This Saturday marks the start of London Design Festival, which has always been the ultimate back-to-school signal for the city’s design community.
Gallerists, makers and brands will have cut short their holidays to co-ordinate at all manner of events, where collections will be launched and the design-curious public released into usually sealed-away workshops and studios.
Here’s my pick of what to see without spending a penny.
1. Faye Toogood’s LDF takeover
Faye Toogood seems to be doing it all at this year’s LDF, from showing her new furniture families, Gummy & Palette, to teaming up with Poltrona Frau for a fun installation based on her Squash chair. If you do one thing, though, visit her studio open house in Camden – it’s a beautiful space.
17-20 September; 150 Royal College Street, NW1 0TA
2. Melek Zeynep Bulut’s ‘Duo’ installation in Greenwich
This amazing suspended installation in the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College (main) is going to be one of the festival’s big moments. It’s such a theatrical context – all heavily painted murals and gilding – so this contemporary structure will be something to witness. It almost looks like a glass tunnel or prism.
14-22 September; Painted Hall, The Old Royal Naval College, SE10 9NN
3. Engrained: Material Intelligence at Sarah Myerscough Gallery
I buy a lot from Sarah Myerscough, who has an incredible instinct for high end craft. This show is all about makers and designers who are pushing the boundaries of woodworking in a gallery context. I recently bought one of Peter Marigold’s Bleed cabinets, which feature in the exhibition, for a client.
14-22 September; 15a Cromwell Place Garage, SW7 2LA
4. RE BAR by Fabio Hendry with Max Radford Gallery
This one's sure to be super interesting. Fabio Hendry from cool Swiss studio Hot Wire Extensions is presenting new work inspired by rebar frames, exposed when buildings are destroyed, in collaboration with east London gallerist Max Radford. Brompton Design District is always the best spot if you want to scoop up a few exhibitions in one go.
14-22 September; 4 Cromwell Place, SW7 2JE
5. William Morris Design Line Open Weekend
There’s tons of interesting makers and manufacturers working in this corner of London, around Blackhorse Lane and the Argall Industrial Area. At the weekend they’re all opening their studios and workshops – I’ll be making a beeline for the cool kit bikes at Bamboo Bicycle Club and the floral wax creations of Wax Atelier’s Lola Lely.
20-22 September; various, E17 and E10
6. Sleep and the City talk
Sleep is a hot topic in design at the moment. I’ve got my eye on this talk at the V&A, which is bringing together a panel that includes designers, architects, an architectural historian and a scientist. It’s free, but you need to book a ticket.
17 September; Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL
7. A new palette from Rose Uniacke
This is one for the renovators. Rose Uniacke is showing 20 new paint colours at her Pimlico Road showrooms, including some stronger shades like velvety umber browns and saffron yellows. Her paint collection is really lovely – quite soft, quite earthy, and very easy to live with.
14-21 September; 103 and 76 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8LP
8. Housewarming: Museum Late at Museum of the Home
The Museum of the Home in Hoxton is a cute little place and the gardens are really pretty. This ticketed evening event is a mix of talks, creative workshops and guided workshops of their newly revamped Rooms Through Time, which now included a terraced house in 2024 and a take on the home of the future.
