Solum At Home — Cilla Penny

JOURNAL

Cilla Penny, Wholesale Manager at Harris Tapper, has an instinctive approach to style. Her Darling Point apartment is layered with vintage treasures, tactile fabrics and pieces collected slowly over time. A creative and tastemaker in her own right, Cilla shares the places, rituals and influences that shape her everyday life - and why Solum’s Modulus Pistachio rug felt right at home.

What does your ideal Sunday look like?

Sundays are the best. I love waking up without an alarm and having nowhere I need to be. I’ll usually spend the day pottering, cooking at home and drinking lots of coffee. Fresh sheets and a new bunch of flowers have become a Sunday ritual too.

How would you describe your personal style and how is this reflected in your home?

Instinctive and considered, but never too perfect. I like strong pieces that feel polished, mixed in with vintage treasures. Our apartment is much the same. I’ve learnt to collect things slowly and buy what I truly love, rather than feeling like everything needs to match or be finished at once. I still get impatient, but a slower process is always better.

What's something you have in your apartment that you would never part with?

There's so much that holds value to me, but maybe my journals. I’ve been keeping them since I was in high school and they’ve followed me through every city and stage of life. They’re filled with everything - letters, notes, reminders, big ideas and very ordinary days. I love having this chaotic record of all the different versions of myself along the way. One day I'll go back and read them all.

What do you love about your role as Wholesale Manager at Harris Tapper, and working in fashion more broadly?

I love my role and working within the wholesale business because it’s so deeply rooted in relationships. You work with people who have spent years building trust with their own communities, and there’s something really special about being invited into that. Some of the partnerships I work with have grown over many years - you learn their customer, understand their business and grow alongside each other. Developing an initial conversation into something meaningful and long-term is probably the part of my job I find most rewarding.

Fashion more broadly is incredibly collaborative. Behind everything are people sharing ideas, taking risks, building businesses and creating something they believe in. I love being surrounded by that kind of mentality - there’s so much resilience and drive to continue adapting, and I find it inspiring.

You travel quite a bit through your work - are there particular places, people or details you've encountered that have influenced your creative eye?

New York has a big influence on how I think creatively. There’s an energy and ambition to the city that makes you think bigger - people are loud and passionate about what they do. Fashion, interiors, art and music all seem to exist alongside each other. I’ll come home wanting to move things around, dress more bravely, listen to more jazz and just be a little more confident in how I hold myself.

Are there materials, textures or colours you find yourself constantly drawn to lately?

I’ve become much more interested in the longevity of things - natural fibres, thoughtful compositions and pieces that will stand the test of time. I’m drawn to tactile fabrications like velvets, silks, taffetas and embroidery. I’ve started collecting old fabrics too, finding remnants at markets in Italy, eBay and second hand stores. I never really know what I’ll do with them, but I love the idea of giving them another life.

What drew you to the Modulus Pistachio Rug, and how does it shape the feel of the room?

The wool hand feel is incredible. It’s soft and forgiving, which are two qualities I really associate with home. I also love the pistachio tone - it’s subtle, but has enough presence to anchor the room and bring all of our different pieces together.