Decorex – a treasure trove of interior trends from industry leaders and design experts

A political storm may be boiling ferociously in the country amidst economic uncertainties, but for four days inside the Olympia London exhibition centre in Kensington, London, the annual interior design trade fair Decorex returned this autumn in an optimistic mood, bringing together more than 12,000 design trend watchers, designers and buyers from around the UK and other parts of the world.

Wood Tailors Club

Velvet fabrics, wall-hangings, wallpaper, throws, cushions and bespoke furniture from Blackpop.

Throws and blankets from Wallace & Sewell, established by Harriet Wallace - Jones and Emma Sewell, known for their mastery of colour and woven structure.  They design bold and original works in natural fibres, uniting traditional craft with modern production and manufactured in the British Isles.

Pure White Lines won Best Stand at Decorex 2022.

Held between October 9th and 12th 2022, Decorex was buzzing with positive sentiments, with more than 200 exhibitors showcasing their latest designs and products for home interiors.  

A wide array of products were featured ranging from wall coverings and design prints to furnishing fabrics, decorative items and housewares, lighting collections, furniture, rugs, to unique crafts and bespoke products.

Pooky furniture and decorative lighting.

The Tree of Light installation provided a
calm, woodland space with seating and adorned with
hanging Occulo lights, from Bert Frank

Decorative lighting from Serip

Home textiles and soft furnishing fabrics designed by Sophia Francis Studio

Upon entering the main hall in Olympia, visitors were greeted by calming seating area designed into a woodland with trees and the Occulo lighting system by Bert Frank hanging from the branches.  

The Decorex Bar
designed by Carden Cunietti

This was surrounded by rows of curated exhibitor stands, each of them well designed to showcase their wares.  Pure White Lines won the Best Stand award from the organisers.

Also for relaxation, visitors were able to wind down in The Decorex Bar and the VIP Lounge, both decorated and furnished in collaboration with exhibitors and emerging designers.

Cole & Son's enchanting wall covering from The Gardens range, hand-drawn and hand-painted. 

Elegant and eclectic lighting collections from Gong by Jo Plismy

Elspeth Pridham hosted a Design Talks session with interior designers Rosie Ward, Natasha Dartnall and Tiffany Duggan on the fundamental impact modern habits have on the design of homes.
The wallpaper in the Design Talks area is by Cole & Son.

On the mezzanine floor, in the Design Talks theatre, which was decorated in partnership with wallcovering company Cole & son, some 80 experts of the industry shared their experiences, new insights and perspectives including Ben Pentreath, Suzy Hoodless, Jojo Barr, Pollyanna Wilkinson and Maddux Creative, to name a few.

Also upstairs in the gallery, of particular interest to visitors on the look-out for unique crafts and artistic skills, was the Making Spaces area where talented craftspeople of various genres held live demonstrations to showcase their skills, and in some cases, visitors were encouraged to participate in exploring their own creative skills.

In the Making Spaces area, Eppie Thompson, of The Fabled Thread, makes luxury embroidery kits inspired by
story telling, world textiles and traditional folk art.

Natasha Mann showcased her creative artistry on decorating lampshades. 

She creates paintings, bespoke pieces for interiors and decorative objects that are

largely inspired by Moroccan architectural painting. 

Cushion featuring a print of tonal pencil drawing with delicate hand embroidery, created by Susannah Weiland, a textile designer and artist known for her mixed media one-off designs and her passion for texture and colour. She works from her home studio in Richmond upon Thames, UK.

Ellen Merchant (left, in yellow) who creates hand-printed textiles and wallcoverings, invites 
a visitor to take part in creating a block print.

A dining room by Pandora Taylor who was inspired by the tableware of Bonadea in creating this space.

Nearby, visitors were treated to four decorated rooms in the Decorex Diningscapes section, another new feature at Decorex this year.  The space showcased four expertly designed dining rooms complete with furniture and accessories alongside a beautiful table setting to provide visitors with design inspirations.  They were created by leading interior designers Christian Bense, ND Studios, Pandora Taylor with Bonadea, and Bertrando di Renzo with Les Ottomans. 

Mamoa Designs from Porto, Portugal.

All photos © Lucia Carpio 2022