London
DESTINATION GUIDE WITH SIDIKA OWEN
London Design City Guide: A Curated Journey with Sidika Owen
London's design story is written in layers with Georgian brick, Art Deco glamour, industrial reuse, and a determinedly eclectic taste for craft. In this London Design Guide, Sidika Owen shares a personal edit of the city's most inspiring museums, restaurants, hotels, and hidden corners, tracing a version of London built as much around atmosphere as architecture.
Moving between grand Mayfair dining rooms, plaster-clad artisan studios, and quiet Georgian streets, the guide highlights the destinations that define London's design culture today. From the Art Deco theatre of The Wolseley and the industrial grandeur of Tate Modern to Kathy Dalwood's plaster studio in Queen's Park and the Georgian calm of Princelet Street, these places trace a city where craft, history, and design are always close at hand.
sePtember 2026
Words: designeers
breakfast and coffee:
The Wolseley
The Wolseley on Piccadilly is Mayfair's grand European café, its black-and-gold Art Deco interior modelled on the 1920s motor showroom it once was. Breakfast here is a small piece of theatre with marble floors, soaring arches, and a hum of quiet ceremony that makes an ordinary morning feel like an occasion.
favourite gallery:
The Tate Modern
Few places capture London's cultural energy quite like Tate Modern. Housed within the monumental former Bankside Power Station, the gallery brings together modern and contemporary art within one of the city's most recognisable architectural settings.
Frida – The Making of an Icon at The Tate Modern
A FINE DINING EXPERIENCE:
The Cloth
The Cloth offers one of London's most quietly confident fine dining rooms. It is a restaurant where the design sensibility is as considered as the cooking: understated, tactile, and built for lingering.
A place to Eat Lunch:
The Park
Overlooking Kensington Gardens, The Park brings a 1950s New York sensibility to its dining room with its warm wood, brass, and clean mid-century lines. Lunch here calls for an unhurried walk through the gardens afterwards, the perfect way to let both the meal and the scenery settle.
A Cocktail or Wine Bar
The Hero of Maida
Tucked a short stroll from the Little Venice canal, The Hero of Maida pairs its pub credentials with real atmosphere: stripped wood, plaster walls, barley-twist leg stools, and candlelit tables that make every visit feel soulful and unhurried.
a design hotel to stay in:
The Sloane
At The Sloane, quintessential British style meets the French sensibility of architect and decorator François-Joseph Graf, resulting in interiors that feel both distinctly London and quietly continental.
A place to find art, furniture and design objects:
Aelfred
Aelfred is a considered destination for Scandinavian vintage and contemporary homeware, bringing together characterful furniture, lighting, art and objects with a strong eye for material and patina. The space feels more like an evolving collection than a conventional showroom, with pieces selected for their individuality, craftsmanship and ability to sit naturally within a home.
An Artisan Everyone Should Know About:
Kathy Dalwood
Kathy Dalwood is a master of plaster, working from her studio in Queen's Park to produce both free-standing sculpture and wall-based relief tiles. Her work has travelled well beyond London: her tiles feature at the Goodtime Hotel in Miami, designed by Pharrell Williams and Ken Fulk, a testament to how far a considered material practice can reach.
A PLACE TO GO FOR DESIGN INSPIRATION:
The Invisible Collection
For contemporary design inspiration, the Invisible Collection Showroom offers a more curated experience. It is a place to discover furniture and objects within a considered setting rather than simply browsing a conventional showroom.
A Neighbourhood That Defines the City:
Princelet Street
Princelet Street in Spitalfields is an 18th-century enclave just a stone's throw from Brick Lane Market, its Georgian townhouses and quiet, historic scale offering one of London's most atmospheric walks for design lovers.
Go-To Bookstore or Magazine Shop
Shreeji Newsagents
On Chiltern Street, Shreeji Newsagents is the go-to for design and architecture magazines. A useful stop for picking up something to read before continuing through Marylebone and its surrounding design destinations.
A place to adventure out of town:
Eltham Palace
When the city starts to feel busy, venture south to Eltham Palace. The former royal residence combines mediaeval history with striking Art Deco interiors, making it a sublime destination for anyone interested in architecture, interiors and the unexpected layers of London's history.
Best Spot for a Sunset View:
Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill remains London's best sunset spot, its gentle summit opening onto a wide, unbroken view across the entire city skyline.
IMAGE credits:
The Tate Modern: The Blavatnik Building © Iwan Baan
Aelfred: teo della torre
Princelet Street: Cecilie Hjelmager
Primrose Hill: timur-valiev
More from Sidika Owen
Discover Studio Sidika
Founded by Sidika Owen d’Hauteville, the West London studio creates refined, personal interiors that bring together contemporary art, antiques and objects collected from around the world. Its work reflects Sidika’s multicultural background, with layered spaces that feel both considered and lived-in.
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