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AT HOME IN HACKNEY
We bring our House to Carla’s home in the heart of East London
Having started her career in the late ‘90s making cult youth shows for MTV Europe and presenting the fashion series, ‘SLAVE’ on Channel 4, Carla Holdforth has forged a career producing TV and film, including the V&A’s ‘David Bowie is Happening Now’; as well as working with some of contemporary history’s greatest icons - Twiggy, Veruschka, Bella Freud and Malcom McLaren to name a few. She lives in Hackney with her children, Donovan and Gene.
We join Carla at her home in London; a space that tells the story of her life immersed in alt pop culture; silkscreens of Mick Jagger, antique film posters, tonnes of vinyl and her wild child Gene, singing ‘Cherry Bomb’ by the Runaways. She’s rock ‘n’ roll down to the bone.
For this project, we head to the dining room. Carla wanted something dramatic, bold and wild, and who better to look to for inspiration than punk idol Iggy Pop? More specifically, Iggy’s leopard print jacket from the album artwork of 1973’s Raw Power; draped in animal print and allure - like any self respecting person should be - Carla’s dining room was about to be too.
Carla took her muse along to meet with House of Hackney’s Decorating Consultants, and from the starting point of her Iggy reverie, built out a full design - from a dream to a scheme.
“Let me wrap the whole room in leopard print - ceiling and all.”
And so mote it be. All five walls (the ceiling is a wall in our House), were pasted with WILD CARD wallpaper; nature’s neutral, it goes with everything. A blind was made up in TIGRE print velvet, and the kitchen area and woodwork was coated in our golden ochre toned paint UMBER, bringing the whole thing together in hedonistic harmony. It’s amazing what a difference a bit of wallpaper on a ceiling can do to a space - the feeling is cocooning and intimate, the perfect setting for a soiree. This scheme doesn’t need to shout to be heard; the neutral ‘Butterscotch’ of our leopard print makes it chic rather than cheap, but still suffused with punk spirit.
For this project, we head to the dining room. Carla wanted something dramatic, bold and wild, and who better to look to for inspiration than punk idol Iggy Pop? More specifically, Iggy’s leopard print jacket from the album artwork of 1973’s Raw Power; draped in animal print and allure - like any self respecting person should be - Carla’s dining room was about to be too.
Carla took her muse along to meet with House of Hackney’s Decorating Consultants, and from the starting point of her Iggy reverie, built out a full design - from a dream to a scheme.
“Let me wrap the whole room in leopard print - ceiling and all.”
And so mote it be. All five walls (the ceiling is a wall in our House), were pasted with WILD CARD wallpaper; nature’s neutral, it goes with everything. A blind was made up in TIGRE print velvet, and the kitchen area and woodwork was coated in our golden ochre toned paint UMBER, bringing the whole thing together in hedonistic harmony. It’s amazing what a difference a bit of wallpaper on a ceiling can do to a space - the feeling is cocooning and intimate, the perfect setting for a soiree. This scheme doesn’t need to shout to be heard; the neutral ‘Butterscotch’ of our leopard print makes it chic rather than cheap, but still suffused with punk spirit.
Carla dressed the walls with rock ‘n’ roll and outsider photography; Iggy Pop by Peter Hujar, David Bowie by Mick Rock and photographs of Berlin drag queens and Derek Ridgers’ skinhead girls.
A TIGRE velvet runner runs the length of the dining table, itself surrounded by a stunning set of 1980s B&B Italia chairs. The dark wooden sideboard standing against one leopard spotted wall holds an antique marble lampstand, decked in our decadently fringed tiger-print Tilia lampshade, along with a record player and of course some of our host’s most beloved vinyl LPs.
And taking centre stage, a framed photograph of Iggy in all his splendour, looking out onto the room he inspired.
“Punk pin up boy of my dreams made manifest in dining room form!”
Carla dressed the walls with rock ‘n’ roll and outsider photography; Iggy Pop by Peter Hujar, David Bowie by Mick Rock and photographs of Berlin drag queens and Derek Ridgers’ skinhead girls.
A TIGRE velvet runner runs the length of the dining table, itself surrounded by a stunning set of 1980s B&B Italia chairs. The dark wooden sideboard standing against one leopard spotted wall holds an antique marble lampstand, decked in our decadently fringed tiger-print Tilia lampshade, along with a record player and of course some of our host’s most beloved vinyl LPs.
And taking centre stage, a framed photograph of Iggy in all his splendour, looking out onto the room he inspired.
“Punk pin up boy of my dreams made manifest in dining room form!”
WE ASKED CARLA TO DESCRIBE HER FANTASY GATHERING
“A dream dinner party in my divine new dining room would be a witchy, Pagan gathering of some of my favourite artists, dead and alive.
Iggy Pop would be my living guest of honour. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too weirded out by the massive picture of his likeness that takes centre stage in my dining room.
My second premiere guest would be my absolute hero and proto-Goth, the one and only Nico. Now, Iggy & Nico dated back in the day so no need for icebreakers there.
Next up is Harold Pinter, my favourite playwright and Nobel prize winner. Harry would bring some poetic and provocative chat to the proceedings. Then the irresistible director, John Cassavetes, New American cinema pioneer and straight up heart throb! My last two guests would be the iconic and controversial photographer Diane Arbus and bohemian musical titan, Joni Mitchell.
The vibe would be very gothic in atmosphere, with a black leather dress code (possibly a stretch for Pinter but he might have a leather Mac!). There would be a pre-dinner cabaret performance from my three musical guests, naturally doom goddess Nico would play her harmonium. Diane would capture the set on her trusty Rolleiflex camera while Pinter, Cassavetes and I soak up the spellbinding ambiance.”
WE ASKED CARLA TO DESCRIBE HER FANTASY GATHERING
“A dream dinner party in my divine new dining room would be a witchy, Pagan gathering of some of my favourite artists, dead and alive.
Iggy Pop would be my living guest of honour. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too weirded out by the massive picture of his likeness that takes centre stage in my dining room.
My second premiere guest would be my absolute hero and proto-Goth, the one and only Nico. Now, Iggy & Nico dated back in the day so no need for icebreakers there.
Next up is Harold Pinter, my favourite playwright and Nobel prize winner. Harry would bring some poetic and provocative chat to the proceedings. Then the irresistible director, John Cassavetes, New American cinema pioneer and straight up heart throb! My last two guests would be the iconic and controversial photographer Diane Arbus and bohemian musical titan, Joni Mitchell.
The vibe would be very gothic in atmosphere, with a black leather dress code (possibly a stretch for Pinter but he might have a leather Mac!). There would be a pre-dinner cabaret performance from my three musical guests, naturally doom goddess Nico would play her harmonium. Diane would capture the set on her trusty Rolleiflex camera while Pinter, Cassavetes and I soak up the spellbinding ambiance.”
what dreams are made of...
a muse...Nico
a song...Spellbound - Siouxsie and Spellbound - Siouxsie and the Banshees
a book...Hollywood Babylon - Kenneth Anger
a place...Père Lachaise cemetery - Paris
a scent...Leather
an ig account...@sheetnoise
a party guest...Dennis Hopper
a season...Autumn
a feeling...Excitement
a word...Picaresque
what dreams are made of...
a muse...Nico
a song...Spellbound - Siouxsie and Spellbound - Siouxsie and the Banshees
a book...Hollywood Babylon - Kenneth Anger
a place...Père Lachaise cemetery - Paris
a scent...Leather
an ig account...@sheetnoise
a party guest...Dennis Hopper
a season...Autumn
a feeling...Excitement
a word...Picaresque
If you’d like to dream and scheme your way to interior paradise like Carla, book a complimentary Decorating Consultation with House of Hackney.
Whether you want to coat all four walls with wonder or need advice on how to introduce the harmonious hues of nature into your space, we are here for you. Our in-house experts are ready to help you with everything from colour matching and pairing print to creating your dream interior - no space is too small or project too big.
At House of Hackney, we want to empower you in your creative freedom to go with whatever your heart desires - and to give you the confidence to do so.
Book your complimentary appointment and get ready to turn your dreams
into a reality...
If you’d like to dream and scheme your way to interior paradise like Carla, book a complimentary Decorating Consultation with House of Hackney.
Whether you want to coat all four walls with wonder or need advice on how to introduce the harmonious hues of nature into your space, we are here for you. Our in-house experts are ready to help you with everything from colour matching and pairing print to creating your dream interior - no space is too small or project too big.
At House of Hackney, we want to empower you in your creative freedom to go with whatever your heart desires - and to give you the confidence to do so.
Book your complimentary appointment and get ready to turn your dreams
into a reality...
follow: @carlaholdforth
follow: @carlaholdforth
House Favourites
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“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.”
We believe music is the best finishing touch to a home. Listen to Carla’s carefully curated playlists and dream on with House of Hackney.
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