Having studied at the Chelsea School of Art, Nicholas turned his talent for drawing towards the applied arts, and the craft of handmade block printed wallpaper in particular. The painstaking process of translating his ink drawings and then carving the repeating pattern into print blocks would try the patience of most, but Nicholas enjoys the challenge. As he describes his work, “It is very time consuming. If you are designing through a manual process, then you reflect while you are drawing or carving, and you find your solutions through the materials during the process.” Continually inspired by the legacy of the handmade, Nicholas injects a playful element into his work, despite the laborious nature of its execution. Just take a look at the exquisite creatures inhabiting the garden in “Madame Rousseau’s Summer Time (of abandon)” hand blocked wallpaper, or the drunken pair of soles and flying partridge with knife and fork who grace our current menu! Nicholas’ unique talent has been recognised by such auspicious art organisations as the Art Workers’ Guild, and the Homo Faber Guide, which recognises key makers in their respective fields, and he was one of House and Garden’s “Rising Stars“ in 2022. We feel very lucky to work with him, and happy to be able to share some of it with you via our tea towels and wrapping paper!
To book one of his January workshops, visit Nicholas Hughes Workshops. We are signing up for the Cambridge one, to be held next year on March 29th in the magical Arts and Crafts David Parr House (see details here), in the vain hope that we’ll absorb some of the surrounding creativity just by being there! To view more of his work, including limited edition prints and homeware for sale go to Diddletron.
What brings you to the George?
Scouting out subjects to doodle for MAPPA RYE – a map for The George guests to orientate themselves whilst exploring the town.
List 3 things you won’t leave home without
A notebook and my pencil case, something to read.
What is your earliest hotel memory?
As a family we didn’t use hotels. I started using them in my late twenties for weekend breaks. I remember a particularly good one at the top of a turret in Brittany … greeted by two enormous Great Danes at the foot of the stairs in the morning, like centurions.
What is the best/most important part of staying away in a hotel for you?
Not setting an alarm to wake to… I love a bed that you can disappear into, either small and cosy or gigantic and pillowy – both are dreamy.
What are you currently reading/binge-watching/listening to?
Season for Music: John Grant & pianist Yvonne Lefébure. Also love a dramatic opera in the morning or evening to help bridge the gap between sleep world and awake worlds.
What do you always forget/lose when you go away?
Usually pack lightly, and badly…it saves carrying too much and gives an excuse for a diversion or to shop for something new. Clothing bought on trips becomes a place-memory.
Hypothetically, who would you most like to discover is a fellow guest?
Captain Nemo? … Imagine if he’d turned his ship into a hotel!
Joni Mitchell would be pretty amazing if there was a lock-in and her fingers were feeling twitchy.
What helps you get to sleep at night? (Keep it clean!)
I brought back a bunch of beeswax candles from Georgia a few years back. Although maybe not the safest, the glow they produce is a perfect 7 minutes and I’m always asleep before the end. Failing that, “Night tracks” podcast from radio 3; a wonderfully weird and magical selection of music.
My secret Rye discovery is…
Top of the Rye bell tower – a squeeze of the staircase and amazing views. Also book shops and antiquing!
