Fuelled by music and mugs of hot chocolate
Georgie Pridden. PR & marketing, curator and maker. Promotes brands, curates events, makes homeware and sells antiques.
How would you describe your home? I would say my style is eclectic – I like to mix old with new, throwing in the odd left field piece of texture or colour. The house was built 16 years ago using traditional local stone with a pantile roof so it fits with its older neighbours. Furniture passed down through our families are the foundations of the interiors, as well as, several pieces from the carousel of Georgie Pridden stock which I sometimes can’t bear to part with. I like to add new artwork and wallpapers to balance out the older items, softening some of the heavier furniture.
Which household items could you not live without? Our Knoops hot chocolate machine makes insanely good hot chocolate which has certainly got us through this lockdown. My John Lewis digital radio; the stations change as the day progresses: R4 at breakfast followed by a blast of R1 and then on to 6Music for the rest of the day – I am a music fan to say the least (longing to get back to a gig or two). We were given a cordless Dyson last summer, what a revelation. I wouldn’t be without one now. Lastly, the Alessi corkscrew, looks good and does the job.
What is on your interiors wish list? I endlessly long for more wallpaper. I particularly like the collections from the Whiteworks Group, Milola
Design and Susi Bellamy. Hunt & Hope’s tapestry work for chair seats, cushions, Christmas stockings, you name it, they will do it and do it exquisitely. Bobbin picture frames from Etalage for the growing pile of artwork in my office and lastly I would love a set of Italian bed linen from Rebecca Udall would go down nicely.
What is your favourite building? Hard one, there are so many. Through my PR work and as a Trustee of the Burton Agnes Preservation Trust I am getting to know Burton Agnes Hall in East Yorkshire very well. It’s a cracker of a house and the Cunliffe-Lister family and team at Burton Agnes work incredibly hard to keep the show on the road. They have a rolling calendar of activities and events, not to mention, the most welcoming of hosts. I’m looking forward to going back as soon as restrictions ease, the gardens are prolific and the BA pizza van serve the best pizza in Yorkshire.
Is there anything exciting you at the moment in terms of design? Apprentice schemes for young designers seem more accessible and the talent coming through is incredible. I can’t wait for the design shows so I can meet makers face-to-face. I am hoping there will be a silver lining to Brexit in terms of inhouse manufacturing. There are excellent craftsmen on our doorstep.
What are you most proud of? I was really proud to find I have raised over £24,000 for an array of charities over the past nine years or so. The money has been raised mostly from events I have organised, including the Pop-Up of the North event, which I hope will take place this September. I also raise funds from the cushions I make. Cushions for Charities is my latest venture, supporting charities such as
Women’s Aid, the Samaritans and my latest collection of cushions, pictured above, are being sold in support of PAPYRUS prevention of young suicide.
Where is your ideal home? I was in the Dales recently and have a romantic idea of living on a farm. I grew up on Exmoor where it is isolated and wild. I think the Dales and I would get on just fine.