As a creative director working in music and fashion for the last decade, Rob Meyers is constantly researching ideas and collecting references that feed into the visual output he produces. This same curiosity and flair for experimentation is reflected in his Georgian house in east London. From David Hockney to Cecil Beaton, Elvis Presley to Larry Clark, Rob finds interior inspiration in a heady mix of places, his mood board pinned with things that shouldn’t go together yet do. But, as we discover when we visit him in Shadwell, it is his childhood in Harrogate and his experience of life in a close-knit family that he draws on most.

Rob and his mother, who worked in interior design and in luxury textiles, share more than just DNA. As well as her curatorial eye and penchant for plush fabrics, Rob inherited another of her skills: hosting. “When I entertain,” he says, “I like to create something magic.” And what a fine backdrop his treasure trove of a home makes for it. Every corner has an object of desire to delight in, an artwork to envy or a book to flick through. There’s so much to talk about, in fact, it’s hard to imagine any dinner-party conversation drying up here. As he shows us around, he shares his tablescaping tips and talks about the thrill of antique markets and auction houses.

Rob: “This is the first home where I’ve lived on my own. I was scared I might go a little crazy without company, but my friend said, ‘If you don’t move in, I will,’ so I went for it. I love the contrasts of the building. The upstairs is pure Georgian beauty, with high ceilings, shuttered sash windows, straight lines and classical coving; downstairs, there is a steel industrial staircase and white concrete floors. That kind of juxtaposition really matches my personal aesthetic.

“I grew up in a village outside of Harrogate and a lot of things from my childhood influence my style today. Newby Hall, for instance, is a Georgian stately home on the edge of my village. It was one of the inspirations for Downton Abbey. I used to be obsessed with Newby as a kid – and I still am. It is the shape of a perfect box, with eight windows on each side and a well-tended garden. I love Georgian buildings because everything feels like it’s in the right place; the windows are all symmetrical, the fireplace is in the centre of the wall. The Georgians were all about balance, a parallel with modernism – another one of my favourite periods.

“My mother also influences my style. She worked with an interior designer and sold luxury Italian fabrics, so there were always huge rolls of incredible materials at home. We also had large floor cushions covered in the classic ‘Willow Boughs’ by Morris & Co, which is fashionable again now. I fondly remember my sister and I lying on them to watch TV when we were kids – and we still do when we’re back home. I have actually been talking to her about doing some curtains in that same fabric for my dressing room here.

“Julian Schnabel, Cecil Beaton and David Hockney, among others, also inspire me. They travelled extensively and lived in quite a boundary-less way. There was a room in the 2017 David Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain called ‘From Yorkshire to Hollywood’. As a kid from the same county, I can really relate to that as an aspirational sentiment. The lives of these artists make me want to create, travel, dress up and just live the fullest life possible.

“When I first moved here, I came with a couple of pieces of furniture and a large number of books and archive magazines, which were my first love. I painted the whole place in three different shades of a classic French grey to work with the natural light. The first room I completed was the second bedroom upstairs, which I turned into a dressing room because I have quite a substantial wardrobe. I wanted to keep the room simple, so I went for a thick cream carpet, which is understated but luxurious. It feels like a little slice of Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley.

“My interest in classical furniture collides with my love for modern art. I like offsetting things to create something unexpected. I have an 18th-century carved bureau, for example, which I style with a 1967 black plastic chair by Joe Colombo for Kartell, and a large Lucas Dillon abstract artwork above it. While in my bedroom, I have a Victorian Bobbin chair placed on a 1970s shag-pile rug for a bit of fun. I love combining design classics from different eras.

“In my bedroom, I have photography by Larry Clark, Ari Marcopoulos and Chris Rhodes on the wall, which sit alongside a large classical French painting of an ocean that I bought at an auction up north. I paid £30 for it and it’s one of my favourite things in the house. Some of my other treasured things here include a 1952 cherry-wood sideboard from Liberty that I bought as a student, and a brass 1950s lamp. My friend said it looked like it belonged in a hotel, but I love it and its oversized Corinthian column base.

“I feel like my home has so much potential to be used in different ways. Before lockdown, the living room was an office with desk space for six people. A lot of my team and collaborators would come here to work. But I can also turn the space into an oversized dining room for large dinner parties by throwing a huge linen tablecloth over the desks.

“I’m a nester that loves having people over – my nana, mum and sister are all the same. When I entertain, it’s important for me to make an event of it. I like to go all out. I want people to remember the evening and to have a good time. It’s about creating memories. I like to serve dinner in hand-worn Indian stone chapati bowls, and drink from Venetian water jugs. But I’ll mix all styles together, including high-street pieces – especially my glassware. I want guests to have fun at dinner and not worry about smashing something rare and expensive. Then as the evening rolls on I like to open my 1950s Rudolf Glatzel for Fristho bar and we dance into the night.

“I love antiquing and looking for special pieces. I think it’s the northern influence; I love finding a bargain. I got the set of four 1975 Bruno Rey dining chairs in a little second-hand store for £90. I love being surprised by things too, particularly the wonderful and interesting characters you come across at markets and auctions. At the antique market at Spitalfields, I met a trader who follows me on Instagram. She saw that I’d worked with Ozzy Osbourne and she told me that Sharon Osbourne used to be her babysitter. All those interactions and stories and connections are what make life interesting.

“Outside of the UK, my favourite place for fun interior pieces is the huge flea market in Long Beach. When I go to California for work, I always make a trip there. My hand luggage back on my return is usually full of tableware and gorgeous fabrics. The last thing I brought back were some amazing serving platters that were made in Oxfordshire. I love thinking about how 18th-century English flatware ended up in California and is now back in England after god knows how long.

“As much as I travel with work, this house is my anchor. I look forward to coming home, putting on the lamps, sitting on the sofa and thinking of the experiences I’ve had here. As humans, we have deep connections to memories – and my objects, furniture and clothes always remind me of special times in my life; of fun and travel and friends.”