Your Perfect October Itinerary in London
A brief London Design Festival recap, October's best design events during Frieze London, a City Guide by yours truly and a special guest, and our Exhibition of the Month.
Hello Friends,
I’m screaming internally because I can’t believe it’s October, but here we are, getting morsels of nice weather and preparing for a cozy winter ahead. As a brief little recap, this past September I popped in and out of a few London Design Festival activations, some made me think I was a little too hard on the event, perhaps a little too rash with my opinions last month, but no. They still stand. As I mentioned, the week is divided into openings by neighborhood, so I attended Brompton Design District’s opening night which featured very cool stuff at Cromwell Place, a large townhome that houses galleries. Max Radford was there showcasing new work by Swiss design studio Hot Wire Extensions, as well as a discovery for me, Grymsdyke Farm, a nonprofit and fabrication workshop presenting a wonderful collection of ceramic works.
Along with TDR friend, interior designer Amy Brandhorst, we went to a memorable installation of art and furniture at the office of design communications agency Alpha Kilo. I didn't make it to Shoreditch, but Amy did. She reports to TDR:
"I don't think any of the exhibitions were particularly interesting in terms of actual product. Because of design inflation, everyone is a designer, and it's more about the theme or the spectacle. However, I thought Lee Broom's was wonderful. He has really refined his brand; it's chic and glamorous, but still understated. The showroom and the event felt very smooth and cozy."
Other events I attended were the same kind of showroom activations that typically fail to excite or inspire. A frosty welcome from a not-to-be-named Italian furniture brand's PR representative dampened my enthusiasm for continuing my stroll down Chelsea’s Fulham Road. The festival, or the neighborhood organizers, should schedule tours for trade and journalists for a more productive experience, and as a nice way to meet and connect with the community.
So as we get into present times, I dedicate this newsletter to London’s best month for design, featuring a highly underrated fair, an accurately highly rated fair, and cool stuff in between. Keep reading for more.
In this issue:
Julia’s Ideal October Itinerary 🏺
A London City Guide 🥩
Exhibition of the month 🇦🇺
A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
Opening on the 1st of October, The Decorative Fair in Battersea Park is London’s longest-running and largest premier antiques, design and art fair. Since 1985 it has been a favourite event for the interior design trade attending from the UK and worldwide to find fabulous decorations for private and commercial projects.
My Ideal October Itinerary
The Decorative Fair opens its Autumn edition on October 1st at the Evolution London venue in Battersea Park. This if-you-know-you-know event is one of my favorites. It's where I stock up on gorgeous vintage silver, and you can find great deals on art, as well as midcentury and modernist design pieces.
For the trade, Decorex opens on the 6th of October. I haven’t been in a few years, but will check it out as I am in the market for lamps and textiles.
On the 8th we have the collector’s preview for PAD, imo the best design fair. I look forward to seeing my favorite Brussels-based galleries: Spazio Nobile and Objects with Narratives, as well as new galleries like Aequō, India’s first collectible design gallery, and Movimento Gallery, showcasing unique pieces crafted by each of their designers in travertino ascolano.
That evening, I’ll be attending Nacho Carbonell’s solo show Escaping Forward at Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery. Carbonell is one of the most intriguing contemporary designers, and his work consistently amazes. Despite CWG's recent negative press, I anticipate a sizable crowd at their Ladbroke Hall location.
October 9th brings the opening of Frieze and Frieze Masters, along with VIP day at Pad. However, I'm particularly excited about visiting Rajan Bijlani's home in Primrose Hill that day, where visitors can view his impressive collection of South Asian art and design in its curated context. Exhibition details are here, by appointment only.
This past weekend, Bijlani and his home were featured in the FT's How To Spend It, showcasing beautiful photos of the interiors. You can read the article here.
Julia’s London City Guide
Whether you're visiting London or a local looking to enhance your design and dining experiences, I've decided to be your guide today — along with a special guest.
JOIA is the first London restaurant by two Michelin-starred Portuguese chef Henrique Sá Pessoa. The beautifully designed (and spaceous) restaurant features incredible views of Battersea Power Station, and hands-down the best steak I’ve had in London.
Kiln in Soho has always been a hard-to-get reservation, but has recently switched to a walk-in only policy. Arrive early around 5pm to secure a seat at the bar, which is the preferred dining option. Their Clay Pot Baked Glass Noodles is a standout dish and my personal favorite.
If you find yourself in Chelsea, Wild Tavern is an elegant neighborhood spot for Italian farm-to-table dishes. My go-to is the lamb.
For a great Sunday roast in Chelsea, try The Surprise. This pub offers not only excellent food but also beautiful interiors on the 1st floor, with quaint views of the neighborhood.
The Thomas Cubitt, another pub, I come here for the fish and chips. Great for an after-work drink.
Andrew Edmunds Restaurant, is an intimate and charming restaurant located in Soho. Great wine list and seasonal menu.
I also included some options from a bon vivant friend, [ name redacted]. Born and bred in London and Scotland, he can be found dancing at 5H on a Thursday night or enjoying a Trinidad cigar in his living room at 1 pm on a Friday. His recommendations would typically be of the London members-only variety, but I've asked him to dial it back a notch for us here (though not too far, mind you). In his words:
Hunan for London’s best Asian tasting menu, 18 courses or something ridiculous.
Acoco doesn’t have a star (yet), remains good value. Epic west African, cocktail pairing is excellent.
Wiltons, turbo-classic, super unsexy but some of the best fish in town.
Noble Rot, needs no introduction. Everyone knows about it. And if you don’t, why not? And a great value wine list.
Ming Jang hotel excellent pekking duck, great views over Kensington Gardens, best at night after dark.
Briefly, as I am running out of space, below are my favorite museums and historical homes to visit. I will do a bigger TDR write up of London’s best historic homes, and here is a link to my three favorite architecture tours in London.
Exhibition of the Month: Tarryn Gill: Soft
Acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Tarryn Gill, hailing from Boorloo/Perth in Western Australia, showcases her unique approach to sculpture, installation, and performance at Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert in Sydney, Australia. Drawing from her extensive background in dance and competitive Calisthenics, Gill's work serves as a powerful bridge between various dualities: the conscious and unconscious, personal and collective, contemporary and ancient. More installation images can be found here.
Thank you as always for making it to the end! As always, please visit The Design Release for daily updates of exhibitions and fairs happening worldwide, and you can submit your event here.
Wishing everyone a beautiful month, and hope to see you soon.
❤️
Julia
[TDR Founders Julia Haney Montanez & Leo Lei can be found here and here]
Great roundup and PS I’m OBSESSED with Leighton House. Also love me some Sir John Soane in the autumn when they do the candlelit evening tours. Excited to read your thoughts on PAD /Frieze!