As the winner of Interior Business of the Year at the Positive Luxury Awards 2026, House of Hackney continues to demonstrate how creativity, craftsmanship and purpose can coexist at the heart of a successful business. From embedding nature into its governance structure to championing regenerative practices across its operations, the British interiors brand has built a reputation for doing things differently. We spoke to the team about what this recognition means, how sustainability shapes every business decision, and why purpose-led leadership is proving to be a powerful driver of resilience, trust and long-term value.
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What inspired you to take part in the Positive Luxury Awards and what does this recognition mean to your brand and team?
Positive Luxury has always stood for something we deeply believe in: that thoughtful, considered businesses can be a force for good. We took part because we want to be part of a community that is proving that point, and because we believe recognition like this sends an important signal to the wider industry. Being named Interior Brand of the Year means the world to our Housemates – many of whom joined us precisely because they wanted their work to mean something beyond the aesthetic. It validates the choices we make every day that aren’t always the easiest or most straightforward ones, and it reminds us why we keep pushing further.
How does sustainability influence your business decisions and why is taking action so important to you?
Sustainability doesn’t happen in one department or a strategy bolt-on for us: it’s the foundation the whole House is built on. Every business decision, from the materials we use to the suppliers we partner with and the financial institutions we work with, is weighed against its impact on people and planet. Three years ago, we legally appointed Mother Nature & Future Generations as a director on our board, building that consideration into our Articles and governance structures. We are a certified B Corp with a score more than double the median, and our ambition is to move beyond sustainability towards becoming a measurably regenerative business. That means going beyond “doing less harm” and actively working to restore more than we take. Taking action matters to us because we believe business is one of the most powerful forces on earth, and we refuse to use that power carelessly.
Following a challenging couple of years for many businesses, how have you upheld your dedicated approach to positive change and resilience as core pillars of your strategy?
It has been an uncertain and tumultuous couple of years, but our business has been well set up to cope with that. Part of that setup is that our regenerative mission isn’t separate from our business strategy; it is our strategy. When you have Mother Nature & Future Generations as directors, short-termism simply isn’t an option. Our made-to-order model, which reduces waste and overproduction, has actually proved a source of resilience rather than constraint. Our partnership with the World Land Trust (through which our customers have now collectively protected over 513 acres of threatened habitats) has deepened rather than diminished during tougher times, because it’s woven into how we trade, not treated as an add-on. We’ve also leaned into our community, our craftspeople and our long-standing supplier relationships. We believe that purpose-led businesses don’t thrive despite their values in difficult times; they often thrive because of them.
How has your sustainability journey built trust with your consumers and added value for your internal teams?
Trust, for us, comes from transparency and consistency. We were committed to responsible business and our team and customers know that. When they buy a roll of our FSC-certified, made-to-order wallpaper, or a cushion filled with responsibly sourced traceable wool, they’re making a choice that reflects their own values. That alignment creates loyalty that goes far deeper than a transaction. We share our impact openly: via our Impact Report, our true cost accounting work, our community partnerships – and customers respond to that honesty. Internally, the effect is just as powerful. Our Housemates are innovators who see the world differently and want to make a difference within it. Being part of a business that genuinely lives its values, from our four-day Nature Friday week to our 1% of sales donated to environmental and community causes, means people bring their whole selves to work. That translates directly into creativity, care and commitment.
For leaders who want to create lasting value and build trust, what would you say is possible when sustainability is treated as an investment?
Everything. When you stop treating sustainability as a cost to be minimised and start treating it as an investment in the long-term health of your business, your relationships and the world you operate in, the possibilities are genuinely transformative. Our products are what we call “future heirlooms”, designed to last a lifetime. That philosophy extends to the business itself. We’re developing a Nature profit and loss account, accounting for the true cost of our environmental impact, because we believe a company’s real health can only be measured when you include social and environmental capital alongside financial returns. Leaders who make this shift find that it attracts better talent, deeper customer engagement, more resilient supply chains and more meaningful innovation. The luxury industry in particular has a unique opportunity here – and a responsibility. Our customers choose us not just for the beauty of what we make, but for what we stand for. That is the most durable competitive advantage we know.
DOWNLOAD THE 2026 WINNERS REPORT
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