DE S IGN CENTRE BETTER TOGETHER
A dynamic new multi-brand destination brings standout names together in one vibrant, design-led hub. Emily Brooks explores the Design Emporium Collective
W
ith its eye-catching red and white livery – and a huge branded shopping bag marking its entrance – you can’t miss the
Design Emporium Collective. This curated multi- brand space on the Fifth Floor of Design Centre East is the first of its kind in the industry, and an example of how the Design Centre never stands still when it comes to evolution and innovation. With a dedicated lift to whisk visitors up to the fifth floor, it feels like a slightly different experience from the get-go, but what else sets it apart? For visitors, it’s the place to find a high
concentration of the best brands in one place. Names span the interiors spectrum, including tiles from Zellige Home, outdoor furniture from Gaze Burvill, fabric from Kathryn M. Ireland and hardware from John Planck Ltd. The Design Centre’s Source at Personal Shopping service, with its 60-plus ceramic, glass and tableware brands, has also relocated here, forming a vibrant, discovery-led environment with something exciting at every turn. A second phase is already open, building the momentum and expanding the breadth of the offering, from kitchens (Olive & Barr) to sustainable fabric and wallcoverings (The Pure Edit) and fine linen (Yves Delorme). Franklin & Hare, Fromental, AGA, Madeaux, Bert Frank and Sabi complete the line-up.
For the participating brands, it’s a way to gain
permanent, high-profile visibility at the world’s leading design destination. “We continually get customers asking us where they can view our collections in Chelsea Harbour, so we are delighted we can finally shout from the rooftops, ‘come and see us here’, at the very heart of the UK interior design community,” says John-Andrew Ovenstone, managing director of Warwick Fabrics. For Warwick, which had already had a successful run of being a pop-up House Guest at London Design Week and Focus, it felt like a natural next step to make it permanent, and the brand has already upgraded to a larger space for the Emporium’s second phase. At
the Emporium, you’ll find things that
you simply won’t see anywhere else. Take Ian Knapper’s one-of-a-kind sideboard, carved from a single piece of Italian Arabescato marble, a striking demonstration of the stonemason’s art. In a space that is a joyous ode to pattern and colour, furniture company Boura & White is showcasing its Bluey collection, a collaboration with interior design studio Vanrenen Hanbury. “For us, it’s really important that people experience it for themselves,” says co-founder Abi Boura. “Even if they’re not buying that particular style, they can come and see the quality, and those kinds of interactions are so important for us.”
Lee Lovett, co-founding creative director of The
Soho Lighting Co., views her space as something of an incubator. “We saw the Emporium as an opportunity to really ‘own’ our own space, as a growing brand,” she says. “But it’s also somewhere to showcase all the newness pre-launch – it can typically take two years to take a product to market.” Visitors can test the company’s new kinetic light switch, powered entirely by motion, eliminating the need for batteries or wiring. The innovation is particularly suited to listed properties and other settings where retrofitting electrical systems is challenging. At a buzzing opening week at London Design
Week 2026 – Boura says that the reception was “incredible” – the collective welcomed in the wider world. A series of special events drew the crowds, including four Setting the Scene sessions, where designers and creatives put together layered tablescapes using products from Source at Personal Shopping, incorporating finishing touches from the collective’s other brands. Lee Lovett says that one unforeseen benefit has been
how everyone has pulled together. “There are such fantastic brands there and we’ve already developed a lovely relationship. We’re planning a networking event where we can share and introduce our clients. It feels entrepreneurial – a group of agile brands working creatively together.” A true collective, then.
ABOVE: You can’t miss the smart striped branding of the Design Emporium Collective, now open on the Fifth Floor of Design Centre East OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Fabrics from The Pure Edit; a much-coveted AGA; Boura & White, Vanrenen Hanbury and Clock House Furniture, in situ as part of the Emporium’s first phase; luxury linens by Yves Delorme; fabrics from Warwick’s latest Manor House collection; The Soho Lighting Co.ʼs ‘Romillyʼ etched glass wall light
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