Rejina Pyo, the London-based fashion designer known for her eponymous womenswear label, has opened a window into her personal life and creative process through the renovation of her Victorian terraced home in north London. Purchased in 2018 with her husband Jordan Bourke, a chef and food writer, the property presented a significant challenge: a former "doer-upper" with outdated features, damp walls, and an overgrown garden. The couple undertook the refurbishment shortly after the birth of their first child, balancing the demands of family life, a growing business, and the complexities of a major building project.
Pyo’s home reflects an eclectic blend of cultural influences and design eras, mirroring the aesthetic sensibility that has defined her brand since its launch in 2014. With its bright kitchen, custom walnut cabinets inspired by traditional Korean furniture, and plaster of Paris light fixtures by London-based artist Viola Lanari, the space channels a playful yet elegant spirit—traits also evident in Pyo’s fashion collections. The kitchen serves as the household’s primary gathering place, featuring Korean ceramics and design pieces crafted by friends and curated by Pyo herself.
The renovation preserved elements of the house’s Victorian heritage, including a freestanding bathtub and a downstairs toilet with a Victorian-style Catchpole & Rye cistern, marrying historic character with contemporary living. Despite challenges—including compromised timelines, availability of materials, and design compromises—Pyo says the project was a "total fiasco" but ultimately a learning experience that highlighted how living with a space informs its evolution over time.
Pyo’s design philosophy rejects the notion of a “finished” home. Instead, she embraces ongoing additions and changes, collecting vintage furniture and artworks that bring personal significance and functionality to the space. Among notable acquisitions are a mid-century Italian sideboard by Aldo Tura and a vintage Marcel Breuer lamp. Rather than employing an interior designer, Pyo preferred to direct the decor herself, believing that spaces develop character through accumulated objects rather than fixed designs.
Her artistic pursuits also inform both her home and her business. With a background in fine art from Hongik University in Seoul, Pyo maintains a garden studio where she paints, and her house displays a mix of her own large canvases alongside artworks by emerging artists. This interdisciplinary approach extends to her retail operations: Pyo’s physical stores, including locations opened in Soho in 2022 and Golborne Road in 2025, feature curated art books and furniture alongside fashion pieces, creating a hybrid environment that reflects her broader creative interests.
Pyo credits her mother, a former fashion professional turned interior designer, with instilling a resourceful and eclectic attitude toward living spaces, one that favours mix-and-match approaches over rigid style conformity. This ethos informs both her home and her brand, which stands out for its unexpected colour palette—embracing bubblegum pinks and marigolds—and a commitment to direct engagement with customers amid shifting retail landscapes. The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in wholesale distribution, prompting Pyo to invest more heavily in her independent stores and online channels to maintain creative control and customer connection.
As Pyo balances family, fashion, and art in her north London home, she views the house as a living project—one that evolves with changing needs and inspirations rather than conforming to static notions of completion.