In the nearly 15 years since its inception, Clerkenwell Design Week has become one of the UK’s leading independent design festivals, animating the London district with launches and installations set within historical venues.
Clerkenwell Design Week 2023: key locations
Ethimo at Museum of the Order of St John
As usual, offering a sense of discovery, this year’s edition (23 – 25 May 2023) takes over key historical Clerkenwell venues. These include Crypt on the Green (Clerkenwell Close), part of St James’ Church, hosting British brands such as Benchmark, Ercol, Sebastian Cox and The Conran Shop.
Nearby, the Museum of the Order of St John (St John’s Square) hosts Details, a fair-like exhibition where companies such as Ethimo, Samuel Heath and Kasthall present their latest collections in a charming atmosphere.
Exclusive members’ club location, the Old Sessions House (23 Clerkenwell Green), is also open for a few days, hosting international brands like Brionvega and Dyson within the Grade II listed location.
Elsewhere, the expansive Spa Fields (91 Skinner Street) hosts Design Fields, a purpose-built fair space where highlights include Natuzzi, Lasvit, Villeroy & Boch and Graff.
Clerkenwell Design Week 2023 presentations and showrooms
Clerkenwell is home to several interiors showrooms, not to be missed: Fritz Hansen (78 Cowcross Street), Carl Hansen & Søn (16 Bowling Green Lane), Cappellini (150 St John Street), USM (49-51 Central Street) and Arper (11 Clerkenwell Road). Bathroom and tiles brands that opened in the area include Kohler (44-48 Clerkenwell Road) and Iris Ceramica (61-67 Old Street), VitrA (64 Turnmill Street), the latter celebrating its long-term collaboration with Arik Levy. Among the latest openings in the area is also outdoor furniture specialist Kettal (115-16 Dufferin Street).
Discover new launches below.
Yinka Ilori x Domus Tiles
Yinka Ilori made his tiles debut with specialist Domus, and the collaborative collection is previewed at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023. The collection is defined by Ilori’s energetic colour palettes and patterns, and the presentation features a window display installation that demonstrated the collection’s expressive potential.
Domus Clerkenwell, Great Sutton Street
Case Furniture relaunches iconic Robin Day designs
Midcentury design codes are given a refresh by Case Furniture, which has worked closely with the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation to recreate a sofa and an armchair that originally appeared in 1964. The ‘Forum’ seating collection, designed by Robin Day, epitomised 1960s design with its intricate solid hardwood frame. Details, including its elegant finger-joint detail and chrome-plated legs positioned outside of the frame, nod to Day’s wish to make the construction a part of the design in a rethinking of beauty and function. Writer: Hannah Silver
The new designs are shown at Amin Taha’s Groupwork studio on Clerkenwell Close
Viaduct x Smith's Rules: The Language of Furniture
Multibrand design showroom Viaduct presents new pieces by the likes of Emeco, Mattiazzi and E15, the latter showing the new Gallery table by David Chipperfield and the Zampa chair by Jasper Morrison. The showroom also hosts Kelvyn Laurence-Smith's letterpress workshop Smith's Rules, which will offer typography demonstrations (with visitors invited to try it themselves) throughout the week.
Viaduct, Summers Street
Skagerak by Fritz Hansen
Danish design brand Fritz Hansen unveils its first outdoor furniture collection at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023, under the Skagerak by Fritz Hansen aegis. The collection includes the Banco bench by Hugo Passos and Aurelién Barby’s Plank collection, comprising table and seating. Both collections are sold as flat-pack and made from sustainably sourced FSC-certified teak.
78 Cowcross Street
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The three lives of the Edith Farnsworth House: now, a modernist architecture icon open to allThe modernist Edith Farnsworth House has had three lives since its conception in 1951 by Mies van der Rohe; the latest is a sensitive renovation, and it's open to the public
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Year in review: Barbie to Snoop Dogg, the starriest design collaborations of 2024Design collabs went stellar as Snoop Dogg & Dr Dre served up Gin & Juice with Ini Archibong; Michael Bennett showcased lighting with Gantri; and Barbie turned Kartell furniture pink
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RollAway Hospitality describe their all-electric RV as a luxurious suite on wheelsA Californian start-up combines zero emission tech with expert packaging to create a designer camping experience
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‘I began experimenting and haven’t really stopped,’ Miranda Keyes on working with glassIn a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Miranda Keyes about her forging her own path to success
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Feldspar makes its mark on Whitehall with a festive pop-up at Corinthia HotelDevon-based bone china brand Feldspar makes its first foray into shopkeeping with a pop-up at London’s Corinthia Hotel. Ali Morris speaks with the founders and peeks inside
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One to Watch: EJM Studio’s stool is inspired by the humble church pewEJM Studio’s ‘Pew’ stool reimagines the traditional British church seating with a modern, eco-conscious twist
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One to Watch: Family Project’s ‘furniture friends’ are elegant and humorous with lasting emotional valueFamily Project, founded by Francesco Paini, is a London-based design practice drawn to human connection, creating portraiture through furniture and injecting artful expressions into interior spaces
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Martino Gamper creates a joyful tapestry of colour, pattern and eras in an immersive showcase'I'm always interested in what is considered kitsch, what is considered contemporary, what is ugly, what is beautiful—it's a subtle line'. Martino Gamper‘ presents 'Before; After & Beyond’
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Pierre Jeanneret’s Chandigarh furniture meets South Asian diasporic art in an unusual London exhibitionRajan Bijlani opens a show combining Pierre Jeanneret furniture for the Indian city of Chandigarh with works for sale by six artists of South Asian origin – in his own London townhouse
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Mud celebrates turning 30 with a new Islington storeTo celebrate its 30th anniversary Mud opens a new Islington store, showcasing its Australian ceramics where beautiful design meets utility
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PAD London’s 16th edition is a blisteringly optimistic case for human achievementAt PAD London, collectible design is more than rarefied furniture; it is a compelling case for the uplifting power of craftsmanship at the dawn of the AI revolution
