London sourcing inspirational walkabout

So a few weeks ago I was down in London visiting a clients project and one of the days I happened to have a spare few hours so I hopped on a tube to Chelsea Harbour to visit the design centre. I had never been there before and I was so overwhelmed by the vastness of the space and the array of phenomenal brands represented there. This was 2 days before the London design week opened and most of the showrooms were in frenzy sorting out their displays and latest collections, but even just viewing the stunning windows I was impressed by the sheer beauty and vastness of services one can get from a place. As a designer based outside of London, it made me want to move to Chelsea just to be near such great sourcing and inspiration all under one roof! I wasn't allowed to take photos inside the space but I just took this from outside to show you how phenomenal it truly is!

​From there I thought I would walk as the weather wasn't too bad and I needed to stretch my legs. So off I went down Lots road, past the infamous Lots Road Auction house - I just had to go in and have a look around. Some phenomenally well priced pieces of beautiful furniture was at my fingertips! 

After prying myself away I strolled past the interior design studio of the infamous Martin Brudnizki (He is the designer behind some of the iconic interiors of The Ivy, Annabel's in Mayfair, Pink Mammas in Paris). As you can imagine I found it incredibly difficult not to get completely overwhelmed and chain myself to the studio gates till they offered me a job, but I moved on!

Lots road on its own was one phenomenal designer after another and trade only showrooms and antique warehouses. A phenomenal road where inspiration and design energy is literally vibrating in the air. I headed right down Kings road heading north eastwards where I stumbled across the glorious showroom of Dimitri Stefanov - Rock Crystal Chandeliers! What a sexy showroom that is! If you love crystals and chandeliers as much as I do, here is a must do, even if you just stand and watch the pair of 6ft crystal chandeliers in the showroom window suspended over a large mirror and drool a little just like I did - its worth it!

​Plodding on a bit I passed Bretz (the Istanbul and London based luxury interior design studio) and the road curves slightly and a little further down the road on the right is the insanely beautiful showroom of Timothy Oulton. I cant begin to describe it apart form absolutely bonkers and stunning at the same time. Have a look at these photos! There was a wall full of blue and white chinoiserie dinnerware, a toy train going around the store (Half of it looked like a traditional Victorian steam train, the other half was graffitied to look like a New York subway train. The collection of design ideas and alternative use of simple every day objects to create a phenomenal display was so expertly executed. If you are ever in this area please spare a moment and drop in, its phenomenal. 

I persevered, literally wanting to carry everything in there with me... I dragged myself out onto Kings road and off I was again. Down the road to Osbourne and Little and the Designers Guild, both with their infamous collection of wallpaper and fabrics. I don't know how long I spent in here, I looked at each and every single fabric and wallpaper sample they had out. For a designer this is basically brain food! And I was lapping it up!

I next went to Silvera, an old silver vaults that now houses incredible high end and beautiful pieces of furniture! Have a look below.

I kept on walking down to Sloane Square where I was summoned by Sandra from the Idle Hands and got to meet up with her and some other lovelies from the interiors Instagram world over at the Charlotte Street Hotel in Fitztrovia - so on a tube I hopped!