In our new column, interiors and lifestyle editor Georgina Blaskey asks some of the most inspiring names from the worlds of interiors, food, travel and lifestyle to reveal the treasured possessions they would rescue first in a fire. From sentimental heirlooms to beloved design pieces, each object tells a story about the people who cherish them. This month, we speak to creative director, founder and tastemaker Laura Jackson…
Photo Albums & Drawings
An obvious one, but these are completely irreplaceable, especially the ones that only exist in print, not backed up anywhere. Every month I try to print what I have on my phone so they live somewhere physical, like on my coffee table, alongside all the little bits my kids have painted and drawn over the years. I keep the menus they’ve decorated when we’ve had people over, so it’s not just photos in there, it’s a proper mix of everything that’s made up our life together. My kids will spend hours going through albums from my own childhood, family holidays, all of it. I want that to keep going, so I’ll definitely be saving my albums.
Passports
Purely practical. With a young family, the last thing you want mid-crisis is the added headache of replacing documents just to get everyone where they need to be.You never know what could happen, last minute trip? Travel is our greatest luxury so
A Letter From My Dad
This one’s just for me. A handful of words, read in his voice, a piece of him I can go back to whenever I want. Nothing could ever replace that.
Hand-Painted Plates With My Kids Names & DOB by The English Boys
These live on our wall and mark the exact moment each of my children arrived. I love that they’re both art and a little piece of family history all in one. Completely one-of-a-kind, could never be recreated and so beautifully made.
Samples Of My New Products To Launch Later This Year
A slightly less sentimental one, but years of work, testing and hoping have gone into these, they represent a huge chunk of this year for me and I cannot tell you how excited I am.
Kids jumpers my mum knitted
Every stitch was made with so much love, and they’re the kind of thing you simply can’t buy again, my mum’s time, care and skill are in every one of them. I’ve passed knits down to all three of my kids and want to keep them safe for years to come.
Some Of My Husband’s Record Collection
Built up over years, each one picked for a reason – a gig, a memory, a song that reminds us of a specific trip. They’re also just part of the fabric of our home life, if it’s not the radio on in the kitchen, it’s the records that we’ve got on constantly in the background while we’re working or pottering about, so it’s not a collection that just sits there, it’s genuinely part of our everyday.
My Necklaces
A few of these carry real sentimental weight, gifts marking big moments, pieces I’ve worn during huge milestones. They’re small, but they hold a lot. I’ve always loved jewellery for that reason: it’s one of the few things you can wear every single day that holds huge memories. Each one takes me straight back to a moment or a person, which is exactly why I’d never want to lose them.
My Digital Camera
This never leaves my bag. I take it absolutely everywhere. My husband is a photographer so he’s always got a camera or five on him at any one time, always ready to capture a moment. So now I do the same. The amount of photos we’ve got collectively from spontaneous trips or plans are the reason it never leaves my bag.
Wedding Shoes
A gift from my mother-in-law. A pair of blue Manolo Blaniks. They were my something blue and I still get so much wear out of them. They’ve got real sentimental weight of course, but what makes them even more special is that they’ve never just sat in a box gathering dust.I still wear them all the time, dressed with a pair of jeans and a crisp white shirt, or a suit.