{"id":1055959,"date":"2026-06-28T18:28:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T18:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1055959\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T18:28:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T18:28:35","slug":"5-decorating-ideas-from-londons-chicest-showhouse-to-watch-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1055959\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Decorating Ideas From London\u2019s Chicest Showhouse to Watch in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated5 min read<\/p>\n

In Salvesen Graham\u2019s primary bedroom, architectural details receive a softer, more tailored treatment. The designers introduced inset fabric architraves, framing the room\u2019s doorways and transforming traditional trim into a decorative gesture. <\/p>\n

Every summer, London<\/a>\u2019s design world descends on the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour<\/a> for what has quickly become one of the most anticipated events on the interiors calendar: WOW!house<\/a>. Part decorator fantasy and part industry crystal ball, the annual showhouse brings together some of the world\u2019s most celebrated interior decorators, architects, landscape designers and home and design brands to create a series of rooms that feel less like temporary scenographic installations and more like a fully imagined and designed home.<\/p>\n

And while showhouses can sometimes lean toward the theatrical (after all, each room is meant to stop you in your tracks), the best ones offer something more useful: clues about where design is headed next.<\/p>\n

This year, what stands out is a renewed appreciation for craftsmanship, materiality, and old-world decorating techniques reconsidered for the way we live today. Forget fast-moving fads. Here are the top five decorating ideas from the 2026 WOW!house that I expect to see well beyond London.<\/p>\n

1. The Verdigris Effect\"ElegantJames McDonaldThe rear kitchen designed by Samantha Bartlett for Martin Moore features a variety of lighting pieces in verdigris finish which compliments the professional \u2018Fiorentina\u2019 range by Officine Gullo<\/a> and oak flooring by Element7<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Move over unlacquered brass. The finish that caught my eye again and again this year was something much more nuanced and colorful: verdigris.<\/p>\n

That unmistakable blue-green patina, historically created as copper naturally oxidizes over time, has long been associated with garden statues, European rooftops, and centuries-old architectural details. But at WOW!house, designers are showing that it belongs inside the home too. Verdigris brings instant age and atmosphere. Unlike a factory-perfect finish, it suggests a life lived.<\/p>\n

The idea takes on a more romantic form in Samantha Bartlett<\/a>\u2019s kitchen for Martin Moore<\/a>, where a verdigris chandelier by Porta Romana brings the garden indoors. Paired with shades of green and botanical motifs throughout the space, the patinated finish feels like a natural extension of the greenery just beyond the rear window.<\/p>\n

\"ElegantJames McDonald<\/p>\n

A symmetrical tableaux graces one side of Francis Sultana\u2019s entry hall and includes textural \u2018Grotto\u2019 floor lamps and a \u2018Poston\u2019 console in patinated bronze, both showcasing different verdigris finishes.<\/p>\n

Designer Francis Sultana<\/a> also demonstrates the transformative power of verdigris, using the finish to bring a sense of history and craftsmanship to contemporary forms. His pieces capture the magic of this particular patina at its best, surfaces that feel collected rather than freshly created, as though they have acquired their beauty slowly over time.<\/p>\n

\"ElegantJames McDonaldNew for 2026, the garden folly by Darren Price of Adam Architecture<\/a>, situated just out front of the main showhouse, is adorned in a charming Romo<\/a> cotton-linen fabric and verdigris exterior lighting and bespoke finials from a new range by Hector Finch.<\/p>\n

At the garden folly, Hector Finch<\/a>\u2019s exterior lighting embraces weathered metal, offering the kind of patina that is usually earned over decades. \u201cThe introduction of verdigris to the collection was partly inspired by our observation that designers are looking for more natural finishes,\u201d says Emma Finch of Hector Finch. But, she adds, it also speaks to a larger shift in design. \u201cLooking back to Art Deco and Art Nouveau references and incorporating these into contemporary schemes to add richness, texture, and historical resonance.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Damask Is Back (Yes, Really)\"ElegantJames McDonald<\/p>\n

In Max Rollitt\u2019s dining room, richly layered damask walls set the stage for an atmosphere of old-world opulence and intimacy. The enveloping pattern creates a jewel-box effect, allowing antiques, candlelight, collected artwork, and furniture and lighting from Rollitt\u2019s new bespoke range, to feel as though they have evolved together over generations.<\/p>\n

For years, damask carried the weight of formality, associated with grand dining rooms, historic estates, and perhaps your grandmother\u2019s best curtains. But if there is one thing interior designers do especially well, it is reminding us that tradition only feels tired when it stops evolving. Case in point: Max Rollitt<\/a>\u2019s Schumacher<\/a> clad dining room.<\/p>\n

Rather than treating damask as a decorative accent, Rollitt fully embraces it with upholstered walls that transform the room into an enveloping jewel box. The effect is not stiff or old-fashioned, but deeply inviting. It\u2019s also a reminder that damask\u2019s decorative power has endured for centuries: the National Gallery\u2019s exhibition on Francisco de Zurbar\u00e1n<\/a> highlights the Spanish master\u2019s remarkable ability to capture richly patterned textiles, including the intricate damasks that conveyed status, craft, and luxury in the 17th century.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was researching ideas for the dining room, there were two sources of inspiration that stuck with me,\u201d says Rollitt. \u201cClassical paintings of interiors, where you\u2019re struck by the richness of rooms and the way silk wall coverings represented the ultimate opulence, and Alessandro Michele\u2019s apartment in Rome, which has that same wonderful visual language.\u201d For Rollitt, damask\u2019s appeal remains timeless. \u201cIt has an extraordinary ability to enrich a room, and that\u2019s something that\u2019s still very welcome today.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Architectural Tailoring\"ElegantJames McDonald<\/p>\n

Architectural detailing gets the soft touch. In Albion Nord\u2019s drawing room, pilasters and moldings disappear into the surrounding fabric treatment, creating a seamless, tailored envelope that feels both historic and entirely fresh.<\/p>\n

Fabric is no longer stopping at the walls. The latest evolution of upholstered interiors is all about architectural tailoring: wrapping or detailing door casings, corbels, moldings, and even the smallest architectural elements in textiles for a fully finished effect. In Albion Nord<\/a>\u2019s drawing room for Turnell & Gigon<\/a>, the studio enveloped the octagonal space, including all of its architectural detailing, in 250 meters of hand-block-printed fabric by Filling Spaces<\/a>. \u201cWrapping the entire envelope of the room immediately transformed the character of the space,\u201d says Hero Dalrymple, creative director of Albion Nord. \u201cIt softens the architecture visually and acoustically, creating warmth, comfort and intimacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FloralChristopher Horwood<\/p>\n

A detail worth a closer look, Salvesen Graham\u2019s inset fabric architrave (above, at right in pink linen with coordinating trim) transforms a door casing into its own decorative moment where no detail is left unturned.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, designers are rethinking traditional trim entirely. In Salvesen Graham<\/a>\u2019s primary bedroom, inset fabric architraves offer a fresh take on historic detailing, transforming a functional doorway into a decorative focal point. Inspired by antique references where architectural details were originally highlighted with specialist paint finishes, the designers reimagined the idea in fabric using their own Woven Plain in Ginger Pink<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTranslating it into fabric became the perfect embodiment of that contrast between structure and softness,\u201d note Salvesen Graham\u2019s founders, Mary Graham and Nicole Salvesen, who both describe the room as a balance between \u201cmasculine architecture and soft fabrics.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RedJames McDonaldEnass Mahmoud, founder and creative director of Studio Enass used a mix of fabrics from Kravet<\/a>, silk wall covering from Phillip Jeffries<\/a>, trimmings from Samuel & Sons<\/a> and tile from Ca\u2019 Pietra<\/a> to create an enchanting hideaway layered with a variety of textures and saturated gemstone shades.<\/p>\n

Back in the Garden Folly, Studio Enass<\/a>, using Samuel & Sons<\/a> trim, traced the interior\u2019s lines like couture piping on a beautifully tailored jacket, transforming moldings, edges, and architectural transitions into moments of decoration. It is a reminder that passementerie is no longer reserved solely for curtains and cushions; it can become part of the architecture itself.<\/p>\n

4. Frieze Frame of Mind\"ElegantJames McDonald<\/p>\n

In Studio Duggan\u2019s Speakeasy Salon for Black Edition by Romo, the frieze returns with a dramatic new point of view, a sculptural plaster border crowns the room.<\/p>\n

The writing is on the wall, or perhaps, just below the ceiling. It\u2019s the return of the decorative frieze, that architectural band historically used to add ornament, narrative, and craftsmanship to an exterior facade. But this isn\u2019t a revival of heavy-handed decoration. Today\u2019s frieze is subtler, more textural, and transportive.<\/p>\n

Meandering through the WOW!house, Studio Duggan<\/a>\u2019s Speakeasy Salon for Black Edition by Romo<\/a> makes the case for looking up. A bespoke plaster frieze anchors the tented fabric ceiling, lending the room instant architecture, atmosphere, and a sense of old-world permanence.<\/p>\n

\"CozyJames McDonald<\/p>\n

The frieze gets a glamorous Art Deco revival. Geometric plasterwork wraps the upper edge of the room, creating a strong architectural framework that complements the layered textiles and tailored details below by Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay.<\/p>\n

The Misia<\/a> for Casamance<\/a> bedroom by Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay<\/a> features a geometric plasterwork detailed with Art Deco references, proving the renewed power of the motif and making every element look considered.<\/p>\n

\"ElegantJames McDonald<\/p>\n

The Lalique Home Bar by Charu Gandhi, founder and director of interiors studio Elicyon, features a marquetry frieze that becomes a graphic architectural detail rather than a traditional border.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in the Lalique<\/a> Home Bar by Elicyon<\/a>, the idea takes on a more luminous form. Sculptural crystal panels become jewel-like architectural moments, transforming the upper reaches of the room into a decorative focal point. Paneled walls reveal hidden compartments that each hold collectible objects while Shamsian<\/a>\u2019s marquetry detailing creates a patterned frieze with different wood tones.<\/p>\n

5. Pattern Drenching\"LuxuriousJames McDonald<\/p>\n

Pattern takes over in Sean Symington\u2019s room for Zardi & Zardi, where a single fabric envelops both the walls and ceiling to create a fully immersive interior. Rather than overwhelming the space, the continuous motif creates a cocooning sense of comfort while allowing the layered furnishings, artwork, and antiques to shine.<\/p>\n

The newest way to create an all-encompassing interior is through pattern. Tucked toward the rear of WOW!house, designer Sean Symington<\/a>\u2019s \u201cwithdrawing room\u201d for Zardi & Zardi<\/a> makes a compelling case for taking a single motif to the max, upholstering the walls and ceilings in the same print for a space that felt cocooning. The bold pattern suddenly becomes the calmest thing in the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a room is fully wrapped in one print, it feels less overpowering and becomes a neutral backdrop,\u201d Symington says. \u201cIt creates an enveloping effect that allows the artwork, furniture, and accessories to take centre stage.\u201d Consider it maximalism\u2019s most surprising form of restraint.<\/p>\n

The 2026 WOW!house is on view June 2\u2013July 2, 2026, at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Lots Road, London SW10 0XE, tickets available at dcch.wow!house.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"5 min read In Salvesen Graham\u2019s primary bedroom, architectural details receive a softer, more tailored treatment. The designers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1055960,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[7757],"tags":[748,14938,290051,1331,393,4884,3989,258961,1381,257,243587,290050,290052,16,15],"class_list":["post-1055959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-london","tag-britain","tag-content-type-round-up-general","tag-contentid-d29c2588-6b0b-4677-97d8-7ede5dd5867f","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-england","tag-great-britain","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-us","tag-london","tag-read_time-6","tag-shorttitle-the-5-biggest-design-trends-at-wowhouse","tag-subsection-trends","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116829155417820765","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1055959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1055959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1055959\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1055960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1055959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1055959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1055959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}