Our House was built in 2011 as a reaction to the times: it was an age of austerity and socio-economic unrest; mirrored by the minimalist white boxes we had all come to call home. We were longing to transform our own home in Hackney into a sanctuary away from the outside world, welcoming in vibrant colour and prints inspired by the wonders of nature. We had also wanted to move away from the disposable culture and mass production that dominated our jobs as a product designer (Javvy) and a buyer for a fast-fashion brand (Frieda).

We were drawn to interiors not only because they can be enjoyed by everyone, but because homeware is by its nature less throwaway: when beautifully designed and expertly crafted, it can be cherished for years or even decades to come. And yet we still wanted to defy the then-prevalent trend for identikit designs, and instead create pieces with a strong artistic spirit and light environmental footprint. For us, a product is never just a “product”; everything is designed with a meaning and purpose, and with huge amounts of love and energy poured into it.

The muse behind our collections has always been Mother Nature – our House is known for bringing the outside in. Now, as we celebrate ten years of House of Hackney, we are embarking on a journey to connect more deeply with the earth.

It comes at a moment when we find ourselves emerging into a brave new world. The pandemic has been bittersweet: its effects have sometimes been dispiriting, at other times strangely uplifting. Most of all, it has proven to be a powerful catalyst for change. And so, over the past year, we have all rediscovered what truly matters in life: the people we love, our physical and mental wellbeing, and our fundamental needs as humans.

Time spent in nature is also more important than ever. Going for walks and discovering local fields, marshes and woodland; noticing the seasonal changes; spotting the wildlife that populates our neighbourhoods – all are things that we may not have factored into our daily lives or paid much attention to before, yet have now become a treasured, vital part of our routines.

We must use these reflections to evaluate and identify ways in which can improve our lives. We need to reset, on both a local and global level. At House of Hackney we have always believed that the future is local: we take our name from the village-like borough of London with a creative, multicultural community that is a constant source of inspiration and support. In our new home at the Castle of Trematon in Cornwall, we have met a new collective of inspiring people who have touched our hearts and given us hope. Seismic changes often start right here at a grassroots level – so imagine the momentum of potential if we all tended to our local lands and communities with loving care.

Our House was founded on what we call ‘The 3 Cs’, our guiding principles of creativity, compassion and consciousness. There are three more Cs that also underpin everything we do: community, connectivity and collaboration. We believe we can build a better world – and a better natural world – to live in, if we all hold these values in high regard.

We can already see that happening as we enter an era of a rising collective consciousness. Due to more time spent indoors, we have all learnt to truly appreciate nature and are beginning to build deeper connections with it. We have come to understand how the earth is at the heart of our health (both physical and mental) and our quality of life.

Our ancestors lived in harmony with the earth’s rhythms – and although we may have since lost our way, today’s people of the land are returning to these ancient methods of healing themselves and restoring our ecosystems. The movement is of vital importance, as it has the potential to resolve many of the environmental challenges we face.

So, we feel now is the time for our new labour of love to flourish: the Garden of Tomorrow. If House of Hackney is the “home” of our brand, guiding you on how to create your own personal sanctuary through the magic of interiors, then the Garden of Tomorrow is our metaphorical garden – the place where we will be planting and cultivating ideas, inspiration and hope for the future. It’s where we will sow the seeds of knowledge on how we can all nurture the nature that surrounds us, whether you have a garden of your own, an allotment, perhaps a local park, river or coastline that you volunteer to clean up – even if you live in a city with just a few plants in a window-box for greenery.

The Garden of Tomorrow is where important topics and conversations can bloom, where we will seek collaboration and the exchange of ideas amongst our community (that’s you). We will meet great people doing great things at a local level – from experts to elders, ecologists to astrologists, land healers to Michelin-starred chefs – who have all been inspired to carve out a new way of life inspired by those ancient, harmonious ways.

The Garden of Tomorrow will chart a year in the life of nature’s movements – all that the earth has to teach us and all that it gifts us. Our story will unfold around the Wheel of the Year and the annual pagan festivals, from Imbolc to Yule – taking us from the reawakening of Spring to the peak of Summer, the bounty of Autumn and the drawing in of Winter.