DE S IGN CENTRE
WOW! POWER
The 2024 edition of WOW!house took the design world by storm, proving that the third time’s a charm. Charlotte Abrahams explores every room
A
rug marked the threshold to WOW!house 2024. Handwoven in a kaleidoscope of colours and patterned with fairytale insects flitting between exotic flowers,
it was – as befits the ultimate showhouse in the world’s premier design destination – an entry mat re-envisioned as a magic carpet. Created by Jennifer Manners Design, ‘Secret Garden’ set the scene for the journey of wonderous discovery that lay ahead. Once inside, visitors were transported from a Sicilian Palazzo to a Palm Beach terrace via a Library inspired by Swan Lake, a Dining Space wrapped in trees and a kitchen crafted for entertainment. Some rooms quickened the pulse, others soothed the soul; all were immersive and multi-sensory (each room had its own playlist and Diptyque scent) and made the thousands
who experienced them say, “wow!” WOW!house had wowed us before. The first edition
in 2022, dreamed up in lockdown by Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour’s CEO Claire German, exploded into the post-pandemic world in a starburst of creative optimism. The following year’s sequel was a stellar success, cementing the WOW!house as the industry’s most illustrious event. Yet still, the 2024 edition surpassed them both. The concept was unchanged: a roster of international brands, A-list designers and rising interior stars were asked to create full-sized rooms for a temporary showhouse, stretching 500 sqm down the Design Avenue, in response to a brief to “let your imaginations fly”. But, thanks to the confidence born of two previous victories, the result was bigger (17 rooms, plus two outdoor spaces, created by 15 brand sponsors
and 20 designers) and even more beautiful than before. No wonder it drew twice the number of visitors and scooped the prestigious House & Garden Spotlight Award 2024 to boot. House & Garden’s editor, Hatta Byng, described the WOW!house as “a key moment in the design calendar” and praised all involved in its creation for “putting the focus on and creating a buzz around the [design] industry.” A glittering list of brands and designers from
across the world jumped at the chance to be part of the excitement. WOW!house 2024 was a truly international project. Fernando Wong, one of America’s most influential landscape designers, said it was “an honour” to be asked to create a terrace with second- time sponsor Summit, while the experimental design practice Fosbury Architecture made it an Italian double
ABOVE: The class of 2024: WOW!house alumni strike a pose on Jennifer Manners Design’s ‘Secret Garden’ rug on the opening day of the show OPPOSITE: The Watts 1874 Legend Room took the showhouse concept to new levels, with designer Alidad conceiving a space that appeared to have evolved over generations. Celebrating Watts’ 150th year, its inspiration was the company’s co-founder George Gilbert Scott Jr. Incredible furniture, paintings, antiques and artefacts sat alongside antique textiles and fabrics and wallcoverings from Watts’ portfolio
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