By House of Hackney August 15, 2024

Mighty Mycellium

At House of Hackney, we’re all about making changes to protect the natural world and we are always seeking out new ways to evolve our business that work more in harmony with Mother Nature. A big part of that is questioning the materials we use; are they the best available and can we do better?

Our mycelium products are made from groundbreaking fungi fibres and hemp material. With this project we hope to evolve new ways of thinking and making products. With natural, regenerative materials like mycelium, perhaps we can start to grow a better future.

This is just the beginning.

The Ceiling Rose
History lesson

The Ceiling Rose

In ancient Rome, a rose was the symbol of secrecy; one would be suspended above meeting tables to encourage the freedom to speak plainly without repercussion, hence the Latin phrase sub rosa, meaning ‘under the rose’.

Perhaps most famously, the court of Tudor King Henry VIII was strewn with carved iterations of the Sub Rosa to promote free speech and confidentiality. This evolved over centuries into the standard architectural ceiling rose, which forms the centrepiece of many a room, under which people still tell their stories and secrets. 

For this project, House of Hackney co-founder Javvy M. Royle began by studying the origins of the ceiling rose and the handcrafting techniques of woodcarvers. The design is inspired by the iconic liberty cap mushroom, revered for thousands of years for its spiritual properties; and also by the swirling acanthus leaf, a nod to our design hero William Morris.