London Design Guide - Where to stay, shop & soak up style in London and beyond
My design trip to London and Reading in the English countryside
One minute, I was working on projects in my Brisbane studio, and the next, I was hopping on a flight to the UK to help a long-time friend and client refresh their family home in Reading, a beautiful town in Berkshire about an hour west of London.
My clients, had just returned to the UK with their youngest daughter after 17 years abroad. I’d helped them settle into their Brisbane home not long before, and when it came time to reimagine their UK house (which had been a rental for nearly two decades), they asked me to help. I couldn’t say no to such a wonderful opportunity to work on a project in the UK and visit the London design districts while I was there.
Prior to leaving, I helped confirm the paint colour scheme, and I landed just as the painters arrived. The next three weeks we made daily site visits to their home ‘The Chatters’ to check on progress and tackle everything from new lighting and door hardware to selecting fabrics and designs for the window furnishings. The goal? To make the house feel like theirs again - a family home with English country charm and a fresh personality. It was a great transformation and the home now feels layered, colourful, warm and ready for this family to enjoy. Along the way, I discovered new suppliers, visited many on my bucket list, and here I share all of the highlights in both Reading and London.
Reading Guide
Sourcing local: Country finds worth visiting
Reading in Birkshire is a beautiful country area and I loved driving down the country lanes, taking in the rolling green fields, quaint villages, and stately homes. I also enjoyed visiting the local stores and soaking up the charm.
Neptune Home: Conveniently located near the house, I had the pleasure of visiting the Neptune Home store in Reading several times and honestly, it felt more like wandering through a beautifully styled English country home than a retail space. Set within a 17th century gate lodge and surrounded by expansive gardens, the store showcases its full range of kitchen, laundry, bathroom and mudroom cabinetry, along with timeless furniture, lighting, and homewares. It was the perfect place to source some of the lighting, furniture, and accessories we used in the home. We also happened to visit during a French wine-tasting event, which meant we explored the store with a glass of sparkling wine in hand.
Neptune Home kitchen and furniture showroom in Reading, Berkshire
An interior designer’s guide to London
With the country work wrapped up, I gave myself a little design time in London. Three days to walk, visit, absorb, and connect. If you love design, there is so much to soak up in London - hotels, architecture, design showrooms, homewares stores and so much more.
Where to stay in London
I finally ticked off a long-time bucket list item: staying in a Kit Kemp-designed hotel. Number Sixteen, part of the Firmdale group, is a joyful celebration of print, colour and layered style. It’s everything I love in interiors - colourful, layered, lived-in, and unexpected. The Kensington location also made it easy to walk to some of London’s most iconic design hubs, including Pimlico Road and Chelsea Design Quarter.
Number Sixteen Hotel designed by Kit Kemp, has it’s own tree-filled private garden, this stylish drawing room and a sunny orangery.
A Design Lover’s Hit List: 10 Must-See Showrooms in London’s Pimlico Road District
If you’re planning your own design day (or two) in London, there is a lot to see and take in. From renowned British interior designer showrooms, fabric showrooms and antique furniture stores, there’s something for everyone within this London design district. Here are my top 10 highlights:
Bespoke kitchen designs, classic modular cupboard collection, timeless freestanding furniture, and exclusive paint colours at Plain English Cupboard Makers showroom, Pimlico Rd
Beautifully crafted and thoughtful furniture and lighting by Russell Pinch and Oona Bannon at Pinch Ebury St showroom in the Pimlico Rd district.
Luxury, homewares, furniture & fabrics at the showroom of one of the world’s most respected and influential interior designers - Nina Campbell, Pimlico Rd
Beautiful fabrics, bedcovers, cushions & furniture designed to be the antiques of the future at Chelsea Textiles, Pimlico Rd
Naturally sustainable, heirloom-quality, pure linen products for the home and fabric by the metre at Volga Linen, Pimlico Rd
Made by Howe furniture, antiques, rugs, and lighting at Howe London, Pimlico Rd
The elegant interior design showroom of one of Britains longest established decorating firms Sybil Colefax & John Fowler, Pimlico Rd
A kaleidoscope of colour at the Fermoie showroom featuring their full range of fabrics and beautiful hand made lampshades, upholstered furniture and cushions, Pimlico Rd
Discover beautifully handcrafted rattan lighting, furniture, fabrics, and wallpapers, all made in collaboration with some of Britain’s finest craftspeople at Soane Britain, Pimlico Rd
Handcrafted lacquer furniture & homewares made in Vietnam and designed in conjunction with well known British designers at The Lacquer Company, Newsons Yard, off Pimlico Rd
Me, happily soaking up inspiration on Pimlico Road, London with a stop at the iconic Nina Campbell showroom. Nina is one of the world’s most respected and influential interior designers, and what a joy to visit her showroom.
Beautiful baskets of blooms line the street outside the Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler showroom on Pimlico Road, London. This iconic firm, one of Britain’s most renowned interior decorators, has been synonymous with sophisticated elegance and understated luxury since it was founded in the 1930s
When to Visit: London Design Events
If you’re a design lover and can time your visit around a key event, even better:
The Chelsea Flower Show (May)
Open to the public (ticketed)
An iconic event! Packed with inspiration for garden design, colour palettes, outdoor living, and creative installations — even non-gardeners will love it.
WOW! House at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour (June)
Open to the public (ticketed)
An immersive, beautifully curated showcase of designer rooms. Think of it like a life-sized interiors magazine; you don’t need to be a professional to enjoy it.
The Courtyard Room, designed by well known British designer Emma Sims-Hilditch for Wow House, London 2025 - a beautiful, considered space that combines one of my favourite colour cominations of green and blue with natural timber details.
CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW
During the Chelsea Flower Show, London’s streets come alive with beautiful floral displays
What inspiration I brought home
There’s something so creatively energising about stepping into another part of the world and seeing how design comes to life through different materials, textures, architecture and lifestyle. The UK, with its layered interiors, warm colours, and unapologetic love of pattern, was like fuel for the soul.
I came back to Brisbane with a suitcase full of ideas (and fabric samples). From joyful prints, textured wools, colourful trims and embroidered linens, many of those pieces now live on my studio’s fabric wall, pinned next to paint swatches, reference images, and other little treasures I picked up along the way. They’re there to keep the inspiration flowing and some have already made their way into upcoming client schemes.
I’m especially feeling inspired by Kit Kemp’s fearless use of colour and character. Her spaces remind me that a home can be both polished and playful, layered yet lived-in.
Whether I’m designing in Brisbane, the English countryside, or somewhere in between, my goal is always the same - to help create homes that feel warm, deeply personal, and full of character. Places where life unfolds beautifully.
STUDIO HEAVEN
My inspiration wall in my studio featuring fabrics, wallpapers, paint colours and design inspiration - many sourced on my London Design Trip.
If you’re keen to see my behind scenes of the trip, check out my Instagram highlights reel. Or, if you’re dreaming of a home that feels like you (and maybe a little bit British), I’d love to help bring that vision to life.
