LAVISH LEGACY
Hannah and rachel Gurney, the successors to De Gournay, make the brand’s elaborate aesthetic their own
家飾品領導品牌De Gournay的繼承人Hannah rachel Gurney以自家風格演繹產品美學
家品先鋒De Gournay繼任人Hannah和Rachel Gurney把自家特色注入品牌美學
Assuming the mantle of a family business is no simple task. For some, it might be a lifelong dream; for others, an unwanted imposition. It’s the former for sisters Rachel and Hannah Gurney – successors to the luxurious De Gournay homeware brand, founded in 1986 by their father, Claud Cecil Gurney and distributed in Hong Kong by Altfield Interiors – who have been literally surrounded by the family legacy since they were children. "We grew up in a house just opposite Kensington Gardens, decorated by our father," they explain. "It was full of De Gournay wallpaper. We had exotic birds flying on the walls around our bedroom – every room was like a magical wonderland. It gave us both a very particular appreciation for decoration from a young age, especially for colour."
Today, Rachel is director of sales at the company, while Hannah oversees HR, public relations, marketing and design. The sisters have since moved away from their childhood home to an apartment in South Kensington, where they’ve resided since 2014. The home took about six months to find, but the search was well worth it. The property fulfils all of the sisters’ criteria: proximity to their favourite London locales and
承接家族生意的確不易。對部分人來說，這也許是終生夢想，但對某些人而言，卻是不欲接受的額外要求。豪華家品先鋒De Gournay繼任人姊妹Rachel和Hannah Gurney絕屬前者。父親Claud Cecil Gurney於1986年創辦品牌(於香港Altfield Interiors經銷)，她倆自小已跟家族傳統精髓每天共存。「我們成長的房子就在肯辛頓花園對面，由父親裝飾。」她們解釋道：「飾滿了De Gournay牆紙。我們的睡房牆上飛著異國雀鳥，每間房也是夢想國度。這讓我們自小培養對裝飾的欣賞，特別是色彩。」
今天，Rachel出任公司的營運總監，而Hannah則管理人事、公關、市場和設計範疇。兩姊妹自2014年搬離童年成長的家居，來到南肯辛頓單位定居。她們花了大約六個月才找到新居，但每分每秒絕對值得花費。物業完美滿足她們要求：就近二人最
the office, natural light, traditional architecture and enough space to entertain friends. "It’s the perfect size and in an ideal location next to London’s most beautiful parks," they say. "We fell in love with the Georgian architecture, with the large windows along one side that let the light stream in."
The sisters may not have moved too far from home, but their apartment is very much their own. "We designed the interior together – to be eclectic and surprising, but still homely and warm," they say, having merged what were originally two separate apartments into one, opening up the mostly boxed-in ceilings to allow for more height and space. "We played around with different styles and colours in each room." They turned to London-based interior designer Tara Craig, who provided invaluable advice that informed the vibrant home.
In terms of decor, the home is filled with artworks and antiques – reflecting the sisters’ love of antique shopping in France and Italy – as well as more modern pieces. "I love having a home filled with objects I have collected over time, instead of feeling like everything was bought in a single premeditated moment," professes Hannah. "My home can better reflect my personality and taste that way."
The sisters elaborate, "Homes should reflect their owners, featuring objects they have collected from trips around the world and gifts from loved ones, placed in an arrangement that tells a story and conjures memories." Of course, the home is filled with plenty of De Gournay wallpaper, too. Hannah highlights the Badminton
愛的倫敦區和辦公室、天然光、傳統建築，以及能招待友人的充裕空間。「單位面積大小恰好，而且地理位置優越，正好就在倫敦最美麗的花園旁。」她們說：「我們極愛喬治王朝時期風格的建築，再加上一邊大窗源源湧入天然光線。」
兩姊妹雖然沒有搬離家多遠，但她們的單位卻是滿載個人風格。「我們一起設計室內裝潢，想帶有不拘一格又充滿驚喜的元素，而同時要感覺如家溫暖。」她們表示，並把原來兩個不同單位的物品融合為一，盡開封堵的天花，成就更大空間與更高樓底。「我們在每個房間也試玩不同風格與色彩。」她們更請來駐倫敦室內設計師Tara Craig為製作此活潑家居提供專業意見。
談到裝飾，家居就以藝術品和古董為重點(體現姊妹們愛到法國和意大利選購古董作品的喜好)，還有現代之作。Hannah坦言：「希望自己的家能放下多年收藏的作品，而非以單一時期選購的產品裝飾。這樣才能反映個性品味。」
她們續說：「家居理應體驗擁有人的特質，放下他們多年來環遊各國收藏而來的精品，以及摯愛所贈的禮物，再以獨特方式擺放，訴說故事和引發回憶。」當然，此家更特別滿放了De Gournay牆紙。Hannah指出，睡房的Badminton設計為個人最愛——經典風格給繪畫在銀箔紙料背景上，氣派非凡。
design in her bedroom as her favourite – a classic chinoiserie design painted onto a unique background of silver-leaf gilded paper.
Resplendent as the abode is, it’s still very much a home, filled with personal effects and – thanks to the dinner parties the sisters love to throw – the laughter and chatter of friends. "Too often, people sacrifice comfort for design," they say. "There’s no point having a beautiful home if you can’t relax in it. Material possessions don’t last forever. You shouldn’t be scared of having a glass of wine on the sofa, of letting the dog jump on the bed or of making a mess in the kitchen. You need to feel relaxed at home after the chaos of the day." With all the time the sisters spend travelling and working, their home is truly a respite from their busy lives.
Seeing the character and creativity Hannah and Rachel have infused into their home, it’s fascinating to imagine what they might have in store for De Gournay’s future. "De Gournay was always seen as a company making very traditional 18th-century wallpapers," Rachel says. "My sister and I encouraged the creation of a more modern aesthetic – reinterpreting the classical chinoiserie designs by employing innovative new techniques and colourways." Watching these two usher the traditional craft into a new era will be a treat indeed. //
空間不但華麗似綿，同時也溫暖如家，滿滿是個人色彩與兩姊妹舉辦晚宴派對留下的友人歡笑聲與甜蜜句語。「很多時候，人們會為了設計放棄舒適享受。」她們指：「生活在一個不能放鬆的美麗家中有何意義？物質不能恆久一生。你必要能樂於坐在沙發上喝酒、讓狗狗跳上大床同眠、在廚房炮製大餐時弄得亂哄哄。經過一整天勞累後，可無拘束地在家放心休息。」此亮麗家園的確是她們旅遊和工作時間以外的避世天堂。
目睹過Hannah和Rachel怎樣把創意和個性注入家後，實在非常好奇她們將於未來會為De Gournay做些甚麼。「De Gournay常被視為製作傳統18世紀牆紙的公司。」Rachel指：「我們倆致力創造更現代作品，透過新技術和色彩用法重新演繹經典情調設計。」那我們就密切留意她們怎樣把傳統工藝帶進新紀元吧。//