Design Centre Chelsea Harbour: The voice of authority for Interior Design!
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is the world’s premier destination for design and decoration excellence. More than a resource, it is a thriving platform, both creatively and commercially, for an exceptionally dynamic industry. Nowhere else will you find such a high concentration of design’s biggest names shaping luxury interiors today – all at one address.
I first started going to Chelsea Harbour when I was a Senior Visual Merchandiser on the Home and Windows Teams at Harrods. The department store, had a small fabric and paper section, however they did not want the creative teams descending on it and taking up all the space. Chelsea Harbour was our opportunity to run amuck. It was THE place to us to pop to for inspiration on all things luxury home; we spent hours exploring the showrooms, and riffling through the papers and materials for something to incorporate into one of our shop floor or window installations. From paper backing for a showcase, to paper to create origami flowers. Selecting fabrics and trims for custom furniture we were commissioning for a particular scheme, checking out the display, or, looking at the larger collections for the brands available to buy in the store. I would rock up with a small suitcase to collect the samples and catalogues; getting those sent to my desk with the internal mail was a nightmare.
Harrods sells the best in furniture and design from around the world, and I was trusted to make it look its best. But Chelsea Harbour is where my in depth knowledge of Interior Design really began to grow, from fabrics, to custom furniture and technical aspects of products. It's been 10 years since my first visit and I'm now running my own Interior Design business Magpye Creative Interiors based in the Ribble Valley....much further away than a tube and a bus journey! However, whenever I get the chance I head on down to the bright lights of London and that triple domed luxury interior haven!
I want to present the best products to clients and so visits like this are an essential way of keeping on top of my game. I discover new brands and swoon over new products. I catch up with brand managers, and talk to the experts on technical aspects of products. I get inspired by the showroom installations and riffle through the fabric and paper books...clocking up multiple sheets of sample requests! I get to feel the quality and see the detail up close. I absorb myself in discovery something that just can't be appreciated on a computer screen!
There’s many ways to add details to a room, and one of our favourite ways to do so is through the use of trimmings to add that little extra layer of luxury. I make lots of custom cushions for clients so visiting the trim showrooms is a must!
I think of lighting as the jewellery of the room, that finishing detail that literally gives the room its sparkle. The principal role of jewellery is to ornament and catch the eye; modern lighting is no different. There's plenty to dazzle at Chelsea Harbour.
With so many showrooms I usually spend for 2 days looking around and I try to aim for a design week when there are additional brands showcasing, product launches, talks from the best in the industry and extra creative display showcases. This beautiful (of course) cafe is where I grabbed a bite to eat and rest my feet in between.
Home to 120 showrooms and over 600 of the world’s most prestigious luxury brands, it is the largest of its kind in Europe. The showrooms are showcased beautifully.
I've learnt hoarding samples of tiles creates far too many heavy boxes! I take a tour of the various showrooms and log the info of my favourites. I can reference back to these when I have an appropriate project and order them in specifically. I love the Ann Sacks tiles and I'm dying to use them.
One of my favourite showrooms is Julian Chichester; has an enviable reputation for contemporary design, inspired by tradition and craftsmanship to create timeless furniture. I used one of their sideboards in a bedroom project.
Navigating the showrooms is made all the easier by the super helpful staff.
That's it until my next whirlwind visit! Lots of admin and cataloging await to make sure everything I've snapped and collected make sense when I look back at it. I can't wait to use some of these products to wow my clients!
At Magpye Creative Interiors we create unique space for unique clients. To enquire about working with us to create your dream interior please get in touch.
Katie
Katie Longshaw-Pye
Creative Director | Magpye Creative Interiors
Ribble Valley