Olympia and Ariadne Irving bring colour and creative exuberance to a London rental
There is something the writer Andrew O’Hagan once said about his friend the decorator Jane Ormsby Gore's house that perfectly encapsulates a certain kind of interior. ‘There is no apparent plan, nothing matches, and the design is a secret, like good character is a secret, and the elements come as a heartening surprise, like great conversation.’
It’s a sentence that feels applicable to the home of Olympia and Aridane Irving, who have been renting this handsome townhouse in de Beauvoir, north east London for the last three years. It was the height of Covid and the owners had decided to permanently decamp to the countryside, meaning that they were looking for long term tenants. It was a golden stroke of luck for the sisters, who grew up in New York, but had been living separately in north London.
When the girls - who work with their mother, the textile designer Carolina Irving, to produce handmade ceramics and tableware for their company Carolina Irving & Daughters - took on the house, it was empty and painted white from top to bottom. Hard to believe now that the place is a cornucopia of antiques, patterned textiles and ceramics. Art, books, photographs and ephemera cover every surface. A bounty of objects of wildly varying provenance and preciousness. Shards of Murano coral and shells litter the mantlepiece in the sitting room. In the dining room a large glass bowl overflows with coloured matchboxes, and over the fireplace, flanking a 19th century Italian Empire mirror, stand two faux-marble columns topped with tumbling pots of ivy.
It’s an unusual rental house. The components of the scheme - the 18th century hand-coloured prints, Swedish silver, Robert Kime ottoman and the huge oil painting circa 1700, ‘believed to be of the Moroccan ambassador to England’ - aren’t traditional decorative fare for two people in their late twenties and early thirties.
Indeed, like many people their age filling a serious house for the first time, the girls begged, borrowed and stole pieces from their parents to fill the space. Though they concede that it helps if your father is an art dealer and your mother is an internationally renowned fabric designer, both serious collectors in their own right, and nostalgic ones at that, who hadn’t parted with much of the furniture from the girls childhood home in New York; a much photographed apartment that many interiors nerds I know vouch is one of their favourite schemes of all time.
The family obsession with the decorative arts runs deep and is everywhere in evidence. ‘There were definitely a lot of Facetime situations with our dad, asking where he thought we should put things,’ says Olympia. ‘And our mother’s instinct for mixing textiles is honestly second to none. But I think the biggest thing we’ve learnt from them both is how to decorate with a sense of bravery. What’s the worst that could happen? Just put it there and see how you feel about it.’
So for the girls decorating this house has been an exercise in recontextualising these objects for their age and this moment. Lightly tossing serious inherited pieces with high street finds, the start of their own budding collection, and pieces of their own design.
‘A lot of the art and the bigger pieces of furniture are things our parents wanted to get rid of. We were like, yep, we’ll take it! Then we just kept adding and adding,’ says Ariadne.
‘I mean, it’s kind of a problem,’ chips in Olympia. ‘You literally can’t throw anything away.’
‘Oh yeah. I’m like, I’m going to need that tissue in four days,’ she laughs. ‘I like everything to be out on display. There are lots of things, but they all have a place.’
Working within the confines it being a rental, the girls have found hacks to give the scheme a sense of permanence. The first port of call was Papers & Paints where they sourced colour for the walls from the historical collection. The warm, ‘Imperial Chinese Yellow’ in the living room, somehow works as the perfect backdrop for a set of 18th century Thomas Frye Mezzotints, a Victorian chair upholstered in leopard print (‘It was the first thing our father bought from Robert Kime in 1985!’) and a 19th century Indian Tree of Life wall hanging.
The dining room is painted a deep, zingy green, and in her bedroom Ariadne chose an arsenic colour, which she has layered with purple textiles and a collection of Iznik plates. Throughout the house the colour combinations are unexpected and fresh. In Olympia’s bedroom, walls in Farrow & Ball’s soft pink ‘Setting Plaster’, are mixed with pale lemon yellow textiles and old fashioned dark red and pink florals.
The grey carpets have been covered with huge inexpensive, striped durries from Jaipur sourced from Etsy. Cafe curtains and blinds are held up with tension rods rather than anything screwed into the wall. Between the kitchen and the dining room the girls created a curtain made from a piece of their mother’s fabric and a tablecloth, joining them together with double sided tape to create a well of pattern and a clever divider between the rooms.
The living room sofa is IKEA with a slipcover in one of their mother’s fabrics ‘Nino’, and where there were gaps, ‘we just bought tables from Amazon and draped fabric over them.’ Many of the lamps are from Pooky and the shades are from Alice Palmer.
The girls work from the sunny conservatory, which is full of prototypes of their ceramics which are predominantly produced in Portugal. They love to entertain, and their guests are the guinea pigs for their designs.
‘This house might be a nightmare for literally anyone else,’ says Ariadne. ‘But for us it’s an accumulation of memories. We might not live in New York anymore but it’s comforting to have so many pieces that remind us of our childhood. Everything is personal and has a story. I think that’s how we’ve made it feel like home.’
Dean Hearne1/47Over the mantlepiece hangs an early 19th century Italian Empire mirror circa 1830 flanked by a pair of 19th century faux-marble painted wood columns and a Portuguese caricature drawing.
Dean Hearne2/47In the dining room, painted in ‘Deep Apple Green’ from Papers & Paints historical collection, Napoleon III dining chairs are covered in a traditional Portuguese fabric. Over the table hangs a French School 19th century hot air balloon lamp. The carpet is late Victorian from Donegal. The girls added the cafe curtain at the window, which is held up with a tension rod to take with them when they leave.
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Dean Hearne4/47The table is laid with Carolina Irving & Daughters ‘Concha’ table cloth, ‘Gigi’ dinner plate in green and ‘Gigi’ dessert plate in pink.
Dean Hearne5/47The napkins are Carolina Irving & Daughters ‘Indian Vine’ in pink Carolina Irving & Daughters ‘Maria Luisa’ serving bowl, ‘Poppy’ glasses and ‘Antheia’ bud vases in Algae and Seafoam. The blue wine glasses from Biot.
Dean Hearne6/47Watercolours by Ariadne’s godfather, Konstantin Kakanias show the decoration of the tent for their parent's wedding.
Dean Hearne7/47Above the bar in the right hand alcove hangs a small work by the artist James Nares and a horse drawing by Hungarian painter Bela Kadar. The table lamp from Pooky.
Dean Hearne8/47On the other side of the room hangs an equestrian portrait traditionally said to be Muhammad ben Haddu, Moroccan ambassador to England, from the European school circa 1700. The bench is covered in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Malabar’ fabric with cushions in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Almaty Velvet’.
Dean Hearne9/47On the raditor cover the girls have created a vignette with antique Swedish silver beakers, framed drawings by Renée Bouché and a shell sconce from Wallis Antiques.
Dean Hearne10/47The girls made the reversible curtain from a Carolina Irving & Daughters ‘Pink Tulip’ tablecloth stuck together with double sided tape. Above hang a collection of plates the girls have designed over the years which are ‘impermanent while still adding colour’.
Dean Hearne11/47The painting in the kitchen is by Luke Kendall.
Dean Hearne12/47Carolina Irving & Daughters ‘Wave’ candlestick, ‘Knossos’ vase, ‘Pear’ vase, Green ‘Scallop’ candlestick, green ‘Gadroon’ vase, amd yellow ’Scallop' candlestick line the kitchen mantlepiece.
Dean Hearne13/47The view from the kitchen in to the conservatory. The dining chairs are from Nordina Home. The pink scalloped rug was bought in Jaipur and sits on top of another sisal IKEA rug. Carolina Irving & Daughters The table is covered in a Carolina Irving & Daughters 'Indian Vine’ tablecloth in pink. The calendar on the wall is from SSSSOUPSSSS and gives a different recipe every month.
Dean Hearne14/47In the conservatory the banquette is covered in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Palermo’ fabric in China Blue. The checkered cushions are from the Carolina Irving & Daughters x Atelier Raff collaboration. The rattan animal head on the wall is from Marrakech, surrounded by a vintage poster, a painting by Amelia Badenoch and a Zebra head from Anthropologie. On the table are Anna Green ‘Reverse’ mugs.
Dean Hearne15/47Carolina Irving & Daughters ‘Maria Luisa’ bowl, various bud vases from their ‘Antheia’ Collection, a mini ‘Conha’ in Algae for salt, and ‘Pink Vine’ napkin. Carolina Irving & Daughters mini ice buckets have been used as planters.
Dean Hearne16/47A Carolina Irving & Daughters ‘Olive Stripe’ dessert plate. The silver spoon is Gorham's Etruscan pattern.
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Dean Hearne19/47A bookcase was sourced from Kempton Market has been painted with Farrow and Ball sample pots. On the top shelf are glass bud vases from Style your Spaces. Below are various vases, conchas and ice buckets from Carolina Irving & Daughters collections.
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Dean Hearne21/47The light blue table from Kempton market. The lamp is from Pooky.
Dean Hearne22/47Living room is painted in ‘Imperial Chinese Yellow’ from Papers and Paints Historical Collection.
The leopard chair and ottoman were bought from Robert Kime in the Eighties. In the left hand alcove the Tv is concealed by a hand-made curtain in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Mimosa Vine’ fabric which is held up with a tension rod for easy removal.
Above the fireplace hangs a large 19th century Italian mirror in 17th Century style. The shell candle sconces from Wallis Antiques were an Instagram purchase. The ‘fire screen’ was ‘originally used to over the air conditioning unit in our old apartment in New York’ and is covered in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Ciara’ fabric.
Dean Hearne23/47The blue and white striped durrie rug is from Etsy and totally covers the carpet. The velvet top side table to the left is by Muriel Brandolini and is topped with a lamp from Kempton Market.
Dean Hearne24/47The armchair is from Kernow Antiques. An 18th Century Austrian Portrait hangs on top of a 19th century Indian Tree of Life wall hanging. ‘There was already a nail there so we just put him on it and he looks quite good!’ The 20th century giltwood table with dolphin supports was bought from Christie's.
Dean Hearne25/47The girls had the IKEA ‘Farlov’ sofas slipcovers remade in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Nino’ fabric, with and cushions covered in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Almaty’ and ‘Patmos Stripe’. On the wall hangs a set of 18th Century Thomas Frye Mezzotints called ‘Fanciful Heads’, depicting beauties of the age. The curtains made from a sheer paisley fabric found in India. The ceiling shade is by Alice Palmer.
Dean Hearne26/47A vase depicting the Greek Myth of Ariadne, Theseus and the Minotaur by the artist Katy Stubbs was a present to Ariadne from Olympia for her birthday. It sits on a table from Amazon covered in a tablecloth from Carolina Irving and Daughters. To its right is a shell spoon circa 1900 from Thailand. Behind are framed Watercolours of Eastern European costumes and an antique Suzani that used to belong to their mother.
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Dean Hearne29/47The mantlepiece is covered if a collection of shells picked up on their travels. The candle holder and bud vase are both from Carolina Irving and Daughters.
Dean Hearne30/47A Carolina Irving and Daughters ‘Jumbo Concha’ is filled with shells, Murano crosses and ‘our favorite Carta d’Armenie from Santa Maria Novella.’
Dean Hearne31/47A silver dish from Ariadne’s christening and an old gavel of their father’s from his time at Sotheby’s form the basis for a collection of objects on this tabletop.
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Dean Hearne33/47Various 18th century mezzotints of famous paintings hang in the downstairs hallway. The paper maché heart mirror was made by the Greek artist Konstatin Kakanias
Dean Hearne34/47Antique hand-coloured engravings hang on the upstairs landing above a yellow tulipere from Carolina Irving and Daughters.
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Dean Hearne36/47In Ariadne's bedroom a bed from the Original Bed Company has been upholstered in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Mimosa Vine’. 18th century hand colored prints hang around the window.
Dean Hearne37/47Above the bed hangs an 18th century reverse glass mezzotint portrait of Queen Charlotte next to a collection of 19th century framed seaweed.
Dean Hearne38/47The striped dhurrie is from Jaipur and the table from Kempton market. Above more framed seaweed hang a collection of Iznik plates. The ceiling shade is from Alice Palmer.
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Dean Hearne40/47On the wall next to the bed a hand embroidery of our their dog Pepito by Lucy Newman hangs next to a small frame from Parvum Opus and glass evil eyes from Patmos. The lampshade is from Pooky.
Dean Hearne41/47In Olympia's bedroom the bed is from Original Bed Company and is covered in a quilted bed cover from Jaipur. Water colours of Eastern European traditional costumes hang on the walls. The chair has a slipcover made in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Jolie Madame’. The ceiling light is Alice Palmer. The blinds are in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Ludwig’. The drawings on bookshelf by Angelica Hicks who is a childhood friend. The striped dhurrie is from Jaipur sourced on Etsy. The sofa was a gift from the designer Remy Renzullo. It is late Victorian and covered in English Chintz.
Dean Hearne42/47The curtain behind the bed is in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Carnation Stripe’ fabric. The cushions in Carolina Irving Textiles ‘Almaty’ velvet. The lamp is from Pooky. The photograph by the bed is by Francois Hallard who is an old family friend.
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