Some people see home as a private sanctuary, others as a place to throw open to the world. Which are you, and why?

A natural way to answer

I lean towards the private side, though not entirely. I value home as a retreat where I can switch off, but I do open it up for close friends now and then. For me it's mostly a refuge, with the occasional open door rather than a permanently open one.

Key phrases to use

• shut the door on — to deliberately keep something out of your life or mind“When I get home, I shut the door on work entirely.”
• bolthole — a private place you can escape to for safety or peace“The cottage is my little bolthole when life gets hectic.”
• throw open the doors — to welcome people in generously and without reserve“They threw open the doors and the whole street came.”
• pull up the drawbridge — to shut yourself off from others and protect your privacy“Come the weekend, I pull up the drawbridge and see no one.”