How WOW!house showcases the best in contemporary interior design

The annual WOW!house interiors showcase, now in its third year, is hosted at London's Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. This event highlights the work of contemporary designers, with the 2024 edition featuring 19 distinct rooms and outdoor spaces, spanning over 500 square meters. Designers like Ken Fulk, Alidad, and Tolù Adèkó meticulously craft each space, focusing on every detail from soft furnishings to atmospheric scents. Claire German, CEO of the Design Centre, emphasizes the event's aim to astonish and inspire by demonstrating the exceptional achievements possible through collaborative efforts within the design industry. The showcase runs until July 4, 2024. Among the featured rooms is the Schumacher Courtyard Bedroom by Veere Grenney Associates. Grenney, a prominent figure in interior design, conceived the space as a tranquil 'one' room, ideal for writing or sitting, and envisioned it with an open fire, stating that only a dog is missing. This room pays tribute to the late American designer Billy Baldwin, known for his clean-cut and minimalist aesthetic, notably applied in John F. Kennedy's White House. Grenney also used this platform to introduce his latest fabric collection for Schumacher, a company with a long history of supplying high-quality materials to esteemed clients. The walls of the bedroom are adorned with a subtle 'Woodman Check' pattern, while a four-poster bed, favored by Grenney, features 'Suffolk Damask' pelmets and swags in a rich brown. Personal touches such as framed photographs, a vase of peonies, and coffee-table books contribute to the inviting atmosphere. Visitors frequently praise the room for its blend of cleanliness, contemporary style, order, precision, and comfort. Benedict Foley’s Zoffany Entrance Hall draws inspiration from Luchino Visconti’s 1963 film, _Il Gattopardo_ (_The Leopard_), infusing the space with a theatrical blend of Italian flair and English elegance. Foley describes the room as an invitation to imagine oneself in a Sicilian palazzo. Zoffany, a manufacturer renowned for its historical research and dedication to preserving traditional crafts, provided the fabrics and wall coverings. The room features luxurious silks in ruby and caramel, along with 'Wool Satin' and 'Long Gallery' brocades, whose designs originated from the Tudor estate Temple Newsam in West Yorkshire. A distinctive earth-toned, checkerboard carpet crafted from British wool by one of England's last skilled weavers completes the flooring. Foley highlights Zoffany's contributions to UK manufacturing and the artistry of fabric mills, describing his design approach as weaving together diverse visual references with a touch of humor, resulting in a vibrant mix of patterns, colors, and textures. The Colefax and Fowler Morning Room, designed by Lucy Hammond Giles, was created by the 2023 House & Garden 'Interior Designer of the Year.' Giles, an associate director at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, Britain’s oldest interior decorating firm, aimed to create a cozy, practical daytime room. The design incorporates blue-and-white ceramics, ivory scalloped lanterns, and walls covered in mustard-yellow Larsen linen. The linen curtains are embellished with Colefax and Fowler’s signature block-printed 'Gothic Stripe' silk in a custom chocolate color, meticulously hand-cut and stitched. Giles explains that the morning room is a less formal space than a drawing-room, intended for relaxed activities like enjoying coffee and a newspaper. She also delved into the Colefax and Fowler archives to find a sofa design, ultimately selecting an elegantly curved model initially made for the apartment of former designer Tom Parr and his partner, Fulco di Verdura. This sofa, re-created in a cream fabric with orange ribbon trim, offers a modern yet comfortable aesthetic, providing a perfect and elegant retreat. Jamb London Primary Bedroom, conceived by Charlotte Freemantle and Will Fisher, showcases the evolution of Jamb, a prominent purveyor of antique and reproduction 18th- and 19th-century furniture, lighting, and fireplaces. What began as a south London stall over 20 years ago has transformed into a successful business with a flagship store on Pimlico Road and multiple showrooms in the USA. For WOW!house, Fisher and Fremantle designed a luxurious bedroom enveloped in soft pink silk. The centerpiece is a Chippendale-style four-poster bed, upholstered with antique paisley shawls, complemented by lozenge-shaped mirrors and mahogany pot cupboards inspired by 18th-century cabinetmaker Gillows of Lancaster. The room also features a reproduction Georgian armchair with faux bamboo legs and a significant 18th-century Anglo-Chinese coromandel cabinet adorned with figurative scenes, reflecting historical English fascination with the Far East. A late-19th-century painting of a resting lion by American artist Newbold Hough Trotter is prominently displayed above one of Jamb’s distinctive chimneypieces, crafted from Grigio Carnico marble, completing the Romantic vision. The Sitting Room by Sophie Ashby for United in Design highlights a commitment to diversity and inclusivity in the design industry. Ashby, recognized as one of House & Garden’s 'Top 100' interior designers, co-founded United in Design in 2020 with Alexandria Dauley. The charity aims to provide opportunities for individuals from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. As this year's WOW!house charity partner, a portion of ticket sales will support inclusivity initiatives throughout 2025. Ashby’s eclectic room reflects the charity’s mission by featuring furniture, fabrics, and art created by Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse talents, including designer B.C. Joshua, photographer Sridhar Balasubramaniyam, and textile artist Dalia James. Notable elements include photographs by Lily Bertrand-Webb, a deaf Dominican-English photographer, and a copy of Ashby’s book, _Studio Ashby: Home Art Soul_, showcasing her decade of work. #InteriorDesign #WOWhouse #ChelseaDesignCentre #VeereGrenney #BenedictFoley #LucyHammondGiles #JambLondon #SophieAshby #UnitedInDesign #InteriorDesign #WOWhouse #ChelseaDesignCentre #VeereGrenney #BenedictFoley #LucyHammondGiles #JambLondon #SophieAshby #UnitedInDesign