Not Into Colour? Rixo Co-Founder Orlagh McCloskey’s Home Will Change Your Mind

B ritish fashion label Rixo can convert even the most ardent minimalist into a full-fledged colour enthusiast. The collection’s deft use of bold palettes and powerful prints – masterfully layered together – is a hallmark of the brand (which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, by the way). Co-founder and creative director Orlagh McCloskey plays a defining role in this process, hand painting Rixo’s signature prints and overseeing the entire design process. It’s no surprise, then, when she and her husband, Brook were tasked with making their new-build house a home, she had a few tricks up her sleeve.

The two reside in Acton in West London with their baby, Aerín and their dog, Leo. Orlagh’s twin sister, Gemma, also lives in Acton and owns a design studio called Cúpla. Naturally, it was a no-brainer to tap her to help bring the space to life. “Gem knew who to go to, who to trust, and had really good ways of thinking about things from a fresh perspective,” Orlagh says, offering the example of the two stained glass windows in their living room. “I would probably never have thought about that, but she is able to spot those kinds of opportunities that can make a big impact.”

Her husband, Brook, is a carpenter; a skillset that was put to good use throughout the process. “He always says that I have all the ideas and he just tries to make it happen… but he’s also like – ‘you’ve got too many ideas,’” Orlagh laughs. “But everything he built was built with a purpose.” Take the Brutalist-reminiscent cabinet in the living room, for example. Orlagh had spotted a similar antique cabinet but the dimensions weren’t quite right. “I needed it to be a certain height, and I also wanted it to be a computer desk,” she explains. He was able to render a multifunctional cabinet that now serves as an anchor piece in the living room. Then there’s the modular coffee table he crafted. “We wanted it to be proportionally right for the space and to have other little bits that come off of the coffee table that have multiple uses,” she says. “You pull a little side table over while you’re having tea, but it’s still part of the overall design.”

Even though the home Orlagh and Brook purchased was technically a new-build, the two were able to carve out a space that feels distinctly their own. “I wanted the walls to feel warm but still natural, so I did a lime wash in a very light way with fewer coats,” she says. “It gives that sense of colour and texture without a print or bright tone being brought in.” Another trick she implemented? Painting the ceilings. “It just feels more homely and more like a cocoon.” Upstairs in their bedroom, the two wanted to curate a peaceful respite that flowed from the bed and wardrobe area all the way into the adjoining bathroom. “These two rooms are joined together by sliding doors but I always keep them open, so I wanted to create something calming to look at.” So, they painted the bathroom blue, which pairs back to the couple’s Bed Threads bedding in Mint and Lagoon, and Sage & Olive Scalloped European Pillowcases in the reading nook across the room.

When it came to decorating the space, she approached the project with a collector’s point of view (not dissimilar to her work with Rixo). “I think taking the time to nail down some key principles of what you want within a home is the first building block, but then it’s all those little additional things that add to the curation… I think that’s what makes a home so beautiful.” She points to Rixo’s balance of print and colour as an example. “We’ve got a lot of bright colours in our collections, but also neutrals, and a lot of bigger prints, but also what we call ‘non-prints’ and these all come together to complement each other.” Ultimately, it’s a creative process of letting colours live and interact with each other in bold yet subtle ways. “Without consciously setting those parameters, I think Rixo and my home both feel like they have that kind of design ethos.”

In her home, this manifests in an imaginative swirl of colour, print, and texture. From the cobalt blue Murano light fixtures that hang above her kitchen counter to the graphic stripe on her living room sofa to the Dirk Van Der Kooij Meltingpot dining table with its one-of-kind colourful pigment. When tapped for her inspirations, Orlagh points to artists through different periods who were masters of colour: Henri Matisse, Gustav Klimpt, Raoul Dufy, David Hockney, and even contemporary figures like Studio Lenca, an artist from El Salvador. “It’s more the use of colour and texture and unusual tools all put together, that’s my favourite kind of art more than a specific era, per se,” she says.

As for the large-scale paintings in her home, those tell an even more personal story. “I knew I wanted to paint something for a few larger spaces in the house and I loved the idea of painting onto raw linen,” Orlagh says, noting that her husband was tapped once again. “He stretched the canvases for me and I just cut out loads of pieces of paper and instead of actually sticking them on, which is kind of what Matisse did, I reversed it and used them as templates to paint around, and then pulled the templates off.” The result? An impressive series that feels right at home in their space. “They look quite simple but suit the space, I think.”

Another impressive nook in the home is the dining room, where Orlagh and Brook often host friends and family. “We wanted a special space where when someone comes over it can feel away from the ruckus and mess of the kitchen,” she says. Currently on their table? Rixo’s own tablecloth and napkins, part of their new homewares line dropping on November 11. “We are launching in mid-November exclusive to Liberty, which is really exciting.” Rixo is also launching its cruise collection in November and Orlagh and her co-founder will be travelling to New York in December to work on the pop-up that they’ve decided to make a permanent space.

With so much on the horizon, Orlagh makes a conscious effort to ground herself at home when she can. “First things first – coffee in bed,” she says when we ask her to describe her perfect Sunday at home. This is typically followed by a run in the park with Leo, then a stroll down to Chiswick for the vintage market. “And just having a close friend or my sister come over and cooking for them. I always put incense on in the house and I always light candles. The key to being happy at home, I think, is simply crafting a relaxing atmosphere.”

Rixo’s first homeware collection will be available exclusively at Liberty, in Rixo stores and at rixolondon.com from November 11. Seen here are the Romilly Cushion, Tali Napkin, and Zebe Tablecloth in ‘Sun Multi’ print.

For more from Orlagh, follow her @orlaghmccloskey01 & @rixo