Sophie's Family Home

During the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic, we found ourselves in a rented house off East London’s Brick Lane, offering us a pause to plot the next phase of our lives. Having previously lived in a cramped one-bedroom flat, we needed more space as we planned for a growing family. Renting allowed us the freedom to decorate without concern for the architecture, and the house, a former brewer’s property once owned by artist Jocasta Innes, offered a unique blend of history and creativity. We embraced its Georgian proportions and distinctive features like hand-painted bookshelves and Delft-tiled fireplaces, while adding our eclectic touch with bold colours, vintage and contemporary furniture, and a collection of art from young global artists. The home’s vibrancy was reflected in pieces like a banana-yellow velvet sofa and a custom tiger rug for the bathroom, blending antique, vintage, and bespoke elements to create a space full of life and personality. Sharing a creative language, my husband, fashion designer Charlie Casely-Hayford, and I infused the home with an energy that felt alive yet harmonious. It was a place of joyful contradictions—where each room encouraged conversation and inspiration—and while we’ve since moved, it will always remain deeply personal, embodying the wabi-sabi ethos that we cherish.