London Design Week 2019

Layers of rich colour, fine materials and eclectic design were in evidence at this year’s London Design Week at Chelsea Harbour and we, the Stella Mannering & Company team, found this sophisticated cosmopolitan mix enormously inspirational.

From the front steps -where we were greeted by nodding hellebore tumbling from blue pots leading up to the main entrance - the tone was well and truly set, - nothing but beauty, elegance and luxury is to be found beyond those glass doors but there were some key interior design trends that stood out to us during our exploration of the 120 showrooms.

Tobacco Tones

Apparently brown is the new grey and we certainly saw a prevalence of Tobacco tones at the show, the rich warmth and comfort that the colour brings to an interior is undeniable and we’re finding ourselves more and more drawn to this masculine shade. We can absolutely imagine curling up with a hot cup of coffee on the sleek velvet Parrot sofa from Julian Chichester while Mark Alexander’s Moderna collection is understated and effortlessly beautiful where tobacco is combined with deep teals, indigo’s and rich reds to create a zen like aesthetic.

Metallic finishes

In sharp contrast to the matt black of the Industrial style we saw a resurgence in gold and brass finishes in furniture & lighting. Julian Chichester’s showroom was full of unique and quirky pieces such as the Dante Table in textured raw brass, Samuel Heath’s exquisite luxury bathroom products in urban brass would add warmth to a contemporary space and Porta Romana’s spectacular hand-made brass Chandelier ‘Luca’ creates a wonderful golden glow.

Curious Collections

Stepping in to the Cole & Son showroom is akin to falling down Alice’s rabbit hole, everything is slightly bonkers and yet it makes perfect sense, it’s a dreamlike world where wit, originality and jewel-like colour are combined in extraordinary fanciful wallpapers. The curiosities continued at Pierre Frey - the ‘Imagine’ collection from Boussac is visionary and brilliant, the colours are deep and bright and jacquards, weaves, embroideries and prints, influenced by abstract expressionism, transport us into a colourful world.

Our time at the show was, as ever, too short, we could have spent days perusing the amazing new collections but we came away elated, enthused and ready to get started on our next incredible project….could it be yours??

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