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London Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, has long been a mecca of inspiration for professional interior designers. But what she needed was for more homeowners to visit the interior design center. The annual WOW!House exhibition is one of the attractions that draws people to the site: an installation that extends along the building’s Design Avenue and houses a series of rooms assigned to interior designers who have been given Free rein to let your imagination fly. Previous participants include Nicky Haslam and Tim Gosling, and visitors to the third edition of the show house, which opens on June 4You will certainly be impressed.
This year’s installation features 19 rooms, each completely different: American tastemaker Ken Fulk has created a dining room worthy of “a countess and her entourage of artists”; British designer Sophie Ashby has created a living room with a comfortable Sunday afternoon atmosphere “and Etta James playing the record player”; Tolù Adekó’s bedroom is a decadent affair that evokes the “glory days of the Orient Express”; and design stalwart Katharine PooleyThe tennis pavilion (one of the showhouse’s simulated outdoor spaces) is an English country garden “adorned with fragrant roses,” imagined while “Wimbledon is in full swing.” Check out Chase Erwin’s library, Lucy Hammond Giles’ living room, and Anahita Rigby’s study; The photographs here are an exclusive first look at their finished spaces.
Designer Suzy Hoodless has kept its concept a secret until now. Revealing his sketch on the eve of the opening, she took the opportunity to use a richer palette than is typical of the designer. “I wanted it to be really natural and earthy,” she says. “I have a house in Cornwall where we have the most stunning views of pine trees and sea-facing landscaping, so we designed wallpaper in collaboration with Adam Ellis Studio, which became the starting point for the room.”
A palette of natural materials complements the wallpaper, including large room dividers built by [joinery specialist] Alex Findlater in rough sawn Lebanese cedar, creating a dining area and reception space with fireplace. “The Rug Company made the rug for us as a kind of floral rug,” Hoodless says. “Everything is very livable and tactile in a warm tone palette.”
Like most designers participating, Hoodless hopes visitors linger in the space. “I want people to hang out there. We have a beautiful table from Another Country, which I hope you will sit at for a while. “They should feel at home.”
WOW!House 2024 It is open from June 4 to July 4. £25 per person or £40 for two, with £25 two-for-one tickets available on Saturdays