Walk along Limehouse Basin in East London and you may spy the charmingly weathered blue and white canal boat, Max & Belle; home to environmental activist Daze Aghaji and her familiar in rabbit-form, Bloom Iris.

A tiny haven amidst the clamour of the City, Daze has created for herself a floating sanctuary; a place of respite and healing where she can light her altar candles, collect her thoughts and unwind from work. And work for Daze is trying to save the world - literally!

Featured on Guap Magazine’s 30 under 30 BLACKLIST 2022, celebrating Black creatives and professionals, Daze is blazing a trail for young, socially conscious women who want to make a difference; not just fighting Climate Change, but fighting the systems that cause it. Through her work advocating for our planet, educating and urging those in power to take responsibility, she is sowing the seeds for a better tomorrow.

So as you can imagine, for an intrepid activist, somewhere to re-center and
re-balance whilst still being connected to Mother Earth is extremely important. 

Inspired by her love for designer, social reformer and our hero, William Morris, Daze worked with House of Hackney to dream and scheme a way to bring a touch of the decorative Arts and Crafts movement into her small space.

To complement the boat’s light and bright walls, soft, spring-like shades were introduced through textiles and accessories. A lover of kitsch - a fondness inherited from her mother - our AMANITO pineapple lamp in ‘Sky’ blue sits proudly upon a delicately crafted, beautiful (and admittedly totally impractical) bamboo desk which is Daze’s most prized possession. 

Carefully considered pieces like the SERPENTIS candelabra, TREMATONIA bottoman and blush-pink ANACONDA Tilia lampshade placed artfully around the space create little moments of luxury.

Using our William Morris archive print GOLDEN LILY with complimentary velvets in a serene azure blue and tobacco orange, we created a bespoke patchwork quilt for Daze’s bed. The artistic, social and political impact of quilting is an important part of women’s history, from anticolonialism in the Americas to the Suffragettes. Beyond the patterns and colours, a quilt is a symbol of a community's resistance - we couldn’t think of a better bedfellow for Daze! 

And of course, the finishing touch for any rebel (and our signature ‘neutral’), the leopard-spotted WILD CARD, used by master upholsterer Mike to create custom porthole covers and most importantly, a luxurious new bed for bunny Bloom.

“Boat life has taught me how fulfilling you can live with less, which I guess is a great climate message.”‌

William Morris famously said, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”, and Daze’s home is a perfect reflection of this.

As for the future, Daze is hopeful for a world where activism doesn’t need to exist; a world where we “wouldn’t have to fight for our rights - we’d just have them”. In fact, Daze radiates hope. Hope that through learning, love and the radical act of caring, things can change.

Thank you for inspiring us Daze.

Top Tips for Small Spaces

From our dream House of Hackney Design Consultant, Steve

1) Take inspiration from William Morris, the old adage that everything should be beautiful or serve a purpose - combine them! Things can be both practical and decorative.

2) Keep things light and airy by maximising natural light and having good lighting so that you can use every part of the room. 

3) Avoid oversized pieces in a small space. Furniture with a smaller footprint or pieces that have legs so that you can see the floor space beneath them help to make a space feel bigger.

A muse…The divine feminine e.g Our Lady Immaculate,
Mother Earth, My mother

A SONG...Field Medic - I Want You So Bad it Hurts

A book… Slutever by Karley Sciortino

A place…My lover's arms

A scent…Ylang Ylang

A word…Lush

A room...William Morris’ Kelmscott Manor

An IG account…@ballerinafarm

A book… Slutever by Karley Sciortino

A party guest…Annie Doble

A season…Spring