How designer Alison Lloyd’s Hackney home and garden caters to her collecting
Having founded Ally Capellino in east London in 1980, Alison has spent more than four decades nurturing the brand best known for its pocketed waxed-cotton bags and beautifully crafted leather accessories. Her functional designs have won her a loyal legion of fans – but, perhaps more importantly, they helped secure her this home: an “upside-down” flat (the bedrooms lie in the basement and living spaces on the ground floor) in Hackney Downs. As she explained during our first encounter, “I was the first person to see it and offered the full amount. But then the owners started to dither as they thought they could get more for it.” As it turns out, they could: “I ended up bribing them with handbags.”
Right now, however, Alison “isn’t just a bag lady”. Lately, she’s been busy pattern-cutting T-shirts too, she says, which she likes to do at her kitchen table, which once furnished the Ally Capellino shop in Soho. But, like every surface in Alison’s home, it has now become a place to display her objects of affection, currently a series of glass vases holding flowers picked from her garden, a lush oasis that has as much personality as the inside of her flat. But there’s not a neat lawn in sight. Instead, you’ll find two self-made fish ponds, a fruit and vegetable patch and a rich variety of plants that Alison has picked up from anyone and anywhere – from her holidays, around Hackney and elsewhere besides. “I do as much rearranging out there as I do in the house, actually,” says Alison.
Watch our film now for Alison’s tips and tricks on “gathering” and to discover which part of her home allows her to really go wild when it comes to showcasing her finds. Plus, she counts down her “seven or so” most cherished things and shares the wonderful stories behind them. We hope you enjoy this episode – and if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a new one.
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