Longer evenings mean permission to stay in and enjoy all the cosy stuff: candles, blankets and faffing around with the contents of your coffee table — ideally with “where did you find that?” pieces from London’s coolest boutiques. Don’t get too comfortable though: there are inspiring new addresses to discover, pop-ups to experience and art to enjoy before the pandemonium of Christmas…
Sequin sardines, crocheted olives and knitted tomatoes are just some of the delights at Kate’s Knitalian, an exhibition by textile artist Kate Jenkins. It’s taking over Air Contemporary (4 Ham Yard, W1) in the form of a tactile delicatessen from October 30 to December 5. Everything on show is available to buy and would make perfect gifts for a foodie (or a nonna, if you have one). In Islington, the knife brand Allday Goods is popping up at 264 Upper Street on November 14 and 15 with the Mini Mart. Part off-licence, part old-school grocer, it will showcase a limited-edition collection of butter knives made in collaboration with Maldon Salt, Bold Bean Co and Perelló using melted-down plastic waste from the partner brands to create each knife’s handle.
And don’t miss the Atmosfloric Emporium in Marylebone Village (120 Great Portland Street, W1), where, from November 11, Instagram’s favourite gardener, Sean A Pritchard, will be on hand for unique gift ideas in a world of whimsy unlike anywhere else.
Gavin Houghton exhibition
Gavin Houghton
If the Frieze art fair felt too elitist, hotfoot it to Imprint, from the founders of Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair (Lawrence Hall, Vincent Square, SW1) from October 29 to November 1. It is billing itself as more expansive than a specialist print fair and more accessible than a conventional art fair, all while focusing on prints. At No 9 Cork Street, W1, The Dot Project is staging An Appetite That Survives All Feasts, a collection of paintings by Jack Penny exploring greed and the contradictions of human nature (until November 21, appointment only).
If handicrafts are what gets you going, you’ll want to see the exhibition of new works by painter, potter and interior designer Gavin Houghton at the Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler store (89-91 Pimlico Road, SW1, from November 3 to 19). It’s then just a stone’s throw to the Luke Irwin showroom (at no 54), which is staging Babylon, a 35-strong showcase of one-of-a-kind rugs (November 3 to 7, with all finds available to buy).
Michaelis Boyd Architects, the practice behind Soho Farmhouse, has released New Natural Living (Thames & Hudson, £50). Written by Dominic Bradbury, it traces three decades of the studio’s sustainability-led approach, from early residential work and its 20-year collaboration with Soho House, to off-grid lodges in Kenya and Botswana. Design enthusiasts will also enjoy the 30th instalment of Andrew Martin’s Interior Design Review (teNeues, £69.95), which celebrates visionary decor of all styles. For recipes and room-by-room guidance, dive into The Organic Home (Frances Lincoln, £30). Interior designer and author Bee Osborn offers both a guide and a personal journey around the core principles of calm interior design. And if you have decluttering on the brain, order House Hushing by Myquillyn Smith (Revell, £22.99) whose mission is to help the reader create a simple, storied home full of personality, without being overly full of stuff.
New Sheppard & Daughters shop in Notting Hill
Sheppard & Daughters candle
Sheppard & Daughters
Former fashion buyer Clara Sheppard has opened Sheppard & Daughters in Notting Hill (35 All Saints Road, W11) and in a wonderfully analogue move she isn’t selling any of her handpicked treasure online. Shop IRL for quirky, candle-shaped ceramics, footed trinket bowls and pretty textiles. In Angel, Cross Street is cementing itself as an interiors destination with colourful pottery specialist Mud Australia’s new shop landing at number 36, between Farrow & Ball and Fired Earth. And textile specialist Tori Murphy has a new London home and a new collaboration launching. Find wares at The Mix by Bert and May (67 Vyner Street, E2) where fabric samples and options for footstools, headboards and curtains are on offer, ready to be whipped up via the brand’s made-to-measure service. And check out women’s tailors Banshee of Savile Row to see two suits inspired by Murphy’s tweed and trims.
Holloways of Ludlow is the go-to for design-led lighting and it sells furniture too (by the likes of Hay, Fritz Hansen and String). Now it is dipping its own toe in with the aptly named Woolly collection. Designed around warmth, the armchair, two-seater sofa, footstool and adorably-sized children’s chair come in simple, mid-century inspired silhouettes and are wrapped in tactile New Zealand sheepskin in two colourways (from £600, hollowaysofludlow.com). Top the cocoonment off with a blanket or cushion from the new collaboration between knitwear brand John Smedley and Yorkshire textile mill MOON. Think merino wool throws and lambswool cushions in timeless colourways (from £80, johnsmedley.com).
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