6 Key Themes at the 2025 London Design Festival
Find out what was inspiring designers and brands at the recent design event
Designers embraced flexibility, color and classics of the past at this year’s London Design Festival, held in venues across the city from Sept. 13 to 21. Read on for a roundup of six trends on display.
Allotment collection of woven rugs, Gill Thorpe for Floor_Story
In Shoreditch in east London, Gill Thorpe of Floor_Story showcased her Allotment line of woven rugs in collaboration with Turquoise Mountain, a charity that supports local crafts and traditions in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
The rugs feature traditional medallion and quad motifs but have been given a modern twist with the use of bold color combinations.
Help customers visualize their finished project with the Houzz Pro 3D Floor Planner
In Shoreditch in east London, Gill Thorpe of Floor_Story showcased her Allotment line of woven rugs in collaboration with Turquoise Mountain, a charity that supports local crafts and traditions in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
The rugs feature traditional medallion and quad motifs but have been given a modern twist with the use of bold color combinations.
Help customers visualize their finished project with the Houzz Pro 3D Floor Planner
Cable knit rug, Tai Ping Carpets
2. Merging of Disciplines
A celebration of flexible approaches to design was apparent at the festival this year, with designers mixing mediums and fields of craft.
Ed Ng and Terence Ngan of Tai Ping Carpets, for example, have harnessed the crafts of knitting and crochet to create a beautiful new line of cable knit rugs. The cozy rugs take inspiration from the mountainous landscape surrounding the pair’s countryside home near Tokyo, incorporating needlework and crochet to mirror the undulating scenery.
“I have always been fascinated with craft, and knitting in particular. Ever since I was a child, knitting has been associated with a genuine expression of warmth and caring,” Ng says. “We liked the idea of creating a sense of down-to-earth, relaxed luxury that also embraces values of sustainability.”
2. Merging of Disciplines
A celebration of flexible approaches to design was apparent at the festival this year, with designers mixing mediums and fields of craft.
Ed Ng and Terence Ngan of Tai Ping Carpets, for example, have harnessed the crafts of knitting and crochet to create a beautiful new line of cable knit rugs. The cozy rugs take inspiration from the mountainous landscape surrounding the pair’s countryside home near Tokyo, incorporating needlework and crochet to mirror the undulating scenery.
“I have always been fascinated with craft, and knitting in particular. Ever since I was a child, knitting has been associated with a genuine expression of warmth and caring,” Ng says. “We liked the idea of creating a sense of down-to-earth, relaxed luxury that also embraces values of sustainability.”
Viola chair from the Verde Maiolica collection, Dolce & Gabbana Casa
Elsewhere, Dolce & Gabbana Casa embraced a merging of textiles and ceramics with its Verde Maiolica collection of upholstered furniture. White fabric has been printed with a vivid green pattern reminiscent of traditional southern Italian ceramics, enabling the user to benefit from the beauty of two crafts in one.
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Elsewhere, Dolce & Gabbana Casa embraced a merging of textiles and ceramics with its Verde Maiolica collection of upholstered furniture. White fabric has been printed with a vivid green pattern reminiscent of traditional southern Italian ceramics, enabling the user to benefit from the beauty of two crafts in one.
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New laundry line, Fisher & Paykel
3. Thoughtful Design That Lasts
The concept of throwaway design has, if you’ll pardon the pun, been discarded by many brands, a move that was evident at London Design Festival this year.
High-end kitchen appliance designer Fisher & Paykel explored the science of fabric care at its Experience Center in the city’s West End, exhibiting new ways to care for clothes to ensure they last longer.
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3. Thoughtful Design That Lasts
The concept of throwaway design has, if you’ll pardon the pun, been discarded by many brands, a move that was evident at London Design Festival this year.
High-end kitchen appliance designer Fisher & Paykel explored the science of fabric care at its Experience Center in the city’s West End, exhibiting new ways to care for clothes to ensure they last longer.
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Meanwhile Garden textile art by Dana Goh
Slow craftsmanship was also celebrated, in particular at Qloud Collective’s The Sun Is but a Morning Star exhibit in Mayfair. A collection of artists from the UK, United States, South Korea and Singapore assembled to highlight crafts that are intentional, slow and deliberate.
“These acts offer a different rhythm — one that’s tender, reflective and quietly radical,” curator Dana Goh says.
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Slow craftsmanship was also celebrated, in particular at Qloud Collective’s The Sun Is but a Morning Star exhibit in Mayfair. A collection of artists from the UK, United States, South Korea and Singapore assembled to highlight crafts that are intentional, slow and deliberate.
“These acts offer a different rhythm — one that’s tender, reflective and quietly radical,” curator Dana Goh says.
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Beacon by Lee Broom
4. Nod to Modernism
New designs often take inspiration from previous innovations, and this was celebrated this year.
For his installation at the entrance to the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank, lighting designer Lee Broom harnessed the legacy of the 1951 Festival of Britain and the area’s Brutalist architecture.
In his piece, entitled Beacon, which is created from upcycled glass fragments, Broom has reimagined classic street lamps, transforming them into a sculptural chandelier.
4. Nod to Modernism
New designs often take inspiration from previous innovations, and this was celebrated this year.
For his installation at the entrance to the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank, lighting designer Lee Broom harnessed the legacy of the 1951 Festival of Britain and the area’s Brutalist architecture.
In his piece, entitled Beacon, which is created from upcycled glass fragments, Broom has reimagined classic street lamps, transforming them into a sculptural chandelier.
4 Chaise Longue à Reglage Continu, Cassina
Elsewhere, Italian furniture brand Cassina celebrated 60 years of its Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret collection with reinterpreted pieces.
The 1 Fauteuil Dossier Basculant small armchair and the 4 Chaise Longue à Reglage Continu are just two of the reissued items, now available in three new colors.
Elsewhere, Italian furniture brand Cassina celebrated 60 years of its Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret collection with reinterpreted pieces.
The 1 Fauteuil Dossier Basculant small armchair and the 4 Chaise Longue à Reglage Continu are just two of the reissued items, now available in three new colors.
Preparedness rug from Josef Albers’ Homage to the Square series, CF Editions
More Modernist reinterpretations could be seen at Christopher Farr’s east London studio in the form of sister brand CF Editions’ rug designs reimagining pieces from Bauhaus designers Josef Albers and Gunta Stölzl.
Rugs from the Josef Albers Homage to the Square series, including Gray Instrumentation and Preparedness (pictured), are offered in two new colors.
More Modernist reinterpretations could be seen at Christopher Farr’s east London studio in the form of sister brand CF Editions’ rug designs reimagining pieces from Bauhaus designers Josef Albers and Gunta Stölzl.
Rugs from the Josef Albers Homage to the Square series, including Gray Instrumentation and Preparedness (pictured), are offered in two new colors.
Table Basse en Forme Libre, Cassina
5. Deep Indigo
The warm earthy tones that have been popular for the past couple of years are still going strong, but many brands are adding indigo into the mix. There were plenty of products throughout the festival now available in a chic, timeless dark blue.
At Cassina, for example, the reissued Table Basse en Forme Libre was on display in a rich, glossy indigo.
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5. Deep Indigo
The warm earthy tones that have been popular for the past couple of years are still going strong, but many brands are adding indigo into the mix. There were plenty of products throughout the festival now available in a chic, timeless dark blue.
At Cassina, for example, the reissued Table Basse en Forme Libre was on display in a rich, glossy indigo.
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HHH chair in Blue, Philippe Starck for Kartell
Nearby, Kartell was showcasing its HHH chair by Philippe Starck in a matte version of the shade. For this brand, burgundy has been the color of the moment for a while, and this deep indigo color complements that beautifully.
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Nearby, Kartell was showcasing its HHH chair by Philippe Starck in a matte version of the shade. For this brand, burgundy has been the color of the moment for a while, and this deep indigo color complements that beautifully.
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Being stool/side table, David Samuel
6. Organic Shapes Inspired by Humans
Designers were exploring the connection between design and the lived experience at the event. For example, David Samuels’ Being stools reflected “life, memory and shared experience.”
The stools are made from plywood formed into pleasing curves that feel soft to touch. “These pieces are made to be lived with and looked at,” David says. “They’re sculptural but grounded — human forms with practical purpose.”
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6. Organic Shapes Inspired by Humans
Designers were exploring the connection between design and the lived experience at the event. For example, David Samuels’ Being stools reflected “life, memory and shared experience.”
The stools are made from plywood formed into pleasing curves that feel soft to touch. “These pieces are made to be lived with and looked at,” David says. “They’re sculptural but grounded — human forms with practical purpose.”
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Nomadic Impressions table, Wernacular.
In Bloomsbury, Wernacular presented its Nomadic Impressions line of furnishings, crafted for a village in Beijing. The pieces are digitally designed to represent the spatial impressions of where people live.
The team behind the project describe the furniture as evolving with the living environments they’re in, “carrying traces of past lives and becoming emotional bridges between people and spaces.”
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In Bloomsbury, Wernacular presented its Nomadic Impressions line of furnishings, crafted for a village in Beijing. The pieces are digitally designed to represent the spatial impressions of where people live.
The team behind the project describe the furniture as evolving with the living environments they’re in, “carrying traces of past lives and becoming emotional bridges between people and spaces.”
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Houzz Pro Forum
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1. Celebration of Color
Color continues to take center stage in the world of design, with many of the products at LDF 2025 embracing bold hues.
Ceramicist Arjan Van Dal’s collaboration with The Conran Shop, for instance, is a collection of vases in nine different hues. The line, called Family of Vases, is inspired by a series designed by Sir Terence Conran in the 1990s, and consists of different geometric shapes.
“It was fascinating to see how vibrant color interacts with geometric yet soft 3D shapes,” Van Dal says.
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