While much of the design world is currently all about minimalism, streamlined shapes and smooth lines, the husband-and-wife team behind British lifestyle and interiors brand House of Hackney – Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle – embrace maximalism with great aplomb. Making a splash on the design scene since it was founded in 2010, House of Hackney combines quintessential Britannia with vibrant, nature-inspired prints and bold colours for a dizzying, decadent bouquet of design pieces, from fabrics and wallcoverings to lighting and ceramics. The brand launched its first children’s collection, Little House of Hackney, late last month and has plans in the works for a Hong Kong boutique.

We sat down with Frieda during her visit to Hong Kong for the UK Trade & Investment-organised Fashion is Great festival; she tells us about the inspirations behind the brand and how it sets trends rather than follows them.

We’re looking to open our own store here in Hong Kong. We’re really interested in the market here and we can see via our online sales that Hong Kong likes our products, so I’m here doing some research on a potential store. We’d definitely like to have a presence here within the next 18 months.

We just launched a children’s range called Little House of Hackney. We think there’s been something missing in the child’s interiors market and we feel like what we’re launching has that point of difference. It comprises children’s interiors, fabric, wallpaper, accessories, bed linens and some capsule clothing as well.

We have a deep affinity for interiors. What we love about it is that it lasts; it’s not disposable or seasonal. You’re building on a collection.

Our fashion is made in England, with Italian silk, and it’s quite capsule. We design it for people who love our prints and who perhaps aren’t quite ready to make the investment in their home yet.

We wanted our designs to have integrity, and be both inspired by England and made in England; we wanted to be genuine. We also care about the British manufacturing industry, which was a booming industry. Before we launched the brand, we spent almost a year travelling around the UK to find the best manufacturers in each field. It was a bit of a wild goose chase! Two steps forward, one step back, picking up nuggets of wisdom here and there. It’s nice to say that we still have the manufacturers that we started with. They’re unparalleled in our industry. Ultimately, that gives us an amazing-quality product.

We’re quite inspired by the great interior decorators from the 1930s and ’40s. They were a lot bolder in their decorating choices. Nature is our biggest inspiration. We’re very much about bringing the outdoors into your interiors.

We don’t look at any trends; we really just set our own. We design and create around our own intuition and what we’re feeling. We’re constantly evolving.

We’d like to do our own hotel sometime – a House of Hackney townhouse, a concept whereby people can check in and experience the world of House of Hackney. That’s a bit of a dream project.

By: Leanne Mirandilla