WHY I LOVE HOXTON
WHY I LOVE HOXTON
Rudolph Diesel is the head of London interior design company Rudolph Diesel Interiors. In this article, he describes areas of London that have earned a special place in his heart.
Love to look at
Any interior designers worth their salt would head straight to the Museum of the Home just for its Rooms Through Time displays. A myriad of room sets depict how Londoners have lived over the last 400 years, from 18th century parlours to 1970s front rooms. If the Victorian era floats your boat, a visit to Hoxton Hall is a good follow up. Built in 1863 in a traditional music hall style, it survived two world wars and now provides a lavish, velvety backdrop for today’s performance artists. Art of a different kind also flourishes in Hoxton, especially after Jay Jopling’s White Cube contemporary art gallery burst onto the creative scene in 1993. While the original gallery has relocated, its legacy is a flourish of creatives exhibiting across Hoxton’s spaces, including galleries Peer, D’Stassi Art and Flowers.
Love to shop
If arranging books was an art form, surely there would be a prize for Hoxton Books. Its cool, minimalist styling lets the book covers really catch the eye. If it’s your olfactory sense that needs stimulating, head to Angela Flanders – an artisan perfumery in a perfectly restored Victorian shop. Her collection of fragrances for the home and body is exquisite – a venture that started with pot pourri in 1985. Finally, Columbia Road Flower Market is where sights, sounds and smells collide. Find London interior decorators there every Sunday morning, collecting their much-loved floral arrangements and house plants.
Love to eat
Hoxton is overflowing with places to eat and drink, so it’s hard to pick a few favourites. If I’m in a convivial crowd, Rapsa is a great restaurant as its Filipino fusion food is designed to be shared. Night owls in need of a nightcap should head to Hoxton Square. There’s a diverse choice of hostelries, from the neon wackiness of Tonight Josephine, the speakeasy vibe of Happiness Forgets and the Pop Art-meets-Chesterfield sofa interiors at Gigi’s. If I’m in Hoxton for business and not pleasure, Gaff is the place to order a coffee and open your laptop. Inspired by loft interiors and simple lines, it lends itself to catching up on emails or researching materials for the next luxury interior project.