Some of our design team recently headed to London to attend WOW!house 2024 at the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. This annual event, a highlight on the interior design calendar, showcased the extraordinary creativity of 20 world-class interior designers and architects. Each room, uniquely themed, offers a window into the renowned designers’ worlds, blending their own personal narratives with cutting-edge design.
As we constantly seek inspiration to stay ahead of emerging design trends, attending WOW!house was an incredible opportunity to immerse ourselves in unbound creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, new sustainable practices, and cutting-edge materials. So off we went to gain fresh ideas, network with industry leaders, and bring back a wealth of knowledge to infuse into our projects.
Here we take you through some of our favourite concept rooms and discuss how we expect to see these designs inspiring the world of interiors.
Legend Room by Alidad and Watts 1874
The Legend Room by Alidad and Watts 1874 was the essence of opulence and tradition. Alidad, known for his rich, layered interiors, collaborated with Watts 1874 to create a rich and eclectic space that felt like you’d just walked into an English gothic castle. The room featured intricate wall coverings, sumptuous textiles, and antique furnishings, evoking a sense of grandeur and deep history. Ushering in the era of the home of the English Gentleman, we see this concept directing interiors to embrace historical storytelling, colour palettes drenched in deep wine-red tones, vintage dark walnut woods and ornate gold framed grand gallery art. 
The Rug Company Dining Room by Ken Fulk
A feast of decorative delight was to be found in The Rug Company Dining Room where Fulk had let his imagination fly. From floor to ceiling, every inch had been designed to inspire and conjure a cinematic experience, featuring ceiling coffers painted with golden signs of the zodiac, a grand chandelier made from recycled plastic bottles, tonal teal panelled walls and a vast dining table laid with ceramic place settings that invited you to sit and let the story telling begin. A space that really communicated the responsibility of design to bring people together and remind the world of the moviesque magic that exists within it.
Sitting Room by Sophie Ashby for United in Design
Sophie Ashby’s sitting room felt like a comforting Sunday spent with family, a space to relax, play, and enjoy each other’s company whilst Etta James plays in the background. Collaborating with the charity, United in Design, Ashby created a space that was both vibrant and soulful, filled with ethnically diverse art and objects, highlighting the importance of closing the diversity gap in interior design. The mood of this space was oozing with creativity, asking visitors to do nothing other than kick off their shoes, relax, explore, and enjoy.
Schumacher Courtyard Bedroom by Veere Grenney Associates
Veere Grenney’s bedroom exuded a restrained elegance with a nod to his personal history. The most notable aesthetic was the use of a large-scale windowpane check clashed against floor to ceiling damask patterned curtains on the focal four-poster bed. The room featured small treasures that added a personal touch – ‘for people who love to share their lives with beautiful things’. We expect to see this room inspire designers to lean deeper into clashing oversized checks with bold florals, and stripping back interior styling to fewer, treasured pieces, that feel collected through a full, well-travelled life.
Martin Moore Kitchen with Studio Vero
‘A kitchen for people who love gastronomy and art’ ~ inspired by European café bars, this space cocooned you with an earthy terracotta and tobacco palette, showcasing charming art, sleek, modern lines, state-of-the-art appliances, and opulent materials, creating a kitchen that felt luxurious, personal, and perfect for entertaining. We anticipate future designs really exploring the beauty of collected art, embracing pieces that inspire conversation, and layering up rich russet tones to induce warm, cosy spaces with a sumptuous, grounded undertone.
Sicis Bathroom by Maurizio Leo Placuzzi
Entering Sicis bathroom by Maurizio Leo Placuzzi was like diving into a tropical paradise curated by the joyful colours of spring and the feeling of pure optimism. Inspired by nature in full bloom, this space combined shimmering, metallic surfaces, prints busy with birds of paradise, pink quartz basins on marble plinths and a sparkling mosaiced bathtub. We loved the uplifting feeling of being in this room, it genuinely felt like time slowed down and you were gifted a space to just be – we expect to see this influence some visually stunning, glamour-led bathroom designs in 2025. Who knows, we may even see the return of the pink bathroom…
WOW!house 2024 was a wonderful celebration of design innovation and excellence. We left with our creative cups filled to the brim, ready to infuse our upcoming projects with fresh inspiration. However, we couldn’t help but feel that the underlying message of each concept was truly about creating spaces that promote connection, conversation, and the sharing of personal stories. The designs we saw were focused on uniting people, creating environments where relationships can flourish, and memories can be made. This emphasis on connection and togetherness is something we will absolutely nurture into our future designs.
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