Quick Takes With: Henry Holland

For most people, pandemic crafts were a fleeting hobby. But Henry Holland‘s lockdown obsession, a Japanese pottery technique called Nerikomi, made him fall in love with the meditative process of stacking, folding, and rolling colored clay into slabs, then hand-molding them into functional forms. When he began to develop his own take on the method, he left his career in fashion and launched ceramics-focused lifestyle brand Henry Holland Studio in 2021.

Henry Holland Studio’s ceramic tableware, vases, and planters are recognizable for their bold hues and swirly patterns—an organic, psychedelic look they’ve brought to collaborations, too, launching collections of textiles, glassware, lighting, and furniture with local artisans and makers. “I firmly believe that collaboration is key for small brands to grow and reach a global audience,” Henry says. “By working with like-minded creatives, we can offer our customers exciting, beautiful home products while also supporting the incredible craftsmanship here in the UK.”

While he’s gearing up to release his gingham collection, Henry writes in from London with his bedside table essentials, his first design love, and the Parisian shop that compels him to buy ceramics other than his own.

You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?

Embarrassingly, we always turn up with a piece of my ceramics. Either a candle or a vase. My husband says it’s embarrassing to keep pushing our wares, but I like to think people are happy to receive it!

What’s on your bedside table?

A photograph of my mum, a Henry Holland Studio Swan Lamp, some ceramic face mugs we bought in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Leigh Bowery’s biography by Sue Tilley, which I’m currently reading.

What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?

Ruthless People! It was one of the first places I saw Memphis pieces en masse and I fell in love. Then I saw Karl Lagerfeld’s Monaco apartment. I used to have a Memphis desk that I bought from Paul Smith. I adored it, but it was so low I permanently had bruises on my knees!

What has been your best house upgrade?

Our dressing room. It’s no secret that I love clothes—they hold so many memories for me. I love having the space to see everything in one place and get dressed in a calm space.

My unpopular design opinion is…

There is no such thing as too much color and pattern. Done right and with the right light, shade and tonal colors can all work together.

Your design pet peeve?

Laminate floors and cream walls. Is that even classed as design?!

Three words that describe my design style:

Bold, playful, and textural.

First design love?

In the ’80s, our living room had swags and tails curtains in peach Moiré, and I just loved them! My mum paired them with floral printed couches, and I thought it was so epic I had to reference it when we designed our wallpaper collection with Harlequin last year. There is an embossed paper Moiré wall covering that has the feel of the warp and weft of a silk. We have it up in our home, and it reminds me of that living room every day.

What item from your closet do you have on repeat?

Studio Nicholson trousers. I have the same ones in four colors.

Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?

Astier de Villatte in Paris. I know it’s not my ceramics, but I made a deal with myself to buy a piece every time I went to Paris as a way to start a collection. I just love the stores and how overcrowded and eccentric they are.

What is the last thing you purchased for your house?

I bought an Art Deco sofa on Vinterior that I plan to reupholster for our new living room. It’s such a great shape but in need of some love.