Design, Lifestyle and Interiors: Clerkenwell Design Week Returns May 20 - 25 2025

London’s annual Clerkenwell Design Week is back from May 20 - 22 2025, celebrating its 14th edition with its largest programme to date.

CDW is a distinctive platform for showcasing leading interior brands and emerging talents, with a wide-ranging programme of showroom events, curated exhibitions, installations, as well as informative discussions, design hotspots, fringe events, culinary delights, and more. 

Spread across the district's exhibition venues, the event curates a global array of furniture, lighting, textiles, surfaces, accessories, and product design, solidifying its status as the UK's premier design festival.

The allure of Clerkenwell - London EC1 -  lies in its fusion of historical heritage and contemporary flair. Characterized by cobblestone streets, repurposed warehouses, and industrial edifices transformed into modern workspaces and galleries, the district exudes an inspiring ambiance. 

This year CDW introduces three stunning new venues for the festival: the historic Charterhouse, the iconic St Bartholomew the Great, and Studio Smithfield, a creative space above the legendary Smithfield Market.

A standout feature will be a major public artwork by British artist Alex Chinneck, installed in Charterhouse Square, alongside outdoor living displays and curated talks. Inside the Charterhouse, top design names like Geberit, Colefax & Fowler, and Victoria + Albert Baths will showcase their latest collections.

Over 350 design brands will exhibit across 16+ venues and 160+ showrooms, including Roche Bobois, Ercol, Kasthall, and Ultrafabrics, with talks, workshops, and product launches throughout. Returning favourites like Design Fields, British Collection, and Light will host global talent, while the new Church of Design venue will stage a special programme by US design publisher Sandow.

“We’re thrilled to be back in Clerkenwell this May with our largest programme yet, both in scale and content,” says Marlon Cera-Marle, Design Division Director at Media 10, the organiser of the annual design festival. “The new venues, including some of London's most historic landmarks, will provide a stunning backdrop for presenting some of the world’s most exciting design brands. We’re also partnering with incredible international names, from country pavilions to leading media outlets from the UK and US.”

Cera-Marle adds, “This year, we’re especially excited to announce one of our headline features: a surreal public artwork by the acclaimed British artist Alex Chinneck. As one of the most attended specification events on the A&D calendar, CDW 2025 will once again serve as a platform for discovering new trends, talent and ideas. We look forward to sharing more details about the programme in the coming months.”

Visitors can also enjoy exclusive food, drinks, and guided design tours, plus a brand-new interactive map to help navigate EC1 with ease.

The New Venues:

Dating back to the 14th century, The Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings, courtyard gardens and green spaces reflecting over 600 years of British history. This May, this heritage site will serve as a striking backdrop for contemporary furniture, decorative lighting and luxury finishes. It will feature an array of global bathroom brands, from Geberit and Toto to Bette, C.P. Hart and Victoria and Albert Baths.

Also joining them will be British fabric and wallpaper company Colefax and Fowler. In addition to design brands, the venue will host Conversations at Clerkenwell, the festival’s official talks series. For 2025, the talks will take place in a theatre designed by the London-based design studio Kapitza, known for its colourful public art installations for British Land, wayfinding designs for the Royal London Hospital, as well as public and leisure architecture projects. 

Outside, Charterhouse Square will showcase products for outdoor living and hospitality, alongside Alex Chinneck’s new sculpture. 

Studio Smithfield is a 27,000-square-foot Grade II* listed building above Smithfield Market, Studio Smithfield is a new creative event space and will be home to commercial and workplace interior brands during CDW, including Houzz Pro and Bandalux.

Church of Design is set within St Bartholomew the Great, a 900-year-old Grade I listed medieval church, Church of Design will offer a breathtaking setting for modern design showcases. 

In addition to the new venues, existing locations will house a variety of product-focused exhibitions, including:

● Clerkenwell Green and Installations – Structural stone will take centre stage in the recently refurbished Clerkenwell Green, where Albion Stone and Hutton Stone will reveal a special new commission by Hawkins\Brown, demonstrating the durability and beauty of British stone bricks.

Nearby, the ambitious Stone Tapestry structure by the Stone Federation will be featured, along with showcases from exhibitors specialising in contract and workplace interior products and solutions.

● Project – Focused on contract furniture and surface design.

● Design Fields – Showcasing contemporary furniture, lighting and product design with an

international focus. The Design Meets talks series will also return, inviting representatives from

trade bodies and associations to engage in a range of intimate, industry-led discussions.

● Light – Home to global lighting companies. Darc Thoughts, Darc’s talks series, will also return.

● Elements – Dedicated to architectural hardware and finishes.

● British Collection – Taking over the whole of St James’s Church again and highlighting the best British design talent and brands.

● Detail – Featuring luxury interiors.

● Platform – Spotlighting emerging design talent and companies.

● Ceramics of Italy – Hosting Italian ceramic and porcelain tile brands at VaynerMedia’s headquarters on St John’s Square. This exhibition is organised by the Italian Trade Agency in collaboration with the Ceramics Association of Italy.

● Old Sessions House – Home to brand activations, presentations and the festival hub (free access for CDW visitors, 20 – 22 May).

● The Goldsmiths’ Centre – Presenting products for commercial and workplace interiors.

● Cowcross Pavilions and Brewhouse Yard – Both presenting leading commercial interiors from the UK and abroad.

For registration and more information click HERE. 

Images from CDW 2024

Design, Lifestyle and Interiors: Clerkenwell Design Week returns to host international brands May 21 - 23 2024 in London

In the heart of bustling London, Clerkenwell stands as a tranquil hub in the east, boasting a vibrant community of creative enterprises and architects. Renowned as a global design epicenter, this enclave, identified by its EC1 postcode, holds profound significance for the creative industries. With its abundance of design showrooms, studios, and galleries, Clerkenwell is poised to host its Design Week from May 21 to 23, 2024.

Duffy London at the historic St John's Gate of the Order of St John with their latest installation for Clerkenwell Design Week 2024, building on their recent collaboration with Berlin-based designer Orsi Orban. 
Gatekeepers is inspired by organic forms found in nature.
Photo by Lucia Carpio

In celebration of Clerkenwell's diverse design community, Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) orchestrates a distinctive platform. Showcasing leading interior brands and emerging talents, CDW promises over 600 showroom events, 11 curated exhibitions, captivating installations, as well as informative discussions, design hotspots, fringe events, culinary delights, and more. 

Spread across the district's exhibition venues, the event curates a global array of furniture, lighting, textiles, surfaces, accessories, and product design, solidifying its status as the UK's premier design festival.

Clerkenwell's allure lies in its fusion of historical heritage and contemporary flair. Characterized by cobblestone streets, repurposed warehouses, and industrial edifices transformed into modern workspaces and galleries, the district exudes an inspiring ambiance.  Exploiting this charm, the festival utilises diverse venues, from the subterranean House of Detention showcasing lighting brands to the lively Clerkenwell Green hosting contract furniture displays. St. John's Square becomes home to Elements, spotlighting architectural hardware, while St. James's Church and the Order of St. John exhibit British and international luxury collections, respectively. Introducing the Goldsmiths' Centre this year, the festival expands its focus to commercial and workplace interiors.  There will also be special dedicated spaces for displaying collections by Danish, German and Italian designers and brands.  

From innovative farming by-product designs and the renaissance of natural stone and wood to AI-crafted cocktails and industry discussions on neurodiversity, this year's event sees the most extensive programme to date, according to organisers.  As in previous events, organisers will provide a design trail map for visitors to follow at the Farringdon train station.

Among the new collection launching at CDW is Fritz Hansen at its Cowcross Street showroom in a special feature titled 'Inviting Workspaces’ displaying furniture and accessories from designers including Jaime Hayon and Jørn Utzon.

At its Great Sutton Street showroom, Domus will present a colourful exhibit of tile designs created by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby to celebrate their 10-year collaboration with its brand partner Mutina.

In the British Collection (St James’s Church), SCP will launch a new Peonia armchair by Wilkinson and Rivera, a low-lying sculptural armchair made at a specialist factory in Norfolk, using 100% natural and sustainable materials. Meanwhile, Another Country will showcase its new ‘Series Five’ furniture inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement.

At Detail at the Order of St John, Omexco will unveil three new ranges, including the Archipelago design crafted from Capiz shells and shimmering mica minerals. While Arte presents its new Lani collection, featuring hand-crafted designs inlaid or embroidered with rattan and raffia, Kasthall will return with its new Vichy collection, a modern interpretation of the classic gingham pattern. 

Wallpaper design studio Erica Wakerly has teamed up with Sixteen3 to debut a new fabric collection, which will be shown at the latter’s Bastwick Street showroom as part of a pop-up that examines the evolving nature of workspaces.

Joining CDW and the neighbourhood for the first time is British lighting manufacturer J. Adams & Co, launching its new St John Street showroom just in time for the festival. Collaborating with tile expert Solus, the in-house team has repurposed materials from the site and factory offcuts to create stunning terrazzo tiles and worktops. Also new to the festival is Pooky Lighting, showcasing its new collection of rechargeable lights at Light at House of Detention.

CDW continues its tradition of championing emerging talent, spotlighting a diverse range of newcomers this year. Showing at Platform (70 Cowcross Street), Selfish Customs collaborates with local makers in East Anglia, repurposing farming by-products such as raw fleece, reed and barley straw to create unique homeware. Visitors can explore the studio’s creations alongside Colombian art historian-turned-designer Manuela Cabrales, who is launching shawls, trousers and handcrafted lamps using materials like lotus fibre and orange peels. Also featured is Barcelona-based Isabel Francoy's La Sobremesa collection, which blends wicker weaving and glassblowing with modern design.

Historically an industrial hub renowned for craftsmanship, Clerkenwell has metamorphosed into a thriving creative nexus, drawing architects, designers, and artisans. Its strategic proximity to other creative hubs like Shoreditch and the West End, coupled with excellent transport links, enhances its appeal to professionals in design and fashion. Furthermore, the district's vibrant culinary scene, replete with trendy cafes, bars, and restaurants, fosters a dynamic social milieu, enriching the creative community's experiences and inspirations.

All photos by Lucia Carpio