Boundless ambition and boundary-pushing designs will dazzle visitors at London’s one-of-a-kind showhouse
WOW!HOUSE returns to the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour this summer. From 4 June to 4 July, the 500sq m showhouse, built along the length of the Design Avenue, will host 19 full-size rooms and outdoor spaces decorated by some of the world’s best-known interior designers.
The designers are teaming up to stage their rooms with fabric and design houses and manufacturers.
Among the names are Katharine Pooley designing a Courtyard with McKinnon and Harris and Lucy Hammond Giles creating a Morning Room with Colefax and Fowler. Benedict Foley’s collaboration with Zoffany has inspired an initiative that will see all the fabrics used donated to emerging artisans. ‘Materials are costly and sometimes act as a barrier to learning a new skill – we want these to have a second life,’ he says.
This year’s WOW!house is supporting United in Design. Established by Sophie Ashby and Alexandria Dauley, the charity champions an equal opportunity pathway for entry into the interior design industry.
This year’s line-up includes:
■ Zoffany Entrance Hall by Benedict Foley
■ Watts 1874 Legend Room by Alidad
■ The Rug Company Dining Room by Ken Fulk
■ Dedar Salon by Fosbury Architecture
■ Tissus d’Hélène Drawing Room by Guy Goodfellow
■ House of Rohl Primary Bathroom by Michaelis Boyd
■ Colefax and Fowler Morning Room by Lucy Hammond Giles
■ McKinnon and Harris Courtyard by Katharine Pooley
■ Schumacher Courtyard Bedroom by Veere Grenney Associates
■ Zimmer + Rohde Bedroom by Tolù Adèkó
■ Chase Erwin Library by Andrea Benedettini
■ Sitting Room by Sophie Ashby for United in Design
■ Martin Moore Kitchen with Studio Vero
■ Summit Terrace by Fernando Wong
■ The Salon by Anahita Rigby
THE LEGEND ROOM BY ALIDAD
A cross between a reading, writing and sitting room, the aim of this space will be to show the timeless nature of Watts 1874 fabrics. ‘As a designer, I’m not interested in what’s here today and gone tomorrow,’ says Alidad. ‘Look at the longevity of Watts. Having gone through the beige and cornice-free white cube phase, these fabrics have survived and are as relevant today as they were 150 years ago.’
