THE JOURNAL
WOW!HOUSE 2026
Now in its fifth year, WOW!house is the ultimate design barometer, as well as a celebration of the power of collaboration to create something beyond the realms of imagination. Get ready to be transported by this year’s ultimate showhouse
W OW!house is one of the most
anticipated events on the international design calendar, drawing thousands of visitors
to experience the best of interior design and architecture at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. One year in the planning, built from the ground up, with rooms decorated in just five days, it puts London firmly on the map for five heady weeks. The ambition of all involved – 22 world-class designers and architects, 22 sponsoring global design brands, plus a dizzying line-up of suppliers – is thrilling. For New York-based designer Young Huh it was
a dream come true to get involved. “I had been looking at images from WOW!house from day one. It just seemed so glamorous and beautiful,” she says. “It’s the premier design showcase in Europe.” A-list designers and rising stars are given free rein to interpret a room or outdoor space, and the results are astonishing. Given a white box, a fearless creative approach is encouraged. From the play of pattern and colour to unexpected flourishes and soulful storytelling, these are spaces that by turn amaze and seduce. As Durgesh Sinh of
Nucleus, sponsor of this year’s Immersive Room, comments: “It’s an incubator of talent.” Every year WOW!house evolves, and from the
moment you arrive, the experience feels exciting and different. New spaces for 2026 include a Garden Folly, a Parlour, two Salons and the Immersive Room. As Claire German, CEO of the Design Centre says, “WOW!house is more than an exhibition; it’s a testament to the power of collaboration and imagination, and 2026 is one of our most inspiring chapters yet.” WOW!house is a convincing world, transporting
visitors to other times and places. As you navigate the rooms, golden threads of commonality begin to emerge, running like a leitmotif through the house. Designers reinterpret the past through a new lens, moving beyond pastiche to create schemes suited to today’s tastes. There is a respect for craftsmanship with plenty of bespoke commissions, while a heightened focus on technology feels intuitive and human-centric. Other elements include curved walls as a counterpoint to rooms grounded in classical proportions and straight lines, as well as places of sanctuary or those that reveal themselves slowly with hidden doors, niches and rooms within rooms.
For more information:
dcch.co.uk/wowhouse
OPPOSITE: This year’s WOW!rooms will amaze and seduce: there will be classical proportions and cosy enveloping rooms; world-class contemporary art and cutting-edge technology; places of sanctuary; and spaces to entertain in style ABOVE: Adam Architecture has reimagined the house’s Facade for 2026, sponsored by Size Group
-27- WOW!house remains the ultimate design
barometer. It proves that even in a digital age, there is no substitute for the physical "wow" moment when you step into a room and feel the air change. “WOW!house has quickly become a cultural touchstone within the design world; a place where craftsmanship, creativity and conversation meet,” says Albion Nord’s Ottalie Stride,
the studio behind the Turnell & Gigon
Drawing Room. Now in its fifth year, the award-winning
showhouse is more than a fleeting, five-week fever dream of architecture and artifice. It reaches an unprecedented global audience, dazzles the global media and provides infinite inspiration. A commitment to the idea that design is a force for good sees United in Design,
founded by
designers Sophie Ashby and Alex Dauley, as the charity partner for the third year. And through the house tours, the WOW!talks and the countless serendipitous encounters prompted by the beauty, originality and inventiveness of the rooms, it fosters connections between visitors, designers, makers and commentators that ensure this year’s showhouse will last long into the future.
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