Hayley Louisa Brown is a photographer who loves clothes, prints and American memorabilia. What does her apartment look like? Alice Casely-Hayford went along to Hayley's Whitechapel home to find out.
With a client list including Adidas and Universal Music, regular contributions to Asos magazine, Wonderland, Clash and i-D and shots of A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams in her portfolio, you wouldn't expect anything less than a super cool, creative flat from photographer Hayley Louisa Brown. Despite a pressing retouch deadline, Hayley warmly welcomed us into her East London apartment to talk through her love of Americana and working from home alongside her illustrator boyfriend Shawn.
How would you describe your interior and does it reflect your sartorial style and personality?
For such a small flat the entrance hall is abnormally large, so the first thing people see when they come in is my extremely budget version of a walk-in wardrobe. I love my clothes and I'm quite OCD about them, so everything has its place. I have so many prints and things that I need to buy frames for and I'm waiting on a print from Cosimo d'Aprano (one of the amazing guys who owns Labyrinth in Bethnal Green, the lab where I have all my film developed) of a young Indian guy wearing a jacket that says 'DRUGS' in huge letters on the back which I'm really excited to have!
I'm a sucker for good branding and can't seem to throw away a glass bottle of Coca Cola.
There's a lot of Americana memorabilia decorating your flat. Where does this interest stem from?
I've always loved the 1950s, both visually and musically (specifically, American boys in the 1950s..) and I guess it stemmed from there. I'm a sucker for good branding and can't seem to throw away a glass bottle of Coca Cola. I don't smoke but steal cigarette packets from friends if the type is nice, and any time myself or my parents go to the USA I stock up on composition notebooks because I like the way they look.
When you work from home, how do you get into office mode?
This is the main problem with having an office at home, I work all the time! I also tend to stay up super late responding to e-mails when I'm out shooting or at meetings in the day. I keep thinking about getting an office space elsewhere but my boyfriend, Shawn is an illustrator and he has his work station next to mine at home which is really nice - he'll give me objective feedback when I'm too much inside my own head. I always take time away from my computer to eat. I love cooking, I like to look after people and I think feeding somebody is one of the best ways you can do that.
I'd also love to own some prints by my favourite photographers. Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts, Bruce Davidson
Could you describe your dream home?
The apartment that was on the cover of Elle Decoration in March this year is basically it! Big open spaces with super high ceilings and tonnes of natural light, parquet flooring and really minimal, modern furniture mixed with some touches inspired by the Palace of Versailles - I love panelled walls when they're painted all one colour, and the same with fancy ceiling coving. I'd also love to own some prints by my favourite photographers. Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts, Bruce Davidson...
Having lived in Whitechapel for some time, what do you like about the area?
It's the first place in London that's ever felt close to being called a 'home' for me since moving here, so that's why I've stayed. I like that it's so close to the City, but just far enough out of town that it's still pretty residential and quiet at night - and the market on the high street is so good, fruit and veg is so cheap I bought three pineapples for £1 the other day! My friends live in the basement flat in the same building too, so it's kind of like Friends in real life.
See Phoebe-Lettice Thompson's full shoot of Hayley's apartment below...
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