Costa Brazil candles. I gravitate towards earthy, woody fragrances, so there’s a sense of grounding, if you will.
As for acoustics, I’m partial to a quiet room with ambient background noise. During the day, I have our French doors and windows open to the back garden, where I can hear branches and leaves rustling in the wind, birdsong in the morning, and distant sounds of urban life on Melrose, which is a few blocks from us.
What breeds comfort for me is familiarity, and these scents and these sounds immediately transport me there.
Your gallery, Francis Gallery, showcases art as “a vital part of daily living.” Tell us more about this sentiment — does it translate into your own home? How do you make art a part of your daily life outside of work?
As you may have noticed by now, I’m a sensitive person. My environment and my surrounding objects have a significant impact on my emotional and mental state of being. With that in mind, the artworks that hang on our walls and occupy our tabletops and shelves have influence.
I'm specific about which painting I want in the kitchen — the hub of our family life — and which sculpture I want at the entry to greet visitors, depending on the season. Every artwork I place in our son’s room is with great intent. I’ve always said that buying an artwork is like inviting the artist into your home; their character becomes a part of your domestic life and dynamic. It’s more psychological than visual.
Each piece in our house plays a role in how we move through, and engage with, the space; what our view is when we enter a room and leave a room; and what we fall asleep to and wake up to. That’s what I’m alluding to, when I say that it’s “a vital part of daily living.”
Are there any objects in your home that you have particularly cherished over the years? Where did they come from? Why are they so precious to you?
My books. In my current collection, half I’ve already read and wish to re-read, and the other half I still haven’t gotten around to. They represent knowledge, entertainment, wisdom, education, passion, humour, depth of human emotion, and possibility. I’ve never owned a TV because nine out of ten times, I prefer to read over watching something. Reading is the one constant in my life. It’s the only habit—or hobby, perhaps? — that I’ve maintained since I was a child.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Would it be too obvious to say, books?
What is making you smile at the moment?
My four-year-old son’s bedhead, text threads with my dearest girlfriends where we tell each other, “No, you’re not crazy,” and crispy rice.
Thank you to Rosa for opening up her home to us. The blankets featured in this edition of Home Series is Norlha's Nomad Trace Throw. Rosa is wearing Norlha's Feather Long Sleeve Top in Black. Photography by Ryan James Caruthers.