London Design Week 2022

The joy of spring, delicate details, soft colours and tactile materials were the highlight of this year’s London Design Week at Chelsea Harbour – it certainly brought a smile to the Stella Mannering & Company team.

There was a real buzz with many designers eager to get back to the design hub, with exciting talks and exhibitions offering a mix of inspiration. We were greeted with freshness from the offset, from beautiful flower arrangements to new botanical prints and ornate installations that filled the centre dome – there was a real sense of new beginnings and serenity which certainly set the tone for the day.

The North Dome was made up of inspirational galleries, showcasing the season’s newness. Each installation had a different story to tell but the narrative was more meaningful than ever: ‘New Shoots’, drew a deep connection to nature through green tones and fresh botanical prints; ‘Sorbet’ made up of a playful palette of pistachio, raspberry peach and citron; ‘Sonia’ which touches on Parisian avant-garde artists, combining abstract shapes and uplifting colour to create new compositions.

The outlook for 2022 “expect poetic prints, playful pastels and softer silhouettes that represent a fresh approach” which is much needed (amid the pandemic!). There were some key interior design trends that also caught our eye whilst exploring the showrooms.

Craftsmanship

There was an abundance of natural materials and handcrafted prints that echoed the design hub. Romo’s Zinc collection layered with earthy tones, artisan embroidery and grasscloth wallcoverings was a delight to see. The craftsmanship continued to impress us, stepping into the Porta Romana showroom we were inundated with organic shapes and textures in beautiful earthy tones; tobacco, browns and neutrals. The Casaubon Lamps’ tactile surface and natural linen shade caught our attention and we think it would be perfect for any room wanting to add subtle texture. We were warmly welcomed by Stark (the nibbles went down a treat to!), as they took us through their new collections, ‘The Ashley’ range was a particular favourite – a modern mix of wools with a chunky hand-knitted feel, this will certainly be our go-to for future projects that require a cosy touch.

Blossoming blues

There was plenty of colour and pattern that filled the showrooms for the Spring Launch. A sea of blue was a reoccurring theme throughout the show – often with a contrast of yellow. We felt this was the perfect palette for a contemporary aesthetic that Zimmer and Rohde had sympathetically achieved – with a neutral sofa, rich blue scatter cushions and patterned curtains made for a timeless scheme to unwind. Colefax and Fowler was bursting with beautiful fabrics and the ‘Canovas’ collection had an array of woven jacquards, plush velvets and delicate floral prints which got our creative minds enthused.

Back in the studio

As the show came to an end, we couldn’t help but feel energised and uplifted from what had been such an inspirational day for us all. Now we are back in the studio we cannot wait to get started on our next project!

Give us a call or visit our studio we’d love to hear from you!