When Edinburgh-based book artist Rachel Hazell is not giving workshops abroad as The Travelling Bookbinder, she’s in her cozy cluttered home, surrounded by books. In Issue 18 you can have a peek inside her home. You will find a taster of the interview below.
I don’t suppose you could imagine a house without books…
Absolutely not. A house without books would be like a prison cell to me: Bare, empty and without character. I’d find it intolerable, purely because I love reading and writing and therefore I love books. All the book covers and spines provide color in my house. To let those books really stand out, I’ve mostly given my walls a neutral gray color.
How would you describe your style?
It’s and electic mix of old and new – a combination of found and used furniture, designer pieces and, of course, lots of paper. I like stuff with a story behind it, like my old red bedside stand. How many houses has it lived in, and who has it belonged to? I like to fantasize about things like that. When I moved here five years ago and renovated the house, a wonderful texture emerged on the walls from under many layers of wallpaper. I didn’t cover it up again. I find it so pretty, I’ve even applied a kind of gloss over it. But some people still ask me, “When are you going to finish that wall?”
- You can read more about Rachel Hazell in Issue 18.
Text Annalot Boersma Photography Uli Schade
