The Book of the Homeless, edited by Edith Wharton in 1916, was a fundraising effort to help refugees and children in Europe during the First World War. It was Wharton’s idea to ask artists, writers and poets to contribute an original piece. At this time Wharton had already written nine novels and would go on to become the first female Pulitzer Prize winner, in 1921. Her literary success and influence allowed her to approach her good friend Henry James as well as Walter Gay, John Singer Sargent, Rupert Brooke, Thomas Hardy, Igor Stravinsky, WB Yeats, and 50 other writers and artists. In the same spirit, and inspired by a new book published by Rizzoli: Home: A Celebration, Notable Voices Reflect on the Meaning of Home, we asked contributors to share their interpretation of home, its meaning and importance. This week, Fionnuala Aston-Ardee, Lady Ardee …

Lord and Lady Ardee.

Homes come in all shapes and sizes, but we bring ourselves, with all our highs and lows to each space. Our home is enormous; it’s the 800-acre Killruddery estate in Co Wicklow, a sustainable, biodiverse farm that includes woodland, formal 17th-century gardens, a sylvan theatre and a walled garden. It’s bustling; sometimes in demand, sometimes forgotten and hidden. Our ultimate vision is to have a farm-to-fork estate and we hope that every visitor leaves with a sense of belonging and love for the space.

Returning from the beach, school run, a walk with the dog along Bray Head cliffs or frequently from some of the various enterprises that also find their place at Killruddery [the Grain Store cafe, Farm Shop, Dairy Yard takeaway, Tea Room and Gardens] home is accessed through a door tucked into a corner of the vast forecourt.

I’ve had all sorts of homes in my life; my present one confuses me regularly as I flit from one restoration project or emergency renovation to the next. My husband, Anthony, is fully at home in Killruddery’s high-ceilinged corridors and finds it easy to dose off at Christmas in our 20-metre-long drawing room. I am fortunate to live in a house which has a long 400-year history of homemakers. It’s where I can kick off my shoes, read Winnie-the-Pooh or Irish legends to my children by the fire and where I enjoy cooking together. www.killruddery.com.