Getting ready for the London Design Festival

Welcome to the new blog for Emily’s House London. As the 2014 London Design Festival looms we thought now would be a great time to take a breath from our preparations to share a little of what we’ll be doing during the event.

Last year was the first time Emily’s House London took part in the festival, when we hosted a pop-up shop. The event was fantastic for us, and looking back, something of a turning point too. The huge interest from visitors to the show not only surprised us, but it also convinced us that we needed to find a permanent home in which to show our huge collection of beautiful vintage rugs and carpets to their best advantage.

This year we have that permanent home, with our showroom in the historic 34 Queen Anne’s Gate, London. Until about a year ago this Georgian townhouse was home to the famous St Stephen’s Club, a gentleman’s club with links to the Conservative party. From the imposing front door to our tranquil showroom at the rear with views over St James’s Park, this is an amazing address and a lovely place to show the rugs. Our showroom has a very calm atmosphere with lots of positive energy, and we couldn’t be happier here.

So this year we’re looking forward to making our LDF open-house event better than ever. We’ve hauled hundreds of carpets into the showroom to make sure our full selection of vintage Kilims, Boucherouites and more are all ready to view. Some of the larger carpets – often our oldest pieces – will be displayed on the walls, reflecting their status as artistic creations in their own right. And visitors will also be able to see how these vintage rugs fit perfectly with modern furniture and a contemporary lifestyle, as Danish brand HAY, who have a showroom next door, will be showing with us. And as an extra enticement, we are hosting a pop-up café too. For anyone who has been to London Design Festival before, they’ll appreciate how welcome a place this will be to sit and relax with a coffee, away from the design madness.

We can’t wait for the event. We’ll be open from 10am until 7pm every day from the 13th to 20th September, and it’ll be great to see who comes to visit us. If you’re passing by, or are on the LDF trail, we’d love to welcome you to our new home too.