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Inside the Dazzling World of WOW! House 2025 at Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour

Move over Paris and Milan—Europe has a new interior design capital. For me, that crown now belongs to London.

Just one week after the spectacular display of floral artistry at the RHS Flower Show in Chelsea, I had the privilege of attending another tour de force, this time in the realm of interior design. The WOW! House at Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour is a bold, unapologetic celebration of refined maximalism. Staged by the UK’s most acclaimed interior designers in collaboration with leading luxury brands, the show is a masterclass in design storytelling. The aesthetic is distinctively British—charming, eccentric, and deeply sophisticated.

If you find yourself in London during June, do not miss this exhibition. From the intricately hand-painted and draped ceilings to the masterful use of textiles and artisan details, WOW! House delivers an experience that is truly breathtaking.

Here are three standout spaces from a show where every room was executed at the highest level:

The Primary Bedroom by Tomèf Design

One of my absolute favourites, this room transported me straight to the most elegant suites of Venice. A collaboration between three exceptional Italian luxury houses—Fortuny, Bonacina, and Barovier & Toso—brought together by Tommaso Franchi’s Tomèf , the result was nothing short of extraordinary. The layered tassels and textile work were exquisitely detailed, evoking a tactile richness that was both opulent and serene. Bravissima!

The Curator’s Room by Stark Carpet & Brigitta Spinocchia Freund

This room left a lasting impression. It was an evocative dialogue between art and space—each element enhancing the other. One couldn’t help but wonder: did the art inspire the interior, or vice versa? The room was a harmonious interplay of richly textured textiles, thoughtful color choices, and curated pieces, including embroidered artworks embedded in sofas and a coffee table. You may enter this room without a word but you’ll leave with a story that lingers for weeks.

Lopen Joinery Kitchen by Ben Pentreath Studio

And then there was the kitchen—hands down, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

Mustard yellow walls, moss green cabinets, and baby blue shelves created a palette that was as unexpected as it was utterly enchanting. Copper pans gleamed above the stove, while deep green tiles and a kitchen island in dark, moody wood topped with lighter wood brought balance and warmth to the space. It was atmospheric, inviting, and so full of character I almost forgot it was a show kitchen. I was ready to pop the champagne for my guests and start chopping herbs.

Welcome to my dream kitchen (because—hand on heart—this is exactly how mine will look when it’s time to redo the country house).

Reflections from WOW!House 2025: Art Is No Longer an Accent—It’s the Main Subject

One of the most remarkable qualities of WOW! House 2025 was the effortless integration of art into every space, not as an afterthought, but as an essential, defining layer of each room.

In the Drummonds Powder Room by Nicola Harding, a sculptural piece stood alongside a gallery-like arrangement of paintings, transforming even the smallest space into a moment of wonder. In the Primary Bedroom by Tomèf Design, “Hylas with the Golden Vase” from Moretti Gallery was given pride of place, commanding the room with quiet elegance.

The Curator’s Room by Stark and Brigitta Spinocchia Freund felt like a living gallery, where works by emerging artists were presented with the kind of reverence typically reserved for curated exhibitions. And in a particularly happy move for me personally, Chad Dorsey layered contemporary artworks atop hand-painted Fromental murals—demonstrating that tradition and modernity can coexist not only peacefully, but powerfully. So cunning!

When clients ask whether it’s appropriate to hang art over our handpainted wallpapers, my answer has always been yes. But now, thanks to WOW! House, I have now the perfect reference.

Inside the Dazzling World of WOW! House 2025 at Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour

Move over Paris and Milan—Europe has a new interior design capital. For me, that crown now belongs to London.

Here are three standout spaces from a show where every room was executed at the highest level:

The Primary Bedroom by Tomèf Design

The Curator’s Room by Stark Carpet & Brigitta Spinocchia Freund

Inside the Dazzling World of WOW! House 2025 at Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour

Move over Paris and Milan—Europe has a new interior design capital. For me, that crown now belongs to London.

Here are three standout spaces from a show where every room was executed at the highest level:

The Primary Bedroom by Tomèf Design

Unexpected Observations & Surprises

While walking through the show, I had a few “wait, what?” moments:

Lupins were everywhere in the UK gardens—yet in Sweden, they’re considered invasive.
Strawberries were mixed into perennial beds—something I’d never seen before.
Very few minimalist gardens (if any)—a big surprise!
The sheer precision of the Japanese gardens. The placement of moss, stones, and Acers was almost impossibly exact.
Almost no climbers or trellises on display.
Surprisingly few roses.
Hardly any peonies—despite being one of Sweden’s most loved perennials.

Inside the Dazzling World of WOW! House 2025 at Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour

Move over Paris and Milan—Europe has a new interior design capital. For me, that crown now belongs to London.

Here are three standout spaces from a show where every room was executed at the highest level:

The Legandary Iris Apfel, enveloped by an array of Luigi Bevilacqua animal patterns. The iconic cut velvet pattern “Tigre,” displayed on the stool beside her, was reimagined for automated production by her company, “The Old World Weavers,” in the US during the 1960s. Iris Apfel was also the mastermind behind the famous decoration of Kennedy White House together with Jackie Kennedy.

Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua is a veritable sanctuary for connoisseurs of luxury textiles. I highly recommend visiting their artisanal weaving workshop in Venice. Be sure to bring a spacious suitcase, as you’ll likely leave with a trove of velvets, damasks, lampases, and brocatelles.

Inside the Dazzling World of WOW! House 2025 at Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour

Move over Paris and Milan—Europe has a new interior design capital. For me, that crown now belongs to London.

Here are three standout spaces from a show where every room was executed at the highest level:

Chinese wallpapers were supplied in sets of 25 or 40 pieces, each different in design, which could be hung to form a continuous mural decoration around the room. With their exotic subject matter – scenes of Chinese life and landscapes, or flowering trees populated with birds and butterflies – and their rich hand-painted colours and fine detail, they were unlike the wallpapers available in England at that time. Costly in comparison to locally-made wallpapers, they were bought and hung by the wealthy.

Chinese wallpapers arrived in England as part of the larger trade in Chinese artefacts, such as lacquer, porcelain and silks, that were imported by the East India Company – the British company formed to trade with East and Southeast Asia, India and China.

The popularity of these Chinese papers, despite their cost, was part of a wider ‘Sinomania’ – a fashion for all things Chinese. The appetite for oriental exotica was fed by the import of Chinese decorative goods and written accounts at the time that presented China as a sophisticated model society to rival Greece or Rome.

The enthusiasm for Chinese styles was reflected in their widespread use in 18th-century decoration. There was a playfulness and informality in the style that made them popular decorations for bedrooms and apartments, especially those used by women.

Chinese papers were relatively expensive and orders for specific designs or colourways could take up to 18 months to be delivered. It was not surprising then that English and French manufacturers sought to capitalise on this new fashion by producing imitations. The earliest examples demonstrate a poor understanding of the conventions of the Chinese designs. One early attempt from about 1700 and was found in Ord House, Berwick-on-Tweed, Northumberland. Unlike the Chinese originals, it is a repeating pattern with Chinese figures dwarfed by parrots and red squirrels, all set haphazardly amongst crudely drawn branches.

Portion of wallpaper forming a repeat pattern of squirrels, peacocks, parakeets and chinoiserie figures among flowers and foliage, unknown maker, about 1700, hung in Ord House, Berwick-on-Tweed, Northumberland, made in England. Museum no. E.5311-1958. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Source: Victoria and Albert Museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/chinese-wallpapers-and-the-chinoiserie-style

Inside the Dazzling World of WOW! House 2025 at Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour

Move over Paris and Milan—Europe has a new interior design capital. For me, that crown now belongs to London.

Here are three standout spaces from a show where every room was executed at the highest level:

The first Chinese wallpapers appeared for sale in Europe in the late 17th century. These hand-painted papers, and the chinoiserie (use of Chinese motifs and techniques) decorative styles they inspired, sparked a fashion that lasted more than a century. Most of the great houses of Europe had at least one room decorated with a Chinese paper, original or imitation. Chinese wallpapers were supplied in sets of 25 or 40 pieces, each different in design, which could be hung to form a continuous mural decoration around the room. With their exotic subject matter – scenes of Chinese life and landscapes, or flowering trees populated with birds and butterflies – and their rich hand-painted colours and fine detail, they were unlike the wallpapers available in England at that time. Costly in comparison to locally-made wallpapers, they were bought and hung by the wealthy. Chinese wallpapers arrived in England as part of the larger trade in Chinese artefacts, such as lacquer, porcelain and silks, that were imported by the East India Company – the British company formed to trade with East and Southeast Asia, India and China. The popularity of these Chinese papers, despite their cost, was part of a wider ‘Sinomania’ – a fashion for all things Chinese. The appetite for oriental exotica was fed by the import of Chinese decorative goods and written accounts at the time that presented China as a sophisticated model society to rival Greece or Rome. The enthusiasm for Chinese styles was reflected in their widespread use in 18th-century decoration. There was a playfulness and informality in the style that made them popular decorations for bedrooms and apartments, especially those used by women.

Source: Victoria and Albert Museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/chinese-wallpapers-and-the-chinoiserie-style

Inside the Dazzling World of WOW! House 2025 at Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour

Move over Paris and Milan—Europe has a new interior design capital. For me, that crown now belongs to London.

Here are three standout spaces from a show where every room was executed at the highest level:

Inside the Dazzling World of WOW! House 2025 at Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour

Move over Paris and Milan—Europe has a new interior design capital. For me, that crown now belongs to London.

Here are three standout spaces from a show where every room was executed at the highest level:

Source: Victoria and Albert Museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/chinese-wallpapers-and-the-chinoiserie-style

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