The real-life GINGERBREAD HOUSE | Architect Laura Dewe Mathews shares her secret ingredients

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For the third film in our series, Homing In, our co-founder, Matt Gibberd, follows a line of crumbs to the home of architect Laura Dewe Mathews. Known locally as the ‘gingerbread house,’ there is creativity in every detail of Laura’s home, which has been cleverly stitched into its site in east London.

As with each of the films in the series, we aim to show how adherence to five key design principles – space, light, materials, nature and decoration – allows you, in Matt’s words, “to live a better and more fulfilled life.” Here, we examine Laura’s key ingredients – the materials that make up the gingerbread house she shares with her family. As she describes it, architecture is all a process of balance and elevation: “You need carbs,” she says. “You need spice, a texture element, and a moment of joy …”

Written and presented by Matt Gibberd
Filming: Edmund Cook
Editing: David Potter
Production: Hannah Phillips
Graphic Design: Ben Tucker
Music: Father

You can find out more about Laura's work here:
You can pick up a copy of Matt Gibberd's book, 'A Modern Way to Live' at:
Cross-laminated timber: Spruce grown and machined in Austria, purchased from KLH who were suppliers and sub-contractors. For more information see
Fancy-butt cedar shingles: Canadian Western Red Cedar shingles, made to order by Vincent Timber
Joinery executed by Roy Middleton , Will Shannon and RMHB
Hay lamp shade 80cm:
Gerrit Rietveld Utrecht Armchairs in Alpaca:
Pierre Forssell for Skultuna brass candle sticks:
Pentreath and Hall - Faux marble paper lampshade:
Hand blown glass pendant light:
Porcelain door handles:
Antique convex glass mirror:
Office shelving:
Bathroom tiles:
Bathroom velvet curtain:
Bolidt Resin floor:
Paper alphabet by Ron King;
Brass wall lights: Bought at Ardinly Antiques fair
Rugs in the sitting room and Rita's bedroom: Both bought in Marrakech
Blue light in Rita’s bedroom:

2:42 Chapter 1: Building the Gingerbread House
4:30 Chapter 2: an Instant House
6:24 Chapter 3: Truth to Materials
9:07 Chapter 4: Consistency of Materials
10:58 Chapter 5: Nature as a Material
12:01 Chapter 6: Materials & Comfort
15:19 Chapter 7: Balancing Materials
17:33 Chapter 8: Playing with Materials
19:14 Chapter 9: Educating Rita


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