Georgina Johnson’s house share in Sydenham is filled with charity shop finds
“To the reader, I encourage you to flow through The Slow Grind at your own pace,” Georgina Johnson writes on the first page of her book. Featuring a compilation of essays – which includes contributions from fashion designer Bethany Williams, photographer Campbell Addy, poet Wilson Oryema and stylist Ib Kamara, among others – it questions the “wake up, grind, repeat” mentality that defines the way we live. Having been two years in the making, the serendipitous timing of its release was fitting: it landed in 2020, during the height of the global pandemic and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, when protecting our mental health was of utmost importance. Naturally, its contents resonated with people – so much so, the sold-out publication has since been printed for a second run, with the support of heritage brand Mulberry.
Georgina’s devotion to changing our creative and cultural ecologies can be traced back to education. She was taught Black history at the Croydon Supplementary Education Project, for instance, which was particularly instrumental in shaping her way of thinking. She went on to train in fashion design at the London of College of Fashion, where she was awarded a first-class degree, before launching the online platform, The Laundry Arts. With an aim to improve representation in the fashion industry, Georgina commissioned content committed to telling the stories of womxn and BIPOC artists, which also sparked the conversations that would lead to the creation of The Slow Grind.
Perhaps it’s unsurprising to learn that Georgina’s home is as thoughtfully curated as her book. From the pre-loved clothes in her wardrobe to her upcycled bedside table, her belongings are predominantly second-hand and bring plenty of personality to the Victorian house that she rents with her friends. “I really struggle to walk up the high street and not go into a charity shop,” she says. It’s no wonder she’s accumulated such an eclectic collection of crockery, which she also sources from flea markets. “If there’s anything that I do hoard,” she says sitting at her beautifully laid dining table, “it’s homeware.”
Watch this episode of Seven Wonders to discover the stories behind Georgina’s most precious possessions. As always, we hope that you enjoy the film. And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a new one.
RELATED ON THE MODERN HOUSE
Textile designer Pauline Caulfield’s art-filled home and studio in Primrose Hill
Charlotte Taylor on the wonders of wood and her sudoku-orientated routine
How designer Alison Lloyd’s Hackney home and garden caters to her collecting
Postmodernism and personal palettes with Priya Khanchandani at her home in Archway, north London
Curators Gonzalo Herrero Delicado and Mathilde Friis on life in their brutalist flat in Bethnal Green
Oscar Piccolo on the intriguing objects in his home in Hackney Wick
The bodily delights of designer Anissa Kermiche’s Marylebone flat
Nadine Mosallam on sculptures, surrealism and sunsets at her east London studio
Perfumer Maya Njie’s most prized possessions – from paintings to cooking pots
Irenie Cossey on the curious keepsakes in her family home in Canonbury, north London