Tour Wow!house, the Spectacular Decorator Showcase in London’s Design Centre

Oct 21, 2023

By Alia Akkam

Photography by James McDonald

The showhouse, a fixture of the US design scene, is finally gaining momentum in London, courtesy Wow!house. The brainchild of Claire German, CEO of Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, the showhouse unveiled last year within the center's Design Avenue, and after a successful inaugural run the showcase is back for a second maximalist edition (through July 6). The 18 daring rooms featured in this year's edition were conceptualized by a lineup of top designers and are buoyed by soundscapes by harpsichordist Leslie Kwan.

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"No one knew what to expect last year, and it was amazing to see the designers’ personalities shine through their rooms," German tells AD PRO. "I’m totally thrilled with the level of creativity and the atmosphere of conviviality that coexist in this year's Wow!house. The biggest surprise to me was how the spaces are all completely different—each with its own story, but there's a golden thread that connects them."

Once again there is a charity component to the event, with sales benefiting TP Caring Spaces. Run by Bunny Turner and Emma Pocock, founders of London studio Turner Pocock, the firm provides uplifting design to community refuges like women's shelters and youth centers.

Below, a look at the one of a kind spaces that await beyond Mamou-Mani Ltd's mandala-adorned façade.

Iksel entrance foyer by Mark D. Sikes

Iksel Entrance foyer by Mark D. Sikes

California's indoor-outdoor lifestyle informed LA-based designer Mark D. Sikes's design of the entrance hall, as did countess Therese de Beauchamp's 1917 Villa La Fiorentina on the French Riviera and India's vast terrain. The walls are enveloped in Iksel's laboriously hand-painted scenic wallpaper and paired with paisley and striped Iskel fabrics on the pouf, chairs, and tenting. Jamb lighting, Houlès trims, and furniture from Brownrigg and Moissonnier all help to make a dramatic first impression. "We decided not to hang any art so that when you look around the room, all you see is the landscape, as if you’re in a pergola or veranda," Sikes tells AD PRO.

The Legend Room by Nicky Haslam and Colette van den Thillart

The Legend Room by Nicky Haslam and Colette van den Thillart

For the versatile Legend Room, a new addition to the Wow!house layout, Nicky Haslam and Colette van den Thillart "were aiming for a union of timeless classicism and AI modernism, with a dash of the surreal," Haslam says. To achieve this, they brought together many of their own creations. There is a bar and otherworldly lamp, for example, from their new ventures with Justin Van Breda and Legato Studio, as well as a bookcase flaunting fabric from their Random Harvest collection and Haslam's rugs for Silk Avenue. The walls, covered in Colony by Casa Luiza mauve corduroy, are particularly striking. "Fabric-wrapped furniture has long been a part of our collaborative decorative language," Van den Thillart sahres, "so we have wrapped nearly every surface barring those that are textured plaster."

Dining room by Joy Moyler Interiors

Dining room by Joy Moyler Interiors

Joy Moyler's magical room, outfitted with an Adam Calvert Bentley commode, Ralph Lauren drink trolley, and Collier Webb mirrors, conjures "the feeling of dining under a thatched sky with jazzy, mellow, soulful music playing in the background," as she describes it. A wrought-iron gate, crafted by blacksmith James Osborne, brings "another decorative layer and texture to the space. It's intricate and delicate, almost lacey," she adds. The Tatler room, a niche that pays tribute to Christian Dior's red velvet-drenched Paris apartment from the 1940s and stars a fabric installation by textile designer Hannah White, is meant for post-prandial musings upon rising from the Philippe Hurel dining chairs.

C&C Milano Salon by Nicolò Castellini Baldissera

C&C Milano Salon by Nicolò Castellini Baldissera

C&C Milano was founded by designer Nicolò Castellini Baldissera's father Piero and Piero's cousin Emanuele, so bringing this salon to life was especially meaningful for Castellini Baldissera. He imagined it as "a warm Mediterranean suite where a writer would retreat to find inspiration surrounded by beautiful objects and comfortable lounge seats," he elaborates. He reinterpreted a duo of C&C Milano coffee tables with lacquer and mirror and melded them with a custom trompe l’oeil wall covering, a Casa Tosca rattan lounge table, and wall-to-wall carpeting spun from 100% recycled PET. The highlight? A David Seyfried sofa upholstered in C&C Milano's petrol green cotton terry cloth evocative of summers on the sea.

Drawing room by Vanessa Macdonald for Melissa Wyndham

Drawing room by Vanessa Macdonald for Melissa Wyndham

An entrance hall designed by Chester Jones some 25 years ago provided inspirational fodder for Vanessa Macdonald's own drawing room. "Although everything was old, his clever use of color and antiques made everything seem fresh and modern," she recalls. Invigorated with contemporary touches, Macdonald's classic space has quite a few nice examples of antiques on display, including the Japanned cabinet from Hawker Antiques and Max Rollitt Italian commode. They contrast with pieces like a round Gerald Bland table, and all pop against a richly textured background. "I absolutely love the Soane Britain Mazzolino fabric, which we have used on the curtains, upholstery, and cushions. Based on an Italian chintz, it looks wonderful combined with the icy blue Fermoie linen on the walls," Macdonald says.

Colony by Casa Luiza primary bedroom by Natalia Miyar

Colony by Casa Luiza Primary bedroom by Natalia Miyar Atelier

The starting point for Natalia Miyar's primary bedroom was Colony's Sagano wallpaper, an exploration of "the various intensities, textures, and tones of the color green," she explains. A custom four-poster Naturalmat bed draped in Colony's Okinawa fabric is the centerpiece, "exuding comfort, peace, tranquility, and refinement for all who visit," as Miyar puts it. It's bolstered by pieces like her Luna console table and Hockney armchair, as well as a vibrant porcelain stool by Reinaldo Sanguino.

Drummonds primary bath by Lucy Barlow and Joshua Sear of Barlow & Barlow

Drummonds Primary bath by Lucy Barlow and Joshua Sear of Barlow & Barlow

"We wanted to create something that was a little more conceptual to make it feel a bit more like a theater set that transports you somewhere else," Barlow & Barlow creative director Lucy Barlow says of the retrofuturistic aesthetic. Barlow and Joshua Sear, who oversees the studio's architecture and landscape design projects, "Played on the concept of the bathroom on a rocket ship in 1975," she adds. Drummonds fittings are front and center but are rounded out with lighting from PHOS, Hector Finch, and Mathmos (the lava lamp is a showstopper), as well as Mosaic Factory's Zellige tiles, Duffy London's Shadow chair, and a trippy silver mobile and mushroom sconces by Jess Wheeler.

De Gournay Morning room by Waldo Works

De Gournay Morning room by Waldo Works

De Gournay's hand-painted silk wallpaper hardly screams casual, yet that's the unexpected mood that Tom Bartlett, founder of Waldo Works, was looking to convey. "We started with sketching in a graph pad and took it from there, so the grid sets the backdrop for our room," he says. "We then thought about how to animate that with shape and color." The result is an alluring combination. Consider BDDW's Abel club chair upholstered in its own sackcloth fabric, Christopher Farr's rug woven in planked panels, and the Dedar-swathed banquette. Lee Frank Ceramics, helmed by Bartlett's sister, also "handmade a load of pots for us," he points out.

Fromental Courtyard room by Maddux Creative

Fromental Courtyard room by Maddux Creative

Instilled with "relaxed conversation pit vibes of the 1970s," the Fromental Courtyard by Maddux Creative is meant to spark reflection and dialogue, points out Maddux Creative cofounder Jo Le Gleud. In particular, a pair of low-slung George Smith sofas cloaked in Altfield faux leather matched with Pierre Frey mohair cushions on Maddux Creative's own Purra rug "lean into that cuddle-puddle feeling," she adds. A Tom Faulkner drink trolley displaying uranium glassware and a portal wall layered with vintage silver lamé and embroidery heighten the retro hedonism.

Alexander Lamont + Miles + Lauren Hwang NY Day room by Timothy Mather Design

Alexander Lamont + Miles + Lauren Hwang NY Day room by Timothy Mather Design

Timothy Mather joined forces with Alexander Lamont, Miles De Lange, and Lauren Hwang for this glamorous lounge reminiscent of 1920s Paris that nods to Josephine Baker and Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann alike. The elevation to the adjacent en suite bathroom is Mather's favorite aspect, because "I have always wanted to use a pair of the monumental, Brancusi-inspired Carapace uplights," he admits. "They flank a pair of Art Deco–style parchment doors with a circular bronze inset detail that I designed specifically for this room." On the ceiling, a high-contrast white-on-black upholstered central panel recalls a night sky.

House of Rohl by Studio Mica

House of Rohl by Studio Mica

In Studio Mica's calming, rejuvenating bathroom, La Pietra Compattata's recycled clay tile catches the eye, alongside sleek Perrin & Rowe fittings and the massage table's expanse of Italian terrazzo from 900 Project. Founding director Carolynne Shenton especially relishes "looking through the open beams to the luxury twin showers, where you are enveloped in a backdrop of an intricately woven textured pattern and surrounded by foliage, the suggestion of a tropical showering experience." Adds director Abigail Kendler: "The products and brands are all selected from some of our favorite suppliers—from Victoria + Albert's Vetralla bath in a matte finish that feels velvety to the touch, to the exquisite custom marquetry panels around the bath by The Joinery Fitting Company."

Gosling Library by Tim Gosling

Gosling Library by Tim Gosling

Tim Gosling and his partner are currently restoring a château in France, and this library, the embodiment of Versailles, is a replica of the one they are creating there. Huge corner mirrors sit on bookcases to reflect light around the room much like the Hall of Mirrors, and a look back at the palace's historic Savonnerie rugs propelled Gosling to "create and design a perfect square one for this library—complete with the château emblems in the center shields." Craftspeople laser-engraved the markings of Versailles garden statues onto the backgammon table, which also features a recast antique pendulum of Louis XIV.

Study by Clare Gaskin Interiors

Study by Clare Gaskin Interiors

Well-being and a sense of fluidity between indoors and outdoors were top of mind for Clare Gaskin when designing the study. "Our most significant source of inspiration was my family connection to Barbados, as my father was Bajan," she says. "I spent and continue to spend as much time as possible there. We drew from the relaxed way of life and abundant use of traditional materials." Her desire to celebrate handmade design is evident in Ovolo London's plaster wave cornice and architrave and the And Objects daybed upholstered in Lelievre fabric reminiscent of marbled feathers.

De Le Cuona Bedroom by Christian Bense

De Le Cuona Bedroom by Christian Bense

South Africa and England converge in Christian Bense's de Le Cuona bedroom. Both Bense and the textile house have South African roots, and the designer was keen to honor both countries. Take the Robert Langford corner sofa, Justin Van Breda armchair, and Cape Looms rug, all which reference South Africa, and how they mingle with the Howe London pendant, Cox London console, and Kudos Design & Build wardrobe. A duo of Victorian faux bamboo beds is the focal point of this twin suite decked out in more than 20 de Le Cuona fabrics "without the room feeling too upholstered," points out Bense. The walls, he adds, are "soft yet architectural bespoke tapestries, which create art from various weaves, mohair, and velvets for a touch of luxe."

Dining room by Martin Hulbert and Jay Grierson of Martin Hulbert Design

Dining room by Martin Hulbert and Jay Grierson of Martin Hulbert Design

One of Martin Hulbert's most notable interiors is Coworth Park, the swank English countryside hotel, so naturally the dining room he and business partner Jay Grierson designed has a similarly inviting air. Antiques dating from the 1700s mesh with a large split mirror, chunky jute rug, and stonewashed linen curtains. Recreated by Zinc Textile from the studio's hand-painted works, they hang over a series of windows. "We use linen in a lot of projects as it's timeless and hangs well, suiting both new and old, country and town," Hulbert says. Above the square dining table, its blackened steel frame decorated with ivory clay tiles made in London, is a sculpture that echoes the ones by Marcus Crane and Dan Ainsworth that dazzle at Coworth Park.

Home bar by Tala Fustok

Home bar by Tala Fustok

Initially, Tala Fustok imagined her home bar as a zany, 1930s-style breakfast on the moon, but slowly "’70s glamour creeped in as it does in most of our projects," she admits, singling out the mirror pedestal from Sambataro, Angela Ball London vintage sun mirror, and copious amounts of Casamance sateen orange fabric. Donato Coppola's moonscape-finished resin cabinet opens to a one-off églomisé mirror emblazoned with an astronomy motif by Sterling Studios and colorful hand-blown glass sculptures from Vessel Gallery.

Martin Moore Kitchen by Henry Prideaux Interior Design

Martin Moore Kitchen by Henry Prideaux Interior Design

Henry Prideaux longed to work on a brazen pink kitchen. In doing so, he spared no glitz—just peep the custom Martin Moore cocktail cabinet crowned in a gold sequin ceiling and a "golden glitter ball to make the whole room glisten," he muses. There are curtains uniting Pierre Frey velvet and Samuel & Sons decorative trims, leather and velvet-upholstered stools from Ben Whistler, and a heavily veined quartzite waterfall-style island set underneath a trifecta of Pure White Lines glass chandeliers. "We wanted to create a flamboyant space complete with a ‘kitchen disco,’ adds Prideaux, "that also allowed Martin Moore to showcase its stunning New Deco kitchen."

Summit Furniture Terrace by Studio Winch

Summit Furniture Terrace by Studio Winch

New to the Wow!house floor plan this year is the terrace, which Selina McCabe, senior partner at Studio Winch, conceived as a breezy coastline hangout. The vintage Keeley bar cart, East London Parasol Company umbrella shade, and textured Jennifer Manners rugs accent Studio Winch's beachy, laminated teak Arc collection for Summit, a longtime collaborator. "Our inspiration came from the renowned shot of American socialist Babe Paley, captured by Slim Aarons, and his playful use of geometry and bold, characterful prints," McCabe says, noting how she wanted to transform this "dreamy sense of Hollywood glamour into a space that feels like summer."