Key Points
- Fashion designer Molly Russell, founder of Pink City Prints, purchased a two-bedroom Georgian-era flat overlooking Clapton Square in Hackney’s Clapton area in 2023 after years of renting locally.
- The flat features vibrant decor matching her brand’s style, including block prints, pops of colour like lime green hallway, Farrow & Ball Middleton Pink on living room and bedroom walls, and Nancy’s Blushes on fireplaces and radiators.
- Kitchen undergoing light renovation to be “all yellow”; bathroom floor tiled in graphic white-and-yellow stripes.
- Russell collaborated with interior designer Gemma Dudgeon, an old school friend, to finalise colour choices.
- Inspired by a trip to Jaipur, India, where she discovered block printing, leading to her womenswear brand specialising in printed cotton dresses, skirts, and tops.
- Flat furnished with travel souvenirs from India, Mexico, Morocco, Guatemala, including naïve art like painted pen pots, coconut shell masks, and mirrors.
- Spare room features “perfume buta” print on walls for guests; emphasises handmade quality of block prints over digital.
- Property chosen for huge windows overlooking trees, providing peaceful, countryside-like feel despite urban location.
- Flat doubles as brand headquarters for meetings, wholesale appointments, photoshoots, and social media; Russell works at dining table by window due to love of natural light.
- Russell states: “I need colour and craft to make me feel joyous”; “You can’t go wrong with pink and green”; “The flat feels really calm yet cosy, it’s got a really good atmosphere”; “I’m crazy about light, and I work better when I’m surrounded by it.”
- Background: Studied sculpture; family creative – sister Victoria in costume design, brother Rupert filmmaker, half-brother Xavier film editor; grew up immersed in father’s work (artist implied).
- Visitors react with awe: “Wow”; echoes childhood fun and joy; counters London’s grey seriousness.
- Pink City Prints founded to preserve Jaipur’s traditional crafts, promoting thoughtful, authentic lifestyle.
Hackney (East London Times) March 13, 2026 – Fashion designer Molly Russell has transformed her newly purchased two-bedroom flat in Clapton into a vibrant haven of block prints and bold colours, mirroring the aesthetic of her label Pink City Prints. After years of renting in Hackney, Russell bought the Georgian-era apartment overlooking Clapton Square in 2023, embracing home ownership to unleash her creative vision with help from interior designer Gemma Dudgeon. The space, bathed in Farrow & Ball shades like Middleton Pink and Nancy’s Blushes, serves as both residence and brand HQ, drawing awe from visitors for its joyous, unconventional vibe.
Who is Molly Russell?
Molly Russell is the founder and creative director of Pink City Prints, a womenswear brand specialising in block-printed cotton dresses, skirts, and tops. As reported by Adam Butler of Homes & Property, Russell studied sculpture before discovering artisan block printing during a trip to Jaipur, India, which sparked a “creative awakening” despite lacking prior design experience. She emphasises the handmade rhythm of block printing, stating:
“Block printing, because it’s done by hand, has got a life to it which a digital print doesn’t have. The process is very rhythmic and the end result is like a piece of art in itself.”
Russell hails from a creative family, having grown up “literally living and breathing” her father’s work, as detailed in the Homes & Property feature. Her sister Victoria works in costume design, brother Rupert is a filmmaker, and half-brother Xavier is a film editor.
Prior to fashion, Russell dabbled in documentary making. On her brand’s website, Pink City Prints is described as founded to preserve the traditional crafts of India’s Pink City, Jaipur, with collections promoting a
“more thoughtful, authentic way of life.”
Why did Molly Russell choose this Clapton flat?
The Georgian-era flat’s appeal lies in its huge windows overlooking trees in Clapton Square, offering a “really peaceful” countryside-like feel in urban Hackney, according to Russell in Adam Butler’s Homes & Property article. She bought it in 2023 after years of renting in the area, noting:
“It has huge windows that look out to the trees.”
This location allowed her to personalise the space freely, unlike rentals.
As quoted by Butler, Russell values the flat’s light:
“I’m crazy about light, and I work better when I’m surrounded by it.”
The property’s position supports its dual role as home and workspace, with a living room rail for collections and a dining table by the window for pitching ideas.
What inspired the vibrant interior design?
Russell’s decor echoes her fashion: block prints and colour pops for joy. She explains:
“I need colour and craft to make me feel joyous,”
as reported by Adam Butler of Homes & Property. The hallway is a “crazy” lime green, living room and bedroom walls in Farrow & Ball’s delicate Middleton Pink, fireplaces and radiators in highly saturated Nancy’s Blushes. She told Butler: “You can’t go wrong with pink and green.”
An old school friend, interior designer Gemma Dudgeon, assisted in colour selection. The kitchen is set for an “all yellow” light renovation, bathroom floor in graphic white-and-yellow stripes. Riotous patterned curtains and soft furnishings dominate, with the spare room’s walls in “perfume buta” print, creating a cocooning guest space.
Furnishings draw from travels to India, Mexico, Morocco, and Guatemala, favouring “naïve art expressions” like painted pen pots, coconut shell masks, and shipped mirrors. Russell counters London’s seriousness: “London can get too serious and too grey. It doesn’t inspire me at times, so I have to bring it [the inspiration] myself,” per the Homes & Property piece.
How does the flat function as brand HQ?
The flat doubles as Pink City Prints headquarters, hosting team meetings and wholesale appointments via a living room rail laden with latest collections. It provides backdrops for shoots and social media posts, as noted by Adam Butler. Russell works at the dining table by the large window, valuing its calm yet cosy atmosphere:
“The flat feels really calm yet cosy, it’s got a really good atmosphere,”
she said.
First-time visitors react with “Wow”, finding echoes of childhood fun amid the unusual prints and colours.
What is the backstory of Pink City Prints?
Inspired by Jaipur’s block printing craft, Pink City Prints preserves traditional Indian techniques in uplifting womenswear. Russell’s creative journey began post-sculpture studies and her India trip, leading to the brand without formal design training. The label’s ethos, from its About Us page, speaks to authenticity amid modern life.
Molly Russell maintains an Instagram presence at @mollyrussellhome for room planning, art, antiques, and sources, sharing fun and important finds. Her site mollyrussellhome.com offers affordable home decor sourcing and lifestyle ideas under “Ami de Bleu.”
How does this home reflect broader Hackney trends?
Clapton, part of Hackney, attracts creatives like Russell for its blend of urban access and green spaces like Clapton Square. Property discussions, such as on RollOnFriday forums, highlight rapid value growth in Hackney flats, with examples tripling from £750,000 in 2019 to £2.25m. While not directly about Russell’s flat, this underscores the area’s appeal for renovations into vibrant personal spaces.
No other media outlets like Refinery29’s Clapton renovation story directly cover Russell’s home, focusing instead on anonymous gut renovations with exposed plumbing and colourful radiators. Similarly, celebrity profiles like Charli XCX’s Hackney bolthole note the borough’s draw for artists.
What future plans does Molly Russell have?
The kitchen’s ongoing “light renovation” to all-yellow signals continued evolution. As brand founder, Russell integrates home and work seamlessly, potentially expanding its HQ role. Her social channels suggest ongoing sharing of inspirations.
This Hackney home stands as testament to Russell’s philosophy: injecting joy through craft and colour into everyday life.
