Interview procedure
5.12.2.4 Interactions and Activities
There were no dominant aspects; however emerging aspects of interest are discussed below.
Participants discussed both being entertained and being able to entertain as part of their meaning of comfort. In terms of entertainment, participants mentioned watching television. Householders found comfort in the ability to entertain guest in their home, have people around for meals and to stay the night. This crossed over with the ability to adapt certain spaces to accommodate such situations, as expressed by C6P11, his wife also expressed the same opinion in regards to socialising with guests in their home:
Creating Comfort 5.12.3
Householders were asked how they created comfort in the home which included a probing question to encourage participants to consider other elements of comfort other than thermal elements which had been a feature of the CALEBRE project. Participants described a wide range of elements to creating comfort in their home. Similarly to discussing the meaning of comfort, householders often referred to
C3P6: “Familiar is comfortable as well. If things are changing all the time it gets to the point of being anonymous or sterile, so familiar things can give you comfort, but it’s nice to inject some new things into it and supplement
that.”
C6P11: “I think being able to have people to stay is quite nice, extra sleeping places and so on.”
C6P10: "... entertaining, we have people round a lot, usually we have a couple of families round on a Sunday."
98 several different elements which collectively created their comfort experience, as demonstrated by C12P21 response:
The following data map presents the main themes significant to creating comfort (see Figure 10)
C12P21: “Probably get changed into something more comfortable, have a cup of tea, watch the telly. Have some tea.”
99
100 The main themes of creating comfort in the home are divided into four main categories the environment and physical comfort, aesthetics and perceptions of space
and order, psychological wellbeing and interactions and activities which are discussed
in the following sections.
5.12.3.1 The Environment and Physical Comfort
Within environmental and physical factors the strongest themes were associated with thermal comfort, sitting comfort and comfortable clothing:
Thermal Comfort
Thermal elements of the environment were referred to by a majority of participants; in particular, controlling the temperature in the home. Of the householders interviewed, 18 participants discussed ways of creating and maintaining a warm environment; 12 of these were females and 6 males.
Participants discussed keeping warm through a variety of behaviours, such as bathing, putting on extra clothes or sitting in the sun. Participants C17P29, C13P23 and C18P30 drew upon the ability to adjust the temperature of the heating system; in addition C18P30 also stated using an open fire for warmth was important to creating comfort and putting on extra clothes as options for temperature control. The following quotes demonstrate several ways participants kept warm:
As touched upon in the above quote from C18P30, adaptive behaviours to create and maintain a warm and comfortable environment were identified; behaviours
C17P29: “Make sure the house is warm, put the heating on.”
C8P14: “Put the telly on, make sure it’s nice and warm, open a glass of wine.”
C18P30: “The more I think about it, a lot of it is down to temperature, because I’m thinking, I’ll come in here, I’ll put the fire on, turn the radiator up
101 such as putting on extra clothing, bathing or wrapping up in blankets were cited actions for keeping warm. The cost of heating played a role for C5P9; she noted how the expense of heating her home meant she was restricted to having her heating lower as a result:
Others participants expressed a preference for keeping the home cooler. C18P31 stated that, although she could turn the heating up, it was more convenient to put a throw over herself. Whilst C9P18 stated, even during the winter, she felt it was more logical to put clothes on than to heat the entire house:
Whilst C7P13 also referred to carrying out adaptive behaviour, he noted how his property was draughty, failed to retain heat and was especially cold in cold weather conditions. As a result, he wore more clothes in the house but he drew specifically upon the cosy feeling of wearing jumpers.
C5P9: “Being warm, or warm enough. But then you have constraints, if you haven’t got high income, you put on another sweater and wear a scarf around your neck rather than put the heating up. I keep the heating pretty low, it’s about 17… there’s a gas fire in the front room... I’ve tried not to use
it, as gas is expensive anyway.”
C18P31: “See, most evenings I turn the heating down, so it’s the radiators, well I think perhaps the radiator is on, but the heating has been down, I’ll just get myself one of these [throw] put this over the top of me rather than get up
and turn the radiator or the heating up.”
C9P18: “We tend to keep the house cooler than some people probably, so we think it makes more sense in the winter to wear a cardigan or even two
102 Similarly, C1P2 felt she could not rely on maintaining a consistent indoor temperature in the home and thus wore extra socks in the prevention of chilblains:
A small number of households discussed the use of open fireplaces in the home to help create a warm environment. Some participants, such as C7P13, associated the use of the fireplace with a cold environment, suggesting it is not used as a primary source of heating the home:
Similarly to the meaning of comfort, some considered an open fireplace as more than offering the comfort of warmth but also referred to the ambience and aesthetic value it brought to their home; as expressed by C13P23 and C3P5:
C7P13: “But there is also something about being cosy wearing jumpers as well. I definitely wear more clothes around the house than most people do
because I like to and its easier for me to do that, as like I say this house is cold, so there will be drafts however long the heating’s been on, in fact the
longer it is on, and the colder it is outside, the more draughty it gets, so…jumpers.”
C1P2: "keeping the right temperate but often having to put extra socks on. You can’t rely on the temperature in the house to keep yourself physically
comfortable especially when you suffer from chilblains as I do. Even regulating the thermostat is not always going to do the job and you can be...
this room is warm, this is the room where I would feel comfortable to work."
C7P13: “If it’s cold in the evening, we’d shut the door and put the fire on.”
C13P23: “Wood burning stove, because it so gorgeous, heating on as high as you can possibly get it.”
103 Some responses referred to the seasonal differences in their behaviour and expectations of the indoor environmental conditions. This was not a strong theme but was an interesting point touched upon by a smaller number of participants. C12P22 was able to make the most of the warmth from the sun by sitting directly within the sunlight coming through the window during the winter to create an environment to unwind in. Whilst in the summer, with warmer weather conditions the same participant achieved comfort from being outside in the garden:
C8P16 also drew upon seasonal differences when describing her ideal situation for comfort in the winter. Interestingly, she stated coming in from the outside to sitting in front of the warm fire with a hot drink, suggesting moving from cold to warm is a positive sensation:
However several householders also noted how some of these behaviours also held other attributes which were also important to them such as a sensation of cosiness, or a feeling of familiarity. An interesting point was made by members of the C8 household, mother (C8P16) and daughter (C8P15) discussed the multiple meaning
C3P5: “On an evening if it’s particularly cold or over Christmas, we lit a fire didn’t we? We didn’t necessarily need a fire but it was just kind of nice to have
an open fire.”
C12P22: “Actually to be fair in winter I go upstairs to the bedroom to have my cup of tea because it’s warmer, and the suns shining through, the sun shines through
so I’ll probably go and sit up there and unwind… If its summer I’ll go straight to the garden, I’d prefer to be outside.”
C8P16: “Watching films, I think if we’d been out for a walk, I suppose my ideal Sunday afternoon in winter would be coming back from a walk and
104 behind the use of quilts. C8P15 stated the quilts did not only provide warmth but also a cosy sensation, whilst C8P16 also noted the sentimental value of the homemade quilts to their family:
Sitting Comfort
Sitting comfort was referred to by many participants as being significant in creating a comfort in the home. Many of these participants mentioned sofa or chairs. Some commented on the importance for ‘comfy’ seating, such as C1P2 drawing on her requirement for support. She also made reference to finding a comfortable seating position by putting her feet up and using pillows for extra support:
This was also noted by other participants, for example C9P17 who preferred slouching and C4P8 expressed a preference for snuggling:
C8P15: “I like getting quilts and piling them on the sofa and just watching TV or a film or something…. It’s warmth but you feel really cosy and more
comfortable.”
C8P16: “Its partly a security thing as well, you always have your grandma’s quilts, my mum made them kind of homemade quilts didn’t she, but you like
to snuggle up in those don’t you.”
C1P2: “Comfort means feeling good when I’m sitting in a chair, able to put my feet up, the chair is right gives me the right kind of support or putting a pillow behind my back if I’m sitting on the couch as the couch doesn’t give
enough support.”
105 It is also worth noting that, the participants who discussed sitting comfort did so as part of creating their overall comfort experience, making reference to watching TV or having a something to drink:
Change Clothes
Changing into more comfortable clothing was considered too an attribute of physical comfort although it also bares psychological connotations as well. Participants referred to certain clothing as being more comfortable as demonstrated by C12P21. Comfort was signified by C4P8 by changing from work clothing to home clothes:
Other aspects of the environment and physical comfort which were identified included natural lighting and sound, shutting out all natural lighting by closing the curtains, and the desire for a quiet environment.
5.12.3.2 Aesthetics and Perception of Space and Order
This section presents the strongest themes of aesthetics and perceptions of space and order, these were in reference to the aesthetics and personalisation, order, places for things and use of space.
Aesthetics and Personalisation
C4P8: “Snuggle on the sofas.”
C6P11: "It just depends, I might have a glass of wine and sit down and I might read, I might watch TV."
C12P21: “…. get changed into something more comfortable.”
106 Few participants drew upon the aesthetics and the personalisation of the home in creating comfort. This was less than those who associated this factor to the meaning of comfort. Participant C1P1 expressed pride in personalising his home and the significance of making it his own to the extent where he made changes frequently:
The C2 household also commented on the aesthetics of their surroundings, both C2P3 and C2P4 shared the same view, C2P3 noted his preference for quality and simplistic design of his home:
Order, Space and Place
Some householders felt creating comfort required maintaining order within the home through keeping it tidy, free from clutter or having space for belongings. Participants also expressed a desire to have things in convenient places, for example C2P3:
C1P1: “…decoration is highly personal, again I think it’s important to both of us but probably more obsessive where I’m concerned I’m probably a rare species a ‘male nest builder’, I do like to know I’ve made stuff look the way I
want it to look even if I’m not happy and do it again, but I do mess about with stuff constantly. It drives her mad, but I think the result is you’re
reasonably happy!”
C2P3: “I quite like a tidy house and I like things in places where I know where they are. I also want things to look nice and be solid and simple and look
nice… space, colour, nice design, craftsmanship.” C2P4: “Pleasing to the eye so it looks nice.”
C2P3: “I like things in convenient places. I quite like a tidy house and I like things in places where I know where they are.”
107 C3P5 touched upon the difficulty of maintaining a clutter free home with children, she also expressed the need to have enough space for activities:
Whilst tidiness was also noted as important for C4P7 they also commented on the obstacle an untidy home plays in creating comfort:
5.12.3.3 Psychological Wellbeing
This section will outline psychological aspects of comfort from the data which contributed to them being able to create a comfortable environment, this includes several attributes such as relaxation, being stress-free and having time to create comfort. In this section the stronger attributes of psychological wellbeing at home will be discussed.
Relaxation
For some participants creating comfort was simple; it was the ability to do nothing but relax. Being able to unwind and be stress-free were aspects of personal wellbeing referred to by participants as illustrated by the following quotes by C11P19, C8P15 and C1P2, the latter of whom, drew upon past experience when stress prevented her from being able to create comfort:
C3P5: “I think space, anything you’re doing, to have the space….I can’t stand clutter. Which is very difficult when you’ve got 2 children.”
C4P7: “… tidy up. Yeah because if you see, if there’s too many jobs that need doing nearby, I can’t be comfy.”
C11P19: “Come and sit down and relax and that’s it.”
108 Comfort Food
Several participants referred to eating and drinking within their comfort experience. Comfort foods, wine and hot drinks were all amongst items mentioned however a vast majority of responses in this area referred to having a cup of tea. In most cases it was listed with other factors such as sitting and or watching television. Both C8P14 and C12P21 expressed their association of a warm drink within the process of getting comfortable:
5.12.3.4 Interactions and Activities
This was not a dominant theme for creating comfort; however interesting insights were entertainment and entertaining guests. Participants discussed ways in which they entertained themselves at home, this included reading and socialising, a majority of those who noted watching television. Similarly to other examples of creating comfort, participants noted a variety of important aspects to creating comfort, for instance, both C3p6 and C15P26 note sitting comfort was of significance alongside watching TV:
C1P2: "Stress free as well. If I’m not stressed by anything not working properly. When the boiler broke down it wasn’t very comfortable and that wasn’t just because it was freezing, it was just the stress associated with it and you don’t know how long it’s going to ask for before you can get it fixed."
C8P14: "I’d come in, have a cup of tea, put the telly on, make sure it’s nice and warm, open a glass of wine."
C12P21: "Probably get changed into something more comfortable, have a cup of tea, watch the telly. Have some tea. Yeah."
109 In household 6, C6P11 made reference to a variety of activities which he associated with comfort, whilst his wife C6P10 expressed the desire to be able to have people round the house noting the seasonal differences between activities:
Discussion
5.13
The findings for this study were divided into meaning and creating comfort, data for both were spread amongst four main themes: the environment and physical
comfort, aesthetics and perception of space, psychological wellbeing and interaction and activities. These four dimensions represented householders’ multifaceted
notions of comfort, proving to be broad and varied amongst the sample. A majority of participants provided multifaceted responses which included elements from more than one of the themes; suggesting a combination of factors contribute to
C3P6: “It’s simple stuff, just getting comfy in a chair, watching TV… I’ll nibble in front of the TV.”
C15P26: “Put the telly on, sit and watch the programs I want or just do nothing.”
C6P11: “It just depends. I might have a glass of wine and sit down and I might read, I might watch TV, in the summer we quite like doing things
outside, so we can sit outside for a while.”
C6P10: “Friends, sort of ‘chilling’, just being around. Like often on a weekend, we’ll have people round for lunch at 1 and then we’ll often just
hang around indoors in the winter and outdoors in the summer until say 6ish.”
110 experience comfort. The presence of several variables is typically an accepted notion of comfort; however this study has revealed the scope of factors householders associated with the experience. Although it is important to understand the individual factors which are associated with comfort in order to crystalize a broader notion of householders comfort, it is also significant to acknowledge the interconnectivity between these variables. While this is not fully explored by this research, other research has shown that satisfaction of one factor, for instance, thermal satisfaction, does not necessary result in overall comfort (Humphreys 2005).
Responses to the two questions on meaning of comfort and the creation of comfort were quite similar in terms of scope, with the same aspects identified during responses to both questions and fitting within the same four themes. In both sets of responses, householders drew upon instances from their everyday lives; although in response to creating comfort, householders provided more examples. This suggests the meaning of comfort is strongly associated with their experiences; therefore householders experience their own notion of comfort, rather than applying a universal and/or rigid definition.
The following discussion draws together the creation of comfort and the meaning of comfort across the four main themes to discuss their contributions to exploring the phenomena of comfort.
The Environment and Physical Comfort 5.13.1
Many of the elements of comfort in this area have been extensively researched and can be considered to adhere to the more traditional notions of comfort. As suggested by its dominance in the literature, thermal comfort was a significant feature of both meaning and creating comfort in the home. Thermal comfort was significant to the meaning of comfort, in particular the sensation of being warm, cool or cold; whilst responses to creating comfort tended to more dynamic, with participants suggesting active ways to achieving this sensation. A majority of responses on thermal comfort were associated with keeping warm. More often,