Heaven’s in the Detail
Chelsea is synonymous with a great school (Chelsea Academy), a fab hotel (Chelsea Harbour Hotel) and of course an international design hub (Design Centre Chelsea Harbour). The latter plays host to WOW!house once again this year. This portmanteau with a sandwiched exclamation mark is back with aplomb. Despite being only five years old, WOW!house is already a firm fixture of The Season, betwixt the Chelsea Flower Show (more Chelsea) and Royal Ascot.
“London is leading the design world,” fashion powerhouse Dame Mary Martin believes, “and Chelsea is the microcosm of the creative Capital. Studios like The Bomb Factory Art Foundation on Lots Road near Chelsea Academy are exploding with originality. The terrace of the Chelsea Harbour Hotel is one of my favourite places for enjoying a cocktail in between shows.” Her eponymous brand Mary Martin London is now one of the hottest names in international haute couture.
Following the Ralph Lauren pre party (where blue and white are the new black) Darren Price, Director of Adam Architecture, introduces the reconfigured Size Group Façade: “I enjoyed talking to you last year about the original design. I wanted to play with the architecture and remodel it just as one might evolve a design in the real world. The central portico has been expanded either side to create a loggia. This provides a three dimensional experience for visitors.” His oeuvre ranges from restoring country houses to delivering complex interior packages with many projects involving Listed Buildings.
“I took the principles of early Georgian architecture,” Darren says, “and fast forwarded to the Regency period of Soane. I have not created a historical artefact: this structure demonstrates that classical design can be appropriate for contemporary settings.” He also designed the standalone Hector Finch Garden Folly which complements The Size Group Façade but takes on an apropos whimsical air with a tented roof. Darren concludes, “This folly was conceived as a moment of theatre and discovery!”
Enass Mahmoud, Founder and Creative Director of Studio Enass, designed the interior of the Hector Finch Garden Folly. She advises, “It’s a room evoking the escapism of an island getaway. At the heart of my work is storytelling. Here, I am the client envisioning a tranquil yet indulgent retreat designed for intimate joyful moments.” A shellwork frieze and scallop shell light pendent are breezy touches reflecting faraway places against the grounded richness of the gemstone red silk wallcovering.
Through the loggia lies Francis Sultana’s impressive Entrance Hall which leads into Róisín Lafferty’s immersive Shepel Library and onto the luxurious Lalique Home Bar designed by Chara Ghandi, Founder and Director of Elicyon. Chara gives a tour of this intimate 20 square metre space: “The bar is a collaboration with our sponsor Lalique. There are Lalique pieces dating from 1926 to 2026 incorporated into the interior. We have designed hidden compartments in the timber wall panelling which open to reveal more Lalique. It’s at once serene and spirited.” Even the stools have tiny pieces from the French crystal house embedded in their fabric covering.
She says, “This is a room that celebrates the pleasure of unveiling. It’s a journey for the curious. Luxury here is about precision, comfort and atmosphere rather than spectacle. We wanted the space to feel intimate and indulgent. The design presents Lalique through a crisp contemporary lens. “Rebecca Larn, Creative Director of Elicyon, adds, “Hosting is back at the forefront!” And Frederick Fischer, Managing Director of Lalique observes, “Crystal brings light, depth and surprise to any interior. The bar is a perfect setting for Lalique to shine in a modern context.”
Enass Mahmoud, Founder and Creative Director of Studio Enass, designed the interior of the Garden Folly. She advises, “It’s a room evoking the escapism of an island getaway. At the heart of my work is storytelling. Here, I am the client envisioning a tranquil yet indulgent retreat designed for intimate joyful moments.” A shellwork frieze and scallop shell light pendent are breezy touches reflecting faraway places against the grounded richness of the gemstone red silk wallcovering.
It’s Martin Kemp Design’s first show at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. The Parlour has plenty of wow factor! Founder and Managing Director Martin explains, “This room was conceived as a response to the immediacy of contemporary life – it rejects the idea of a single focal point. Instead, The Parlour unfolds as a sequence of layered moments. Many of the pieces in this circular space are from Avenue, a new furniture brand by Martin Kemp Design.” He was formerly Creative Director of the ultra luxury developer Candy and Candy. His current clientele is equally high end and international, from Monaco to Mumbai to Mayfair.
Whether George Smith’s “human sized dog bed” for the Russell Sage Studio or the dog bed in Misia for Casamance Group Bedroom Suite by Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay or the 55 lacquered “wall boxes” of the Benjamin Moore Minhwa Salon by Young Huh, this year’s WOW!house – all 600 square metres – is about lavish attention to detail. And what’s next for Darren Price’s Size Group Façade? Perhaps Vanbrughian vermiculated voussoirs for WOW!house 2027? As last seen at The Drama of Architecture exhibition on the distinguished wine merchant turned playwright turned architect held at Sir John Soane’s Museum, Holborn.
