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When you’ve got two of the coolest creatives for parents, your bedroom is bound to be anything but boring. Frieda Gormley and Javvy M. Royle are the founders of House of Hackney, the British interiors brand famed for its rich botanical prints and opulently layered schemes; they’re also the custodians of a grand Georgian house built within the courtyard of an old Norman castle in Cornwall, England. So when it came to decorating their 13-year-old son Javi’s space, the couple was influenced as much by their signature maximalist aesthetic as the property’s history.
“We wanted to create a bedroom that everyone was happy with,” says Gormley. But heavily blooming flora wasn’t exactly Javi’s thing, and the couple felt compelled to give him a highly personal space that would not only grow with him but continue to endure once he leaves the nest. Here’s how they pulled off pairing seemingly contrasting styles while checking all the boxes. They even got his love of skateboarding into the mix.
Go Bold With Stripes
Once Javi admitted to his mom that he didn’t share quite the same affection for the brand’s fever-dream floral prints, she outfitted the room with something cleaner: its Lauriston print, a busy, sky blue striped wallpaper with an elegant Regency House– meets–contemporary vibe. Its darker blue bands are echoed in painted frames that celebrate Javi’s love of skate culture and shelving that houses his action figures and books. The print extends to the pelmet curtains for a seamless look. “There’s nothing babyish to these stripes,” explains Gormley. “Plus it will still work once it eventually becomes a guest room.”
Create Future Heirlooms
“Buy once, buy better” is the sustainability-focused family’s design mantra, so every piece of furniture was a carefully chosen investment. Handcrafted in England and painted off-white for a fresh feel, the custom fairy-tale four-poster bed (and coordinating wardrobe) has crenellated edges that recall the motte-and-bailey brick structure outside and is large enough to let Javi sleep tops and tails with friends during overnight visits. A comforter brings in the pops of burgundy that punctuate the room. “I had a patchwork made for me by my granny, and I wanted Javi to grow up with one, too,” says his mom, who had leftover velvet scraps made into a pair of cushions. When it came to furniture, Javi favored light wood pieces over dark, so Gormley sourced a dressing table and mismatched nightstands from her network of antiques dealers.
Embrace the Fifth Wall
The whimsical ceiling demonstrates why Gormley’s offbeat vision makes House of Hackney so coveted around the world. “I had always wanted to do something tented—luckily Javi was game,” she says. A pro with a meticulous disposition ensured each stripe aligned, a serious feat given the often wonky surfaces of the 200-year-old property. Black cotton tape delineates each section and meets in the center, creating the illusion of extra height.
Go Neutral With Leopard Print (Really)
Given all the stripes, you’d expect the carpet to be an earthy sisal designed to fade into the background. Instead it’s a busy animal print. “I find leopard incredibly tasteful, and it goes with everything,” affirms Gormley. Crafted from wool, the natural fiber insulates the room in the winter yet feels cool underfoot in the summer. And, of course, trying to spot a stain from a spill or muddy footprints is, well, as difficult as tracking the species in the wild.