In the old East End past little Victorian terraces that defiantly stood during the blitz, past the high rise estates that sprung up dominating the skyline of 1970s London, past derelict warehouses now home to the dance parties of twenty-somethings…, past all this there is a house. But this house is very different. This is House of Hackney - the newcomer to the interiors world that is described as "Colefax and Fowler on acid" and is busy turning traditional interiors upside down, forcing chintz to get cool.

 

Launched a month ago by Frieda Gormley (previously a fashion buyer at TopShop) and Javvy M Royle (a product designer) as a backlash against white walls and minimalism and using their own home in Hackney as a showroom, the company created three collections. They have captured an aesthetic that is ultra current, and have married it with timelessness and luxury (plus much of the collection can boast the tag of "Made in Britain").

 

The three rooms echo the fashion backgrounds of the two founders and are making waves for their edgy take on traditionalism. We caught up with Frieda to find out more about the rise of House of Hackney and have a snoop at their beautiful work.

 

The Dalston Rose is an explosion of blue and white rose wallpaper but not as granny knows it. The print has been ombred fading from florals into and inky blue.

 

The Hackney Empire room sees illustrations of quirky of animals: otters holding fans and badgers drinking cocktails.

 

 

 

The final Queen Bee collection has been given a more grown-up feel in soft yellows and delicate bee prints.

 

 

Because: Tell us a little bit about how House of Hackney came about?

Frieda: I have always been interested in interior design ever since my first dolls house as a little girl. I got my first tiny council flat in Dublin and on a shoestring budget I did it up sourcing all the weird and wonderful things I could find. The response to that sort of spurred me on.

 

What made you change paths from fashion to interiors?

I was working as a buyer for Topshop and realised that although there were many fashion labels that catered to our tastes in the office the interiors market hadn't really moved on much. There has been ten years of minimalism and plain white walls and I felt there was nothing for our generation. Everything out there felt very grown up and I was craving a return to print and something quintessentially British.

 

What has been the response to the collections so far?

Since the launch three weeks ago the response has been overwhelming. There seems to be an appetite for something new. People are finding it very fresh and different and want products that will last. We really want to support UK industry and craftsmanship here. We spent a long time all over the country sourcing the best in the industry. For example our fine bone china is made in Stoke-on-Trent and the lampshades are made in Wales.

 

Where do you find your inspiration?

I take inspiration from all over. This season there's a Victoriana flavour, but that doesn't mean we will stay that way. I am very inspired by great British decorators and by fashion and great editorials. Tim Walker's work has been a big inspiration. I love the great estates around the country like Cornbury Estate or Diana Vreeland's home.

 

Why did you choose Hackney?

I think it's a great melting pot of cultures with beautiful inspiring buildings and the best parks in the city.

 

So what's next for you?

All I can say is watch this space. We want to take House of Hackney internationally and we've got exciting plans to work with British bands and expand the label. I am sworn to secrecy for now though…

 

houseofhackney.com

In the La Brera design district during Milan Design Week, Baccarat housed an exhibit of star designers who lent their vision to this beacon of iconic elegance and fractured light. The shifting soundscapes and the cascading rooms were like a beautiful haunted house, shadows on the wall conjuring dreams instead of nightmares.

 

The first lamp pictured is called Sora created by award-winning Kyoto born designer and craftsperson Eriko Horiki. She applies her skills and love of traditional Japanese Washi paper to her Senritsu (meaning melody or shiver) lantern in an east meets west glowing orb.  The second is a highly conceptual candelabra chandelier by Phillippe Starck called the "Marie Coquine" which is topped by an umbrella and ends in a wooden handle.  The structure itself rests on a tripod on wheels balanced by way of a punching bag. Not your run-of-the-mill construction. In the backdrop in this room, you could hear the sound of rain and thunder in the near darkness. In the third, shadows on the wall undulate like diamonds in a cave. These are the lamps of whimsical Italian designer Michele de Lucchi who through his long career where night has been his inspiration has designed for Memphis, Artemide, Olivetti, Deutsch Bank, Mandarina Duck and others. The light forest at the end imbued with the soft sound of crickets is the Jardin de Cristal by Yann Kersalé, a French lighting designer who has lent his hand to projects as diverse as Museé Quai Branley to the Lyon Opera House to Barcelona's Agbar Tower, as well as countless other prestigious buildings around the world from Japan to Quatar.

 

Other designers creating for Baccarat in the exhibit but not pictured here were Jaime Hayon, Arik Levy, Alain Moatti, and Henri Rivière.

 

Another highlight from Rossana Orlandi in Milan last week was the Sé collection with designer Jamie Hayon, exhibited in Spazio Rossana Orlandi which was reminiscent of the first three seasons of Mad Men, while also being wholly modern with a color palette ranging from white to blue-grey to gold and a balance of decidedly contemporary lines and shapes mixed in with mushroom cloud modernism.

 

An extension of Hayon's existing collection for the luxury brand, the new designs include lacquered solid wood and marble-topped side tables which we especially loved. The whole collection is the result of an idea from founder Pavlo Schtakleff to create 'haute couture' furniture that embodies "comfortable luxury", pieces with a strong identity but classic enough to be versatile. And it's all produced by genuine French craftsmen and artisans, bien sur...