Portraits of Home: Nadine Bacchus Garrick
‘south London, born n bred!’ brand partnerships manager and founder of the instagram account @rona_renovation, Nadine shares her stories of home with us, the nostalgia evoked by objects passed down through generations and the influence of her black West Indian family as she solidifies her own home base
What does home mean to you?
A space where you can completely be yourself.
What was your home like growing up?
Very safe and secure. A small, modest home that was tidy and well furnished. We had a front garden that my mum planted up beautifully, and we also had an amazing upstairs terrace that overlooked our estate and pretty much all of London. The view was actually insane, people couldn’t believe it when they saw the views our estate had from the terraces and balconies. I had my own room, and I redecorated it, often. I had very strong ideas about how I wanted my bedroom to look. I remembered caring, which is where my house-proudness started. I went through an intense purple phase in my early-teens and remember purple was very ‘in’ at that time. I had patterned lilac wallpaper, purple curtains, and purple bed linen. It’s quite sweet that my mum humoured my bedroom makeovers.
Were there any objects/trinkets that defined home for you?
My mum had a chest of drawers in her bedroom and she used the surface as a dresser. She had this ornamental jewellery stand/box where she hung her gold jewellery and you could swivel the necklaces around. I was a bit obsessed with that as a child. My mum also had this old trunk suitcase that she kept in the bottom of her wardrobe with all the important documents and she kept our passports there. I used to like clicking the trunk buttons and the smell of leather. Lastly, she had this hanger that just had belts on it. She honestly had 50 belts on one hanger, I was really particularly taken with the elastic ones with gold buckles (which I now know are very circa 1982!) Now, I’ve just realised all of these items are in my mum’s bedroom, how lovely is that!
That’s such a lovely collection of memories
Obviously your mum is attached to your idea of home. Who else do you associate with home?
My grandmother and my godmother. All houses familiar to me, all safe and comfortable, secure places. Pictures of the family everywhere, great sofas to watch black comedy reruns all day. My grandmother always had crisps in her dark mahogany cabinet which I had unchecked access to. My godmother always cooked me proper breakfasts like cornmeal porridge when I stayed over. These are ‘hosting’ elements that I’d love my home to have for my nephews and niece.
Are there any rituals that your family created during your childhood or that friends have created that you associate with home?
Eating dinner at the table on Sundays! Crucial!
‘Coming from a black West Indian family is so integral to how I view home. It’s essentially about comfortability, food, and hosting in the most informal way possible. We are spontaneous people, these ‘planned’ Insta-worthy dinner parties are not culturally our day-to-day reality. We do - ‘everyone mek yuhself small, squeeze up, loud, big pot of food’, type of hosting. I would love my home to be that!’
How are you creating ‘home’ now?
By considering how my partner and I actually live, and making decorating and interior choices that suit that. I can sometimes obsess about how things ‘appear’ and my partner has had to have some firm words with me to snap me back to reality. I was strongly opposed to mounting a flat screen TV to our living room chimney breast. My partner was like, ‘errm Nadine we do watch a lot of sports and Netflix - this is our reality’. And it’s the truth! I don’t spend my evenings pouring over literature with a glass of vintage wine. I crack the telly on! We have to keep it real. So we mounted the TV, and then I did the most I could to make it look nice.
How has your idea of home changed from when you were a child?
Not at all, I think I’m just trying to emulate a slightly more boujie version of what I had growing up!
What objects solidified your current space as home for you?
Having a sofa felt very official, like woah we can sit and relax in here now?
What is your approach to designing and furnishing your space now? What elements are important to you in the process?
Moodboarding, obsessing, doubting, then revisiting my original idea is literally my process. I’m very tunnel vision-ed with my budget also. Instagram is a great resource, however comparison culture is REAL. I learnt that in order to stay on track, I have to drown out the opinions sometimes.
Do you think your African heritage has influenced your idea of home?
Yes, coming from a black West Indian family is so integral to how I view home. It’s essentially about comfortability, food, and hosting in the most informal way possible. We are spontaneous people, these ‘planned’ Insta-worthy dinner parties are not culturally our day-to-day reality. We do - ‘everyone mek yuhself small, squeeze up, loud, big pot of food’, type of hosting. I would love my home to be that!
What sentimental items have you brought along with you to your new home?
Books, photographs and recently my mum gave me our old garden bench that she’s had since, forever. There are pictures of me as a toddler sitting on that bench, then my sister’s kids, I think I would struggle to ever get rid of that bench now it’s mine.
Is there any Weruzo piece you are most drawn to and why?
The Celestine vases are stunning, artful, thoughtful and a bit distracting. Very me!
radio
Nadine has curated a playlist described as ‘a soul meets disco meets deep groove playlist for late night renovators.’
Click on the image to listen