The Journal.

All / LIFESTYLE

At Home with ETO: Jordan Bunker

31.10.25

•

4 min read

At Home with ETO: conversations over a glass of wine, relishing the small moments, aesthetic choices, and personal rituals that make our spaces our own.

For the first instalment of our new series, we caught up with Jordan Bunker, photographer, writer, and creative consultant. His Manchester home reflects a quiet commitment to considered design and slow living, with objects chosen with purpose, built to last, and layered over time.

Jordan shares reflections on home, slow living, and the small rituals that bring intention to everyday life, plus three wines from a favourite local merchant.

Q: Photography has been an increasingly important part of your work. Do you find that your approach to documenting your home or your routines has influenced how you live in those spaces day to day?

J.B: I think inadvertently it has. In photography I’m often focusing on composition, lines and colour combinations, and that way of thinking transcends into my home. It’s been nearly three years in my space now and over time I’ve been able to build up some nice little pockets that work well together.

The more you live in your home, the more you begin to intrinsically understand how light interacts with it, and where and when it will appear. It almost acts as a steer for your eye to help you appreciate different parts of it; similarly within photography, sometimes a harsh shadow being cast over someone or something can be the reason you take that photo.

Q: You’ve often spoken about the fast pace of digital culture and the problem of waste and greenwashing in the fashion industry and beyond. How has that shaped the way you think about the objects you bring into your home and closet?

J.B: There are definitely values I’ve carried through from fashion into interiors. Fast furniture is as much of a thing as fast fashion. I believe it’s important to consider what you bring into your space and if it’s something you’re wanting to buy because of a trend, or if it is something you need. Will it last? What’s it made from? What function will this perform in my home? Adding an extra layer of restraint and thought before purchase is important.

Q: The series is called At Home with ETO — what does “at home” mean to you right now?

J.B: Throughout September and October I’ve been on the road a lot, so home means peace and a slower pace to life. I’m craving it as the nights draw in, and as someone that appreciates and needs stillness, being at home helps facilitate that.

Q: As the holidays approach, do you have any rituals around slowing down, gathering, or sharing wine with friends and family?

J.B: Living in a city like Manchester means that I’m lucky to be close to a lot of my friends and we can be together within the hour. I’m trying to be a better host and have more friends over and if that means a weekday wine and a film, then that’s a ritual I can get on board with.

Q: Your work often highlights independent spaces and makers. Are there any wines, restaurants, or shops you’d recommend as hidden gems in Manchester (or beyond) this season?

J.B: You bet! We are spoilt here in this city. The number of good restaurants and bars we have in Manchester is second to none.

I’ll try and show restraint by not including the entirety of my little black book, and instead take you around from AM to PM.

We’re starting at Siop Shop for a morning coffee, walking across to This Thing of Ours and Deadstock for a retail fix, booking in at Winsome for a hearty lunch, popping into Stray for an aperitif, and then taking refuge from the Manchester weather inside Flawd for a bottle and some good food.

Q: And finally, what’s a bottle you’ve opened recently that you’d happily enjoy again with an ETO?

J.B: I had a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir from Wasenhaus in Germany, I believe it was called Grand Ordinaire. I was steered by the team at Flawd and they put me onto a winner.

Local knowledge:

We reached out to Jordan's brilliant local wine merchants in Manchester Flaw'd for some more recommendations they're excited about:

Par faim’ Florale 2022, Le Chai Volant.

This is a beautifully structured, bright Muscat d’Alexandrie & Grenache Blanc from Roussillon, France. Think wildflowers, crushed peach and herbs.

Blanc sense papers 2023, Bodega Clandestina.

100% Xarel-Lo - coastal brightness! Fresh citrus and a salty, mineral finish. One of our favourite bottles, which is showing exceptionally well right now!

Avanti Popolo 2023, Les temps des cerises.

Grenache Noir, Merlot & Alicante. A cuvée that we frequently pour by the glass, this wine has the structure and slight tannin to be a great autumn/winter chilled red option.