London Design Week 2021 Report

The Design Centre Chelsea Harbour during London Design Week 2021

You’d be forgiven for thinking that London Design Week 2021 was later in the year than normal.

The doors opened virtually on Sunday May 16th and ran through to today, Friday May 21st. A whole two months later than normal due to COVID-19 restrictions.

I managed a mid-week visit to, what I would consider, a very subdued show. The majority of showrooms were open to visitors but there was not the usual hospitality nor the buzz of new product launches or discovery tours.

That said, it was an ideal time to meander around the Design Centre and to absorb the seasonal colour themes.

Orange was the clear winner in this category. Warm, vibrant, patterned, plain, modern, and traditional – it appeared in showroom after showroom.

Another recurring theme was patterned wallpapers. Again, these transcended all styles from abstract through to peony roses.

If you like lighting Porta Romana have something from everyone. Modern, quirky, smart, and humorous.

The star of the show was, without doubt, Sanderson’s showroom. Celebrating 160 years of being inspired by nature their room set was a plant lover’s paradise.

Another showroom worth a mention was that of C&C Milano. Here the most elegant table setting stood amidst the walls of a palladium palace.

Elegant table setting at C&C Milano
Elegant table setting at C&C Milano

Although there wasn’t the usual pomp and ceremony which surrounds LDW there was certainly plenty to feast one’s eyes on.

I made the most of my visit by collecting fabric swatches from the latest collections and a whole host of paint charts!

The main reason for my visit though, this year, like any other, was to gain inspiration and to stay abreast of the latest interior trends. For that, there is no better venue than London Design Week.

Zoffany's brand new window dressing
Zoffany’s brand new window dressing was being applied during the show

For more information check out the links below.

External Links

If you wish to catch up with the Virtual Programme of Conversations In Design go to The Design Centre Chelsea Harbour today.

For more information follow these links: London Design Week 2021, Porta Romana, Sanderson, C&C Milano, and Zoffany

Internal Links

For my review of last year’s show click here

📸 Carolyn Hayter

Similar Posts

  • Unicorns and Superheroes

    If you are looking for an alternative to unicorns and superheroes then take a look at Romo’s showroom at The Design Centre, Chelsea Habour. Situated on the first floor of the North Dome,  they have…

  • 2020 Trends

    My inbox is currently full of trend predictions for the coming year. Colour, style, and material, are the focus of many of the big names. Here are some of the highlights… FARROW&BALL Farrow & Ball…

  • Outside In

    I’m sure the expression “bringing the outside in” is familiar to a lot of people. It is used to describe the relationship between a room and its surroundings, often implying that the exterior becomes an…

  • Daring Patterns and Dark Woods

    Inspired by a promotional shot of Fired Earth’s Madeira tiles I decided to make some changes to my downstairs loo. Happy with the Farrow & Ball Manor House Grey emulsion, and the dado height white…

  • The Winter Brocante 2017

    As I left the house on Friday morning to attend the Winter Brocante at Cowdray House in West Sussex I suddenly realised that winter was upon us. It was a beautiful, bright, crisp morning, with…

  • Six Of The Best; desks

    Six of the best; desks Last week I took part in an Interior Design challenge. The brief was to redecorate a spare bedroom with a nod to the Art Deco style. The client asked that…