One thing that the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has taught us is that there are two kinds of people in this world: those who are equipped to deal with the challenges of social isolation and, well, the rest of us. You’d expect Mr Jon Gorrigan to fall firmly into the latter camp. In his professional life as a fashion photographer, he’s constantly on the move, and when he’s not at work, he loves to travel. Surely after a couple of weeks cooped up indoors, he’d be climbing the walls? But when MR PORTER caught up with him – right in the middle of the sunniest April since British meteorological records began, we might add – he seemed to be doing just fine.

The unseasonably warm weather will have certainly contributed to his buoyant mood, but it may also have had something to do with his lovely home, a double-fronted Victorian house in Forest Gate, east London, which he shares with his wife, the TV presenter and designer Ms Laura Jackson, their one-year-old daughter, Sidney, and a whippet named Barry. The couple moved here from a rented warehouse apartment in Hackney four years ago and have been gradually renovating it ever since; it’s a project that has already caught the eye of several interior design magazines for its eclectic blend of upcycled vintage furniture, period features and eye-popping floral wallpaper.

As part of MR PORTER’s series in which we step inside the homes of some of our favourite creatives and find out how they’re coping during lockdown, we invited Mr Gorrigan to put his photography skills to use and gives us a virtual guided tour of his enviable isolation digs. We also sent him a few items from our home and tech collections, which he seamlessly integrated into said digs (perhaps a little inspiration for the rest of us). Here, he shares a few intimate snaps of family life during lockdown.

On staying busy

“I’ve got a big to-do list that’s been constantly building up over the past couple of years as we’ve gradually done more and more to the house. My daily routine involves reviewing that list and trying to tick off two or three things per day. I’m planning a small vegetable plot in the back garden, so I’m currently digging out a load of old concrete and getting ready to lay down some brick for raised beds.”

On parenting

“We take it in turns to wake up early at around 6.30am with Sidney, which means that one of us gets an extra couple of hours to lie in. There’s a local park nearby, and we’ve been waiting until later in the day when it’s a bit cooler to take her out for a walk with Barry. After putting her to bed in the evening, there’s basically enough time for us left to watch something on Netflix; we’ve been catching up on Salt Fat Acid Heat. It sounds a bit boring but having a small child does limit your options!”

On communal dining

“My wife has been on a mission in the kitchen recently. She’s started this bloody hashtag called #makeamealofit and she’ll spend the afternoon preparing these amazing dinners. We sit down at the table together in the evening and it gives a lovely sense of structure and occasion to the day.”

On renovating a period property

“The woman who lived here before us had been here for 40 years, so we knew we were taking on a big project when we bought it. There were loads of original features – marble fireplaces, original Sanderson wallpaper and whatnot – but a lot of other stuff that needed taking out, too. We knocked down a couple of walls and rebuilt a conservatory at the back of the house that had started to rot, which needed council approval as the house is in a conservation area. Any new structural work has to be in keeping with the style of the area. The architect has to speak to the planning office repeatedly. It’s a lot of hassle; I’m not sure I’d do it again.”

On buying new versus buying old

“We buy a lot of second-hand stuff. My wife loves a bargain. She bought the green and white chairs in our front room on eBay for £100 for the pair; they were knackered, but she had them reupholstered by a friend. We found the travertine coffee table in an antiques market in Belgium. A lot of the rest of the furniture was brought in from our last place; despite coming from a minimal warehouse space into a busy, colourful old house it fit really well, so we kept it.”

On being still

“My wife and I are always travelling, and it’s not until you slow down that you realise just how exhausted you are. Lockdown has given us an opportunity to take a break, work everything out and focus on what’s important to us. This was always intended to be our forever family home, but because we’re on the road so much, we haven’t actually spent much time in the area until now. It’s been a great chance to get to know the neighbourhood a little better.”