Home shrines differ greatly throughout Church of the East.
In India we see shrines some as large as small rooms, others as small
as a shoe box, some of made of glass, or sandalwood, or any wood, brass,
marble, some with ornate mirrors, endless variation.
In Southern Africa carved wooden shrines are mostly used for the
mystical moment, although the brass shrine is popular as well. In North
America it seems as if the Indian made brass shrine and the African made
wooden shrine are more popular. These are mostly of the small
size, about 30cm to 40cm (12 to 14 inches) wide.
Practicality
Aside from one's personal taste, brass plated shrines are practical
(and therefore popular) because they are not a fire hazard and are easy
to clean. Here is a picture of the one I use in my home:
The typical home shrine has a lamp or burner, an icon and an incense
burner. In India devotees use ghee (clarified butter) as fuel for
devotional burners. In the West we tend to use special candles
that are easier to manage (don't we always;-). Soon we will be
able to provide all these materials from the online devotional shop but
everything you need is most probably available from a friendly Eastern
Indian shop/market close to you.
Routine
In most homes it is a morning and night-time routine to spend a
moment of worship lifting the spirit to reach out to its Source--maybe
simply by lighting the candle (or lamp) and the incense, perhaps
contemplating the icon.
Worship is always an individual act of reaching out to the
One--worship is always a communal act because every thought, every
breath, affects our immediate environment and our fellowship as it
affects the cosmos.