A champion of maximalism in what was in 2011 a largely minimalist world, the fledgling British brand House of Hackney offered fantastical wallpapers, sumptuous fabrics and playful accessories layered so daringly and intensely that it caused quite a stir in its inaugural year. Fast-forward a decade or so, and the company had gone from strength to strength, thanks to an ever-expanding collection of high-quality British-made products and a set of social and environmental values that have earned it the prestigious B-Corp Certification.
“When we first launched, there was a real focus on Scandi design, and everyone, including us, was living in white boxes,” recalls Frieda Gormley, who founded the business with her husband, Javvy M Royle.
“We found ourselves in this very sterile environment at what was politically and economically quite a bleak time in the UK. What we wanted was color, pattern and to really bring nature into our home. But at one end of the market was IKEA, and at the other were the kind of traditional wallpapers and furniture our parents were buying.”
Desperate for beautiful, well-made products, they created the designs themselves. Thus was born the House of Hackney, named after the East London borough where Gormley and Royle lived. The couple drew on a rich melting pot of inspirations, including Victorian-era palm houses, their urban neighborhood and the iconic William Morris.
Right from the start, the pair knew they needed their heritage-inspired range to be made in the UK. With no little black book of suppliers, they embarked on a six-month road trip around the British Isles in search of craftspeople with whom they could collaborate.
“It was so exciting to discover factories that had been family run for generations — ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent, for example, and weavers in Lancashire and Suffolk,” Gormley said in 2023. “Almost thirteen years later, we’ve forged important relationships with those people and grown together. They’re very much part of our family.”
With no physical shop or showroom, they shot photographs and presented the designs to buyers in their own Victorian house, swathing the living room and bedrooms in layer upon layer of bold and botanical prints.
The company focused in 2023 on an initiative that Gormley and Royle were calling the Year of the Garden, a series of projects with an emphasis on both nature and sustainability that included an exclusive partnership with 1stDibs. Along with an edit of core House of Hackney items, including wallpapers, textiles, rugs, lighting and furniture, the 1stDibs collaboration had Gormley and Royle curating a selection of vintage pieces by the likes of Mario Bellini, Tobia Scarpa and others, several of which have been given a new lease on life with vibrant House of Hackney fabrics.
A continuation of the couple’s ongoing mission to connect people with the great outdoors, the project also reflected their dedication to bringing maximum joy into people’s homes.
“We don’t look at trends, but we do stay close to nature, and we’re quite tucked in to that,” says Gormley. “It’s exciting when people are playful with decorating and just want to have fun with it.”
Find House of Hackney sofas, armchairs and other furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
