An Ode to the Season
A letter to the season from our founders.
A letter to the season from our founders.
When we launched House of Hackney around our kitchen table in East London, in 2011, our simple mission was to bring Nature into our home.
Living in the city with only a tiny backyard, we wanted to create an indoor sanctuary—an escape from the desolate mood of economic anxiety and political disillusionment that permeated the times. We dreamed up a cosy, Nature-inspired cocooning interior—an antidote to the stark, white minimalism of our home, which only mirrored the external bleakness.
So, we turned to Plants. We studied their patterns and palettes, seeking to emulate their perfect form and function, and whose designs resulted in the wallpapers and textiles you know us for today.
Mother Nature began as our muse, but through years of observation, she became our greatest teacher. As we studied her we learnt that we are all part of an interconnected web of life; to keep the whole healthy, we must care for one another and for all species within this fragile ecosystem. This principle—honouring all planetary stakeholders—is deeply embedded in the foundation and governance of House of Hackney. When Nature is doing well, so are we.
Once again, we find ourselves in troubling times—marked by division, unchecked power, and a threatened democracy. Meanwhile, Nature sounds her clarion call for protection ever louder.
As we fell under the spell of the industrial and digital revolutions that brought us indoors and away from the wonders of Nature, we have numbed and dumbed ourselves, forgetting our place within the natural world, and that we are Nature itself. We have forgotten the abundance of the Garden, which lies just beyond our doors, waiting to nourish and heal us with its generous gifts.
“We forget that none of this had to exist — that we weren’t owed mountains and music by the universe. And maybe we have to forget — or we would be too stupefied with gratitude for every raindrop and every eyelash to get through the daily tasks punctuating the unbidden wonder of our lives. But it is good, every once in a while, to let ourselves be stupefied by gratitude, to cast upon ourselves a spell against indifference by moving through the world with an inner bow at every littlest thing that prevailed over the odds of otherwise in order to exist.” - Maria Popova, The Marginalian
The consequences of this spell of separation has got our planet into a lot of trouble. We look at ourselves as something other than Nature. We have forgotten that we are part of a sacred web of life with all living organisms including plants, animals, rivers, mountains, oceans and their co-created living systems which have equal and inherent rights to exist and thrive. We have forgotten that Nature is our Mother, our lifeforce, our beating heart and what we do to Nature we do to ourselves. This has been devastating for Nature’s safeguarding and for our own health.
And once again, we turn to the Plants; for in Plants we can trust.
It's time to urgently break this spell of indifference and apathy and cast a new one; one that calls forth re-encantment and re-connection with the wonders of Nature.
The restorative qualities of Plants have been known to humanity since time immemorial, yet they feel newly alive in this era of rediscovery. As we nurture our ancient relationship with them—with reverence and curiosity—we also nurture ourselves. Healing awaits when we slow down, step outside, and embrace Nature.
This season, we dedicate our collection to the Plants—our oldest and wisest teachers. Their ancient wisdom and beauty calls us back into the Garden reminding us of the deep bonds (and DNA) we share with our botanical cousins. Through the miracle of symbiosis, we owe our very existence to them.
We invite you to join us on this journey as we celebrate them—always offering the right nourishment we need exactly when we need it. It is a gentle reminder that the natural world is attuned to our needs, providing care and balance in every season.
Though our roots are in the world of interiors, we invite you to step beyond your beautiful homes and into the Garden—a place where Nature’s artistry far surpasses our own. Her beauty and benefits are beyond what we could ever hope to recreate in a collection. But we try!
Re-enchanting ourselves with Nature is not merely an act of personal renewal; it is a radical act of protection.
When we rekindle our awe for the natural world, we reforge the bonds that connect us to the Earth. This enchantment fosters care, compelling us to see ourselves not as separate from Nature, but as stewards within it.
By valuing the wonders of the natural world — the life-giving miracle of symbiosis, the healing powers of Mother Nature, her mystery, beauty and wisdom — we challenge her commodification and exploitation.
To re-enchant is to resist, to embrace reverence as rebellion, and to defend the wild not just for its utility, but for its intrinsic wonders, on which we depend.
To protect the planet, we must first fall in love with it again.
The path forward is rooted in remembering our place within Nature—our true Home.
Frieda & Javvy
Founders of House of Hackney
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