Harriet Verney, co-founder of digital creative agency Push Button Generation, lives in an oasis of calm in the thumping heart of Dalston. If that sounds like an oxymoron, it’s fitting. Situated just off Shacklewell Lane (a melting pot of early birds queuing at bakeries and late-night partygoers alike), Harriet’s home – which is on the market – offers the best of both: one side of her dual-aspect living space looks out to a road that leads to Kingsland High Street; the other frames leafy views of her gated mews. Part of a former Bible factory, the setting is suitably serene – particularly the peaceful communal garden, where the only buzz is that of bees. “It’s super rare,” she says. “I don’t think I’ll ever find something like this again.”

It’s a summer morning and the temperature is soaring as Harriet – a former editor at biannual fashion magazine Love – invites us into the three-storey home she shares with her musician partner, Cav, and their daughter, Marlow. The cooling interiors – think white-painted walls and floorboards – are welcome, as is the homemade iced coffee. As Harriet explains, she loves to host – and that was one of the reasons she was drawn to this place. “As soon as I saw it, I fell in love,” she says, pointing out its proximity to Dalston’s “strip”, the flexible layout and the spare bedroom for guests. “But when we moved in, I fell pregnant and the party plans went out the window.” That second bedroom, which opens to a peaceful pocket-sized courtyard, has since been claimed by her two-year-old.

As well as providing respite from the heat, the simple backdrop acts as a blank canvas for Harriet’s collection “camp and colourful” belongings. “It’s a mix of things I’ve been given and what I’ve been able to get my hands on,” she says. From a Sue Webster and Tim Noble neon featuring jumbled letters (they spell ‘Let’s Fuck’) to a Swarovski-crystal bed that weighs 23 stone, her most precious possessions are those she inherited from her late aunt, the inimitable hat-wearing fashion legend Isabella Blow. Having grown up at Hilles, the Gloucestershire estate on which Isabella lived, Harriet has her aunt to thank for her love of “beautiful but impractical” things. Little encapsulates this better than a cherished pair of silver cardboard tables originally commissioned by Isabella, which currently sit in Harriet’s living space. “My family used to have the whole set, which included chairs. People would often burn cigarette holes in them,” she continues. “But I’ve always loved them.”

Among the things we admire most is the soaring double-height living space, the mezzanine-level bedroom that “feels like you’re in the eaves of a church”, and the bright and airy interiors. “We didn’t do much to it,” Harriet says. “We just made it more of a home.” Watch our film now to join Harriet on a tour and discover how her versatile house caters to parties and parenthood alike – and what she’ll miss most about life on the mews. If you’re interested in viewing the place for yourself, get in touch with our sales team today.