{"id":10087,"date":"2022-04-21T16:00:52","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T14:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=18136"},"modified":"2022-04-21T16:48:19","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T14:48:19","slug":"kentaro-poteliakhoffs-joyful-victorian-home-in-hackney","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/kentaro-poteliakhoffs-joyful-victorian-home-in-hackney\/","title":{"rendered":"Kentaro Poteliakhoff\u2019s joyful Victorian home in Hackney"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Sophie Hannam\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 21 April 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Kentaro Poteliakhoff has learned to forewarn guests about what to expect of his Hackney home, \u2018otherwise people do seem to be a little overwhelmed\u2019, he smiles wryly. That\u2019s understandable, because the four floors of this Victorian terrace<\/a> are something of a sensory revelation.<\/p>\n

Kentaro has playfully combined decorative rococo pieces with imposing Victorian furniture and colourful and quirky accessories, all set against a backdrop of vivid pastels and bold pattern<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m comforted by being surrounded by so many objects, each with its own story,\u2019 he explains. \u2018And I love creating an interesting, unexpected mix. I\u2019m always adding, rearranging and editing for the sheer fun of it.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kentaro has been honing his eclectic<\/a> eye all his life. He was raised in\u00a0London but his architect father used to take the family off inspecting country houses during the holidays, while visits with his Japanese mother to his tea shop-owning grandparents in Tokyo inspired his collections of pretty pastel Japanese ceramics and vintage plastic packaging. \u2018Japanese design is so refined and carefully considered, with such subtle use of colour,\u2019 he enthuses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> collecting Japanese kokeshi dolls<\/a><\/p>\n

Kentaro\u2019s biggest influence, though, has been his English grandmother and her Hampstead home, which opened his eyes to the possibilities of mixing styles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a Sixties house that successfully combines beautiful Georgian and Regency antiques with mid-century<\/a> Scandi designs. When I started buying old furniture in my teens she was always keen to discuss my purchases.\u2019<\/p>\n

It was as a teenager that Kentaro also got his first taste of retail, helping out in an antiques shop<\/a>, where he was \u2018sort of fired for painting the furniture in too-bright shades\u2019, he recalls.<\/p>\n

After studying at the London College of Fashion, Kentaro became assistant to legendary fashion editor Isabella Blow. \u2018She spurred me on and encouraged me to be outrageous,\u2019 he explains. Eventually he came to share Blow\u2019s disillusion with the fashion world and moved on to work for interior designer Camilla Guinness.<\/p>\n

This reignited his passion for homes and led him to set up his own Clapton shop in 2014, Rooms. Here he sells vintage and antique pieces, as well as\u00a0home accessories that he has designed.<\/p>\n

\u2018People always find something, because we sell such a wide range of styles and eras and cover all budgets. We bridge the gap between more traditional antiques shops and purist mid-century design specialists. Customers seem to love our colour-grouped displays and the social atmosphere.\u2019<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Kentaro has been living in this tall Victorian house since his late teens \u2013 initially sharing with his sister (she and her family now live next door), and now with his boyfriend, Neil, and flatmate Lili. At first he lacked the budget, time and conviction to really tackle the house and the whole place was painted white.<\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> a Victorian property with vibrant, vintage decor<\/a><\/p>\n