Modern ideas, designs and endless shopping potential for the home; these upcoming interior design events are ones to have on your radar now
Words Helen Brown
Interior Design Events to have on your Radar
SMALLBONE AT LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
Luxury cabinet-maker, Smallbone of Devizes are hosting an exciting series of events and activities for London Design Festival this year that will showcase the cutting-edge design and artisanal craftsmanship behind the company’s exquisite furniture. The first of Smallbone’s activities will see fashion meet design with the unveiling of an exclusive collaboration between the Wiltshire-based furniture company and fashion menswear designer Paul Helbers.
They’ll also be offering the opportunity to see its master craftsmen at work with an immersive ‘Meet the Maker’ experience on Thursday 21st September at the 220 Brompton Road showroom. Witness art in motion as you see the talented cabinet-makers from the workshop in Wiltshire craft a flawless dovetailed drawer box. Visitors can also join Grand Cuisine for a masterclass in pasta-making, and learn the secrets from the professional world of how to achieve fantastic results at home. Leather specialist Deni-Deni will likewise be on hand to demonstrate the skills it uses when creating the exquisite leather finishes featured in Smallbone’s luxury furniture.Â
SCULPT AT KEW
Discover one of the largest and the best exhibitions of outdoor and indoor sculpture at the inaugural edition of Sculpt at Kew. Explore a trail of abstract pieces installed throughout Kew’s Botanic Gardens, featuring one of Britain’s leading contemporary sculptors Simon Gudgeon, international artist Mark Dedrie, life-sized animals by Piers Mason, figurative works by Paul Vanstone and more.
18 September – 15 October
kew.org
MIDCENTURY EAST
A firm favourite on the interior design events calendar, Midcentury Modern are back with an east London sibling. Soak up the atmosphere in the incredibly brutalist venue of Goldfinger’s Hagerstown School whilst chatting Eames, Jacobsen and Bertoia to Modern’s many experts. With over 55 top vintage dealers you can expect a variety of hugely desirable, high-quality furniture on display, all of which can be brought straight from the dealers.
15 October
modernshows.com
START ART FAIR
Unearth tomorrow’s art today as the Start Art Fair returns to the Saatchi Gallery. On display are works from the world’s emerging art talent, such as Australia’s NG Art Gallery and Taiwan’s Yiri Arts. New exhibitors include French painter Eric Lacombe and rising Chinese artist Ye Hongxing whose kaleidoscopic landscapes juxtapose elements from East and West.
14 – 17 September
startartfair.com
ANTIQUES ANONYMOUS
Alfie’s Antique Market have joined forces with Westminster Council to host one of the largest antique based events in London. Over 50 professional antiques and vintage dealers from across the city and further afield will join the merchants from Alfie’s Antique Market in a one-stop shop design destination. Expect some of the largest collections of high-calibre antique pieces in Europe, as well as dining from London’s best street food stalls.
24 September
antiquesanonymous.london
DESIGN FRONTIERS
In an exploration of future-thinking and commerce, innovation and the demands of the modern marketplace, Design Frontiers establishes itself for the first time in London. Designers are invited to create installations that test the frontiers of the industry. Expect everything from automotive to fashion, product design to graphics and digital to performance, from 30 leading international designers.
18-24 September
londondesignfestival.com
LAPADA ARTS & ANTIQUES FAIR
100 exhibitors from across the art, antiques, design and decorative art spectrums will descend on Berkeley Square as the LAPADA Fair returns for an eighth edition. With prices ranging from £500 to £500,000 and above, sought-after pieces appeal to both the establishes collector and the first-time buyer. Blending eclecticism and artistry, the fair is a unique stage for artistic talent from across the globe.
15-20 September
lapadalondon.com
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
This week-long festival celebrates a milestone 15 years with a blockbuster schedule from the world of design. Don’t miss renowned textile designer Camille Walala. She’s created an exuberantly colourful architectural landscape in the heart of Broadgate, intended to inject a bit of joy into what may otherwise have been just another day in the office. Another highlight i comes from Palestinian architects Elias and Yousef Anastas who will debut their installation While We Wait. The structure is an immersive space in which visitors can enter, as if standing in the Cremsian Valley of Palestine.
16-24 September
londondesignfestival.com
