Best in Show: WOW!house 2024

BEST IN SHOW | HAPPENINGS | CABANA MAGAZINE

Visit London's Design Centre Chelsea Harbour before 4 July and you'll discover a house like no other - packed full of rooms designed by some of the brightest and best names in the business. Here are the rooms that wowed us most.

BY CABANA EDITORS | HAPPENINGS | 19 JUNE 2024

The entrance to Wow!house 2024, showing from 4 June - 4 July at London's Design Centre Chelsea Habour © James McDonald

The highly anticipated WOW!house 2024 is an award-winning annual showhouse, bringing together 20 leading interior designers and decorators, each commissioned to weave their unique design savoire faire into the home's rooms and outdoor spaces - and all while unveiling their trusted brands and suppliers.

An insight into the minds of creative visionaries, WOW!house offers exceptionally indulgent, inspiring displays, meticulously curated. Cabana explored the sumptuous showhouse in London's Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. Here are Cabana's Best in Show, the rooms that wowed us the most with their elegant, layered schemes.

SCHUMACHER COURTYARD BEDROOM
by Veere Grenney Associates

Bathed in natural light and adorned with bespoke fabrics from Veere Grenney’s latest collection for Schumacher, such as 'Woodman Check' in berber brown on the walls and 'Suffolk Damask' as drapery for the bed -this Courtyard Bedroom is a serene sanctuary where classical elegance meets contemporary design.

Incorporating a mid-18th Century fireplace and two Christopher Spitzmiller lamps in espresso, Grenney's eye is evident in every detail, from the refined furnishings to the subtle palette that enhances the room's peaceful ambience.

LEGEND ROOM
by Alidad

Alidad’s Legend Room is an intimate treasure trove, draped in rich textiles and intricate patterns. An ode to the timeless legacy of Watts 1874, celebrating their 150th anniversary, the room layers the heritage brand's fabrics - many inspired by 15th and 17th-century Italian velvets - and oozes luxurious comfort.

Gracing the space are unique decorative objects and opulent pieces, such as a Phelippeau Tapissier Back-to-Back stool and two Robert Kime 1880 mother-of-pearl inlaid tables. With carefully curated antique furnishings and exquisite historical detail, the room is a testament to Alidad's distinctive eye and long-standing career.

COLEFAX AND FOWLER MORNING ROOM
by Lucy Hammond-Giles

Lucy Hammond-Giles, Associate Director at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, has crafted an inviting space ideal for calm morning reflection. Having used historical Colefax & Fowler chintzes to "bring the outside in", and a bespoke Kingcome floral chaise longue, the room, bathed in sunny yellow paint and natural light, sings of spring. The centrepiece, a stunning Colefax & Fowler fireplace with an intricate Gibilaro antique register grate, grounds the space with gravitas, while a selection of David Hockney paintings adds a playful flair in true British fashion.

TISSUS D'HÉLÈN DRAWING ROOM
by Guy Goodfellow

With an air of worldliness and warm hues reminiscent of summer evenings spent with friends in the drawing room, this is a collaborative space between Guy Goodfellow and Steven Rodel adorned with Tissus d’Hélène artisanal fabrics and wallpapers.

Found objects - from French glass and German crystal, to Japanese Imari Vases and Victorian Candlesticks all sourced from Guinevere - combine with custom pieces to tell stories of fine craftsmanship both past and present.

JAMB LONDON PRIMARY BEDROOM
by Charlotte Freemantle and Will Fisher

Triumphantly adding the interior design feather to their accomplished caps, Jamb's Will Fisher and Charlotte Freemantle have crafted a dreamy bedroom that evokes the end of the grand-country house era. Wrapped in dusky pink 'Faille Lugano Silk' from Claremont Furnishing, the room exudes subtle romance and grandeur.

Known for their sourced and replicated antique fireplaces and furnishings, the pair showcase their mastery with Jamb's 'Algernon' Chimneypiece and Chippendale-inspired 'Palmira' Bed. The sheen of the silk is offset by reclaimed 18th-century flooring, complemented by an 18th-century Coromandel Lacquer Cabinet. This bedroom is a celebration of contrasts, seamlessly marrying the old with the new.

STUDY
by Anahita Rigby

Architectural and interior designer Anahita Rigby has created a thoughtful, well considered study - blending Japanese principles with Georgian charm and antique delights, such as a striking pair Adam-style gilded mirrors. Her choice to use James Hare's 'Orissa Silk' wallcovering in forest green adds a deep serenity, while large windows covered in Japanese Shoji screens allow soothing light to filter through, casting leafy shadows that create the illusion of a picturesque landscape beyond.

SITTING ROOM
by Studio Ashby for United in Design

With its mellow color pallet, Sophie Ashby's Sitting Room for United in Design - a charitable organisation established by Ashby and Alex Dauley to address the lack of diversity within the interior design industry - is a soulful, calming refuge.

Featuring carefully selected pieces and a curation of makers and artists from the United in Design guide, the sitting room is a warm, modernist retreat. The gloss of the Moire wall coverings by Dedar contrast the matt Paddy Turner cork flooring, while a custom Shame Studio rug, by Priya Ahluwalia, adds a unique, soft touch.

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 Wow!house 2024

You can visit the 2024 Wow!house showcase, taking place 4 June - 4 July at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.

 For 20% off tickets, use the discount code WOWCABANA.