Co-Founder & CEO of ROTARO

For our 40th Journal feature, we are stepping into the beautiful Primrose Hill home of CEO and Co-Founder of the leading fashion rental platform ROTARO, Georgie Hyatt.

Having recently worked hand in hand with Georgie on the rotating exhibition of emerging art exhibited at the Rotaro Summer Pop-Up, we couldn’t miss the opportunity of chatting with her about her relationship with art and her personal and home styling.

Join us as she guides us through her favourite art and decor pieces in her London period apartment and shares her tips on where to buy stylish antiques.

I live In…Primrose Hill in a period apartment with generous natural lighting, my partner and my dog. I’m from the sub-tropical city of Durban, South Africa and moved to London in 2015. I’ve resided in numerous houses and boroughs since I moved here, but NW3 has wholly engulfed my heart. The greenery and walking distance to Hampstead Heath is my ultimate luxury and allows me to be a little closer to nature, whilst still revelling in the energy of the city.

Working from home…is essential to my productivity! In social spaces, I am easily distracted and I find I can really focus and do my best work at home. As a co-founder of a start-up, I find I don’t have enough hours in each day, so home allows me to do my best work. That being said, I’m really looking forward to getting an office space and developing a great company culture at Rotaro! With a couple of WFH days a week of course.

My first art purchase was…A John Kramer oil painting of a store in rural South Africa. My grandmother left me money when she passed away and I bought my first real artwork to remember her by when I was 19, from a small gallery in Stellenbosch, South Africa. It now hangs in my living room in London and reminds me fondly of home.

If I could hang any artwork in my collection it would be… A Pierneef, perhaps his Thorntrees- Rustenberg linocut- or Bushveld game reserve painted in 1950 . He is one of my favourite artists, as his landscapes are so reminiscent of very particular rural South African landscapes. The flora of the bushveld is one of Pierneefs most beloved subjects and he always captures such interesting forms, from angular branches, to termite hills to brewing storms in the distance. His work is visceral for me and ignites a sharp yearning to immediately return home to be under the wide open skies, barefoot in the dry heat. This emotion is probably heightened as I sit typing this on a rainy, cold summers day in London.

My prized possession is...my set of yellowwood curved back dining room chairs from the 1930s. They’ve made it to my apartment in London, hailing originally from my great grandfather's office in Durban, South Africa. I love the idea that furniture and homewares outlive their owners and lives so many different lives through space and time, spanning countries and generations.

When decorating my home I like to buy from…eBay and vintage markets! A large portion of my furniture is from eBay. Whether it’s beautiful vintage Marcel Breuer chairs that we reupholster or contemporary furniture bargains, eBay really supplies the goods if you know what you’re looking for. I buy homeware the same way I buy fashion, buy less, buy better and buy pre-loved!

For vintage home decor accessories, Sunbury Antiques Market and Kempton park is great as well as Hampstead Antique & Craft Emporium. Waking up at 5am to go to Kempton park is really worth it. Even if you don’t come away with any treasure, the bacon butties are worth it!

My recipe for a happy home is…friends around my dinner table, sumptuous feasting (or Deliveroo) and a good quality speaker for post-dinner dancing. My favourite memories of my home have been with friends. I love creating a good vibe at home through purposeful lighting, tablescaping, music and scent, and setting the scene for my friends to come together and have a wonderful time. I love conjuring up transportive worlds and inviting my friends in to celebrate.

Over the past year, my home has been a sacred space where I have been able to connect with my friends and develop even stronger relationships.

I spend most of my time at home…if I’m not working on growing my baby that is Rotaro or sleeping, I’m playing with Cabbage, and making questionable art that my partner very generously puts up with!

I’ve currently got my eye on…a Simone Bodmer Turner vase

I couldn’t live without…my dog, Cabbage.