The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - The Telegraph Magazine
The modern way
Design scion Tilly Hemingway’s pared-back home on a brutalist estate
From the first time I walked on to the estate, it felt like home,’ says Tilly Hemingway of London’s Alexandra & Ainsworth Estate. ‘There are lots of young families and communal spaces here – on sunny days, people bring tables and chairs out on to the walkway and children play outdoors. There’s a real sense of community.’
A landmark of brutalist architecture and one of the most important social-housing projects ever built in Britain, the estate was designed by architect Neave Brown and completed in 1978. It has since become an icon of pop culture, starring in music videos and TV series including The Sweeney, Spooks and Prime Suspect. After a period of decline during the Thatcher years, it was regenerated and awarded Grade II* listed status in 1993.
It’s no surprise that Hemingway – the proud owner of a two-bedroom ground-floor flat on the estate’s pedestrianised ‘street’ – loves it here: her parents are Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway, who, as founders of Hemingway Design (and before that, the fashion label Red or Dead), have championed progressive living spaces for nearly 20 years. Like her elder brother Jack, Tilly is a partner in the family firm and specialises in urban design and regeneration.
‘My parents did a lot of research trips around Europe when I was young, and my siblings and I went with them,’ she says. ‘Seeing all this interesting architecture definitely rubbed off on all of us.’
Hemingway first encountered the Alexandra & Ainsworth as a curious child, travelling into London from her Wembley home. ‘The train went past the estate as it pulled into Euston station. I never knew what it was, but I found it intriguing, so about five years ago I went to have a look around and fell in love. After that, whenever a flat came on to the market I’d go and have a look, even before I was in a position to buy.’
She has lived here for a year and a half with her partner, Dan, an art technician, and their dog, Mo. Their flat is one of about 20 per cent on the estate that are now privately owned.
When it came to decorating, she ‘let the flat do the talking’; the white walls, black laminate floor and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors provided a ready-made canvas for her pared-down style, which combines Japanese and midcentury Scandinavian influences. ‘I travel to Scandinavia quite a bit and I’ve been to Japan twice – I love their modern interiors; they’re just very calm and warm,’ she explains.
A collection of mid-century furniture came with her from previous flats, and was supplemented with Habitat and Ikea finds, along with the odd bespoke piece, such as an oak-topped
‘The train went past the estate as it pulled into Euston station. I found it intriguing, so about five years ago I went to look around and fell in love’
dining table by Hackney carpenter Dean Edmonds. The Japanese-style daybed in one corner of the living area was ‘knocked up by Dan using plywood. It was the only thing we had to sit on when we first moved in – I was adamant that I wanted a daybed.’ Topped with a cotton-covered mattress from Ilse Crawford’s Sinnerlig range for Ikea, it could pass for something by iconic French modernist Charlotte Perriand.
Aside from warm woods and acres of natural light, the other things you’ll notice about the flat are Hemingway’s collection of indigo accessories – a favourite colour – and lots of pottery. She is an admirer of West German ceramics and also makes her own vessels, inspired by the work of British ceramicist Lucie Rie and Japanese studio pottery.
‘I’m pretty much self-taught – the only lesson I really had was a two-hour drop-in class at Hackney City Farm a couple of years ago,’ she says. Although Hemingway sells her pots online, she insists it’s more of a hobby. ‘People do buy things, which encourages me to improve my skills!’
The open-plan layout of the flat suits the couple’s relaxed lifestyle, and Hemingway is unfazed by the fact that the bedrooms and bathroom are downstairs, a common feature in modernist apartment blocks.
‘My parents built a house on the south coast when I was 11 and it was upside down, so to me it’s completely normal,’ she says. ‘Now, our bedroom looks out over the garden, so it’s almost like waking up in the trees.’ Tilly Hemingway is taking part in the Today’s Coolest Habitats project – see habitat.co.uk/ inspiration for more information; tillyhemingwayceramics.com