Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to the interior design business. My name is Geoff Hayward and I'm joined by my co host, Susie Rumbold, past President of the British Institute of Interior Design and Creative Director of Tasuto Interiors, in front of a live audience of designers here at the Design Club in Chelsea Harbour.
And we're eagerly anticipating Wowhouse 2026 which will run from the 2nd of June until the 2nd of July this year.
So what better time to take a look at the phenomenon that is Wowhouse?
[00:00:32] Speaker B: From a standing start in 2022, Wowhouse has in five short years grown to become the UK's premier showcase for luxury interior design talent and style. Going way beyond the mere setting of trends, Wauhouse has come to embody the aspirational direction of travel for the whole UK prime residential market.
[00:00:52] Speaker C: But how did it all begin?
[00:00:55] Speaker B: Where did the original inspiration for the event come from? And how has it developed year on year to become the most hotly anticipated event in the London interior design calendar? Welcome to the interior design business.
[00:01:15] Speaker A: So we are thrilled, delighted, ecstatic to welcome a fantastic panel from this Wowhouse special, Dagesh Sin from returning Wowhouse sponsor Nucleus Av, acclaimed interior designer and Wowzer, Benedict Foley and the woman who launched Wowhouse, CEO of the Design Centre, Clare German. Welcome all to the show.
[00:01:41] Speaker B: Could you possibly just give us a brief introduction to yourself and to your business?
[00:01:46] Speaker D: Well, this is always a very interesting question, I suppose. I'm an interior decorator.
I've had quite a varied career involving quite a few different sorts of things. I actually studied classical archaeology and ancient history and then worked for an umbrella makers where I did their design. And I have always made things throughout my whole career. So in some ways, although interior decoration is ostensibly what I do now, I sort of sometimes see myself almost like a sort of large scale collage artist and my practice involves all those aspects that you might find in an interior. And yes, for me that's something that I find exciting.
And yes, wow House was a wonderful opportunity to do that.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: How long have you been doing this?
[00:02:32] Speaker D: How long have I been doing this? Well, that is a good question. I mean, I suppose making things since I was a very small child in terms of interior decoration, probably about 15 years I would have thought, but I was selling antiques before that, which is also something that has always been part of my, my, my practice, my business.
So yes, it's, it's been a sort of long standing passion of mine.
[00:02:57] Speaker B: Fantastic.
[00:02:58] Speaker E: Hi, I'm Jages Singh from Nucleus founding director. I originally studied computer science management and was doing IT consultancy. For a long time around London, maybe 15 years ago, I realized that the world of audio, visual and technology in homes was colliding with the IT world and the computing world. And it was much more creative and less firefighting. You know, no one's thankful that their computer's running, only upset when it breaks.
But you put people. You put smiles on people's homes when you deliver things in their homes. It's personal and it's creative. So when I started getting into it, I realized I enjoyed it much more. It was much more satisfying to do. So we formed Nucleus 10 years ago now, and we basically do residential, commercial and military. We like to say bedrooms, boardrooms and battlefields. We cover all. We'll add. We'll add marine to that and then we can add boats as a fourth B soon. So, yeah, and that's who we are. So, second, we did wow House for the first time last year, and we look forward to doing it this year as well.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: And finally, Claire.
[00:03:59] Speaker C: Well, as you said earlier, I'm the CEO of Science Center Chelsea Harbour, which is the most incredible job because no day is ever the same.
And before that, I was the publishing director at House and Garden. So I've actually been in my current role for 16 years, which actually sounds terrifying, doesn't it? But it's true.
[00:04:25] Speaker A: And Clare, was it you who actually came up with the original idea for wow House?
[00:04:29] Speaker C: It absolutely was.
[00:04:33] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:04:33] Speaker B: Do you want to expand on that at all?
[00:04:36] Speaker E: It's on record.
[00:04:38] Speaker A: Was it a kind of eureka moment? I mean, and where did it happen?
[00:04:42] Speaker C: I can paint the picture beautifully, so come with me on the journey. So basically it was during lockdown and it was the.
In the summer, and we just built the Design Avenue, which was. Is. Is our sort of amazing sort of, you know, arrival and our exhibition space that we. And so we built that to always create reasons for people to get together. And there we were actually in lockdown, where nobody was allowed to ever, you know, ever meet. And so I was sat at my desk and it was just myself in the office with. With my pa, and he was obviously sitting in another room.
And I thought, you know, I was craving the. The moments when we could all, you know, the industry can get back together and meet again.
So I thought, I've always wanted to do a show house because even in my previous career I would visit Kips Bay and everything else.
And I thought, God, I'd love to do a show house here. But we didn't ever really have the space to really sort of do something Incredible. And then it dawned on me, sitting on my own, which I know now I must never spend any time on my own again.
Suddenly dawned on me that actually we could build the most glamorous show house longhouse and purpose built structure and invite the most incredible designers and then I can do my show house.
So I didn't tell the team at the time because they were really busy sort of pivoting with digital initiatives and trying to keep the community informed and engaged with webinars and goodness knows what. So I thought this could push them over the edge. So I phoned the ex Conde Nast colleague, the ex art editor of Vogue and the ex marketing director of Conde Nast and said, can you just kind of just want to run. And not that, you know, they weren't connected to the industry. I'm just going to run this idea past you. What do you think? And could we, you know, could you help me kind of, you know, expand on the idea? And then within, within a week, then it was named it the, the mark, you know, the logo being done. And I was off.
[00:07:05] Speaker B: Incredible. Incredible. So you've hijacked my last question because my next question was that would be before the design center was built and the design avenue there wouldn't have been anywhere possible to stay.
[00:07:16] Speaker C: Sort of something like that. No, because it, it, you know, you couldn't sort of. I honestly, I think thought of everything, whether maybe we could do something in the domes and we could just go up and. No, but this, this was, this was, you know, this was just perfect.
[00:07:31] Speaker A: And I think the, the title itself is such a clever use of words. Was that instant as well? Did you immediately think, I'm going to call this wow?
[00:07:40] Speaker C: Well, I, well I sort of said to, to, you know, to my little, my little group, I said I just want people to walk in and go, wow. And then I suddenly thought, actually thinking of Bauhaus, you know, sort of design, sort of terminology, why don't we call it wow House?
And so there we go. And because I'm. That's the sort of person I am, I think that's a great idea. Let's go for it. I don't sort of if I love it, I just do it.
[00:08:07] Speaker A: Amazing.
[00:08:10] Speaker E: I'm sure there are lots of people with experience.
[00:08:12] Speaker C: There was no deliberation.
That sounds great, let's do it.
[00:08:16] Speaker A: There were very few corporates that work like that.
[00:08:19] Speaker C: No, I know, I know. It's unusual.
[00:08:25] Speaker B: So Zandon has quite a rich history actually of staging occasional designer showcases. So in, often they're in historic luxury houses. So I'm thinking about there was Holiday House London back in 2017. Yeah, that was up in St. John's Wood. And then even earlier than that, I can remember showcase events. So there was a Nash House in Regent's park that years ago and there was one at one point in Grosvenor Square as well was wow, how inspired by these events.
And what is it that sets Wowhouse apart from these events?
[00:08:56] Speaker C: You know, with everything, you know, whether it's going to New York to look, see Kips Bay or.
I obviously went to the Holiday House and everything and it went, you know, for anybody in this industry you always go and admire and understand the work and every. And you know, that goes into this to create these incredible things. So the sort of, the concept of show house inspired me but I knew that what to make it different was to actually create something that's purpose built. So you're not, you know, you're not in any way sort of restricted by any architecture of a real house.
And in Kips Bay, for example, some designers get sort of wobbly bottom lipped about the fact that they have got a cupboard in the attic room.
And so I thought actually if we build and we control the layout and everything, it sort of the designers have this total sort of clean canvas that they then arrive with a white box and they can do whatever they want. So there's no kind of.
[00:10:10] Speaker B: Every space has equal weight and merit.
[00:10:13] Speaker C: Yes, no. And sort of obviously some rooms are larger than others, but every room packs a punch.
And it's, it's, and it's a journey, a golden thread journey through the house. That is really incredible.
[00:10:28] Speaker B: And takash. Do you have any, have you been to any of these other events? You aware of Kips Bay?
[00:10:33] Speaker E: I'm aware of Kips Bay but I hadn't been to any of the other events Bay.
[00:10:36] Speaker B: For any of our audience that don't know it is an event, an annual event that I believe takes place in New York.
[00:10:41] Speaker C: Yes. And then, then they have satellite ones as well. And, but it's, I, I feel that it's, it's less curated.
[00:10:51] Speaker B: Yes, yes. So Dagesh, you know, in terms of coming cold to Warehouse then had you done other work in show homes, perhaps
[00:10:58] Speaker E: that of similar kind? We've done showrooms and things like that. But I think what we brought to our house was actually quite new and fresh and unique. I don't think that level of technology is what we do as a business was deployed in, in that way, in an authentic, real way. You know, having a show somewhere where you've got a trade show stand and you've got a load of equipment or whatever you may sell as a brand on a wall is very different to showing it in real fabric. In having that experience of walking to something that is a real room, there's no faking it. It is a real room. It could be in someone's house for permanent. It's done to that level. So when people experience it like that, they connect everything together. You know, you walk around here and you see all the amazing brands here, but when you see it all together, the rug, the sofa, the technology, everything brought together, lighting all brought together, it makes it more relatable.
[00:11:52] Speaker B: You approach things almost as a theatrical set, don't you? Your approach is quite well, obviously it's very curated, but I really enjoy all
[00:11:59] Speaker D: sorts of different sorts of things and I see my work as quite. I mean, a lot of that's inspired by theater and by cinema. So it really. Every, every response is. Is directly to the situation that I'm offered. So it could be, you know, a sort of. I mean, I did a fantastic house for a client and friend of mine, which is quite a sort of modest row house in North London. But he's very theatrical and, you know, the outcome of that was completely different, I think, from any. Any. Any other.
Certainly the people in his street say that from any other house in the street, looking through his windows and so, no, I mean, I have been involved in various different sort of showcases over the years because I think it gives you the opportunity to maybe step outside of what you would normally do. And I think, you know, the unique thing for me really about my. Wow. House room was I wanted to welcome sort of a client, but I didn't know who the client was.
[00:12:55] Speaker B: So you haven't. You're not working to a brief. Yeah, it's completely what's in your head
[00:13:00] Speaker D: and in yourself, which it was. That was a really exciting, you know, kind of moment for me.
[00:13:05] Speaker A: Okay, Claire, tell us about that first whale house.
Was it a smooth process from idea to origination? And how did you go about bringing.
[00:13:16] Speaker B: So did you come up with the idea too? Because how long was it between having this Eureka moment and the actual opening of it? Sorry.
[00:13:23] Speaker C: Okay, so I think we all. I'm just trying to remember. We all came back to the office in sort of divided teams and everything.
The linens came in one, you know, sort of certain days and the velvets were allowed in another day. So it's a sort of. Oh, yeah, we had such fun and so that I think it was sort of late summer when that was. And then I kind of then briefed it and it's then getting the team together. So we, I briefed the team to say, I've got this, this idea and it. And I think it's going to be incredible. And my, my team are fantastic and a real sort of like, okay, right, let's do it, let's do it. And then I then approached Victoria and Sabine from Interiors Academy because they had been involved in a show house in the Hamptons. So because none of. Nobody had ever done. I had never had any show house experience. Not that that ever stops me doing anything. And. But either Sabine had. So we all then sort of got together and then we, we then approached, sort of got the idea sort of formalized and did a current time, kind of critical time path of when we need to, you know, do things. And so I then started going to brands like Colfax and Lacronia and Sanderson to say, we've got this idea, you know, are you interested in supporting it? And. And then, you know, so that's. The model was born in, out of that, really. And then we, you know, and it was literally in January, we were briefing the press and the press were literally like, God, so you're going to do this in June, Right? Okay. And you're like, oh, yes, absolutely. And this is the floor plan. And because, you know, and we couldn't go to the magazine's offices because of COVID so we had to kind of meet off site. Site. And yeah, so they were like, oh, right, God, you're mad. And they were like, no, no, no, no, we will be fine. And actually what was incredibly humbling was that people were really willing to join the journey and get excited about it. And the, the names that, you know, did, you know, we had Emma Burns, Philip Hooper, Shalini Misra, Stephanie Barber Mendoza.
We had Duncan and they had Campbell Ray and Turner Pocock. So all the, all the Areta Koenig were like, clare, we'll do it. Because there's a trust that they know that anything that Design center does is going to be incredible. So they're founder wowzers, and I love them dearly for taking the leap of faith with me.
[00:16:18] Speaker B: And that first year, what form did it take?
[00:16:21] Speaker C: How many rooms? What was there? There were 19 rooms. And it was really incredible.
It was something to be proud of. And then the press, when they saw it, they, you know, it was then internationally, because I know you said it's very important for the UK market. Actually, this, this project, the wow House, has an international love that reaches far beyond these shores. You know, from the, the Middle east, the Far East. People come from Australia and New Zealand and are literally there on the, on the first day, sort of saying, I've just got off the plane.
Good day, I've just got off the plane.
And so it was, you know, it was then so that the press were like, this is, this is a game changer for the industry.
And it's very, it was very humbling. All right.
[00:17:13] Speaker A: It's certainly got people talking. So how did you measure success? I mean, did you have any idea of what success would look like?
[00:17:19] Speaker C: Well, I think you measure it with the fact that a.
Was I proud of what was being delivered? And absolutely, it was resoundingly proud of the, you know, to pull off what we did in such a short space of time was, you know, no mean feat. So. And people's reactions, the designers who were absolutely thrilled and delighted to be part of it, and the visitors reaction of sort of pure enjoyment and. Wow.
[00:17:53] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:17:53] Speaker C: And, and, and it was. And so I, yeah, I was like, okay, we're, we're, we're onto something big here.
[00:18:00] Speaker B: Would you say there was any one factor that really kind of pushed the buzz around it?
Cause it just seemed like it came out of nowhere, like everyone was suddenly talking about it.
[00:18:09] Speaker C: Well, don't forget, though, in terms of any event, you're only as good as the people who were involved in it.
And, you know, it's having the roster of those international designers and, you know, we had Ray Man Boozer from New York coming over to do it. And, you know, we didn't. We were literally on a zoom call saying, and we've got this thing. Can I just show you. Can I show you on. Share the screen and show you the floor plan? He had no idea. But the fact is he. Everyone knew they were keeping great company and they knew of our reputation to be able to deliver a great event. So it's that power of collaboration that makes it so successful.
[00:18:49] Speaker A: And Benedict, what were your earliest memories of that first one House?
[00:18:53] Speaker D: That I just was really excited about the idea that you had sort of instituted something like this in the uk because I think the Design Centre is such a wonderful community and you can really find anything that you need here as a designer.
But showrooms are very particular spaces with particular functions. And so I think that wow House as a concept really allowed designers to present what they. Okay, fine, some people do only commercial work, or some people do a Mixture of commercial and residential. But actually there are a lot of people involved who only do residential. So I think the great thing is, as a residential designer, mostly myself, that this was an opportunity for me and there were many other amazing designers involved to show their work to a large audience. Because, you know, I mean, I was thinking about people like sort of Veer Grenny and Colfax and, you know, I mean, particularly thinking about somebody like Vere.
There aren't many opportunities to go and visit any of his interiors. He doesn't do commercial work. He doesn't have a showroom. So it was a great, great opportunity to actually go and see his work and to experience. It's a privilege, but it's a wonderful privilege as a designer as well, to be able to share your work with a wider audience. So I think thing that really excited me that first year, there was this concept that. That we would be able to kind of, you know, kind of see.
[00:20:16] Speaker C: See things that you normally only ever see in magazines. But also there was this really fabulous commercial element where people would go into the rooms and say, I remember this in Paolo Moschino's literally saying, I'll take the lot. It was a real Pretty Woman moment. I was like, yeah, I'll take it.
And. And there were little red stars stickers everywhere. And I thought, wow, this. Not only is this sort of this truly inspirational platform and where people can meet their heroes and see. See the work of their. Their heroes and celebrate it, but it was also commercially sound, which is, you know, the perfect combination.
[00:20:54] Speaker A: Were you aware of it in its early form?
[00:20:57] Speaker E: We had heard about it.
I know some other competitors of ours. Flux was one that done some lighting control in. In one of the rooms. We didn't know the mechanism of how the whole thing worked until we got involved in it last year.
And so we didn't really understand where it sat for us. And then, you know, last year we got involved. We had. I still remember what happened. In fact, the way we've got involved in it is that the Avenue space that Claire mentioned, where it occupies, we did the lighting control for that space when it was built.
And we just worked with Vittoria on a project, a residential project. And she called me out the blue and she said, oh, I don't know if you'd be interested in this, but there's a room. I was like, okay, where? And we need. I need you to build it, but then I need you to break it. And I was like, what do you mean? And she's like, I need to deliver a whole media room for a show. I was like, okay. And she says, whereas I said, she goes, actually it's in one of your projects, so it's in Chelsea Harbour. I said okay. So for us it's always been an amazing thing because it's a project within a project. You know, it's actually a physical project within a bigger project that we've done.
And that's how we got involved with it. So yeah, and that's. We realized how much potential there is in warehouse because we were pulled into this one room and very quickly it escalated very quickly. It's like comment.
And you said you're surrounded by such lovely people. It's hard to say no.
[00:22:23] Speaker D: You just.
[00:22:24] Speaker E: First we got asked to help with the study. So Stefan reached out and said, oh, we'd love some Bang and Olsen equipment said, oh, we can help with that. We're a Bang and Olsen dealer. Great, let's do that. It's a completely different aesthetic to what we're doing. Then we had 1508. I happened to be in Lutron's office and then 1508 said, oh, we would love some Lutron. Pull up the floor plan. Where's that then? Oh, it's about three rooms away. Okay, we can throw some cables across. And then all of a sudden I get Randall Sydney from the garden terrace.
I would love some technology too. Where's that? That's the. On the other side of warehouse. So we had 150 meter cable run just dropped across all of our house. And all of that was being controlled by all the equipment in the media room. That's real. That's what happens in a real house. You have a plant room where everything is wired back to. There's no faking that the entire house operates in the confines of that middle section of the avenue. There's no fake. It's not. There's no bits running else somewhere else. Everything you see is in that space and it's real.
[00:23:22] Speaker C: Fantastic.
[00:23:23] Speaker B: And then, and then Clare says, so obviously you've, you've launched this thing and it's kind of gone off with a bang. How does it then evolve in its 2nd and 3rd years?
[00:23:31] Speaker A: Did you have a 3 year plan?
[00:23:32] Speaker B: Did you have a three year plan? Good question.
[00:23:35] Speaker C: God no. I would, no, I wouldn't just stick to a three year plan. No, I'd be sort of like you know, thinking okay, in 20 years time. Yeah, no, I think. No, no, no. I just. And like everything, whether it's London sign week or focus, everything has to then Be different and evolve every year. And that's just the sort of spirit that. That we have. So for the second year, it was okay, well, it's easy because it's always difficult, really, to create a footprint.
So the second year is easy because everyone understands it. They know.
They know what to expect.
So with. After the first year, people were already signing up to be involved.
And so, you know, that's how it starts. And then you think, okay, well, we. Let's add some more spaces. Let's add some innovations and make it feel different. Because what you don't want is for people to arrive and set and feel that there's a sense of deja vu. It's always got to feel fresh and different and, you know, so that's. That's always the aim. And every year we're delivered with the plan.
[00:24:42] Speaker A: So do you set a kind of brief that they've got to be innovative or they've got to do something?
[00:24:47] Speaker C: Actually, when I'm not remotely bossy about that, in the sense that I think every. Because it's like. And. And Benedict would be able to say, because actually, it is probably like going naked, isn't it? In. In a design sense, it's a challenge. Yeah.
[00:25:01] Speaker D: It just gives you an empty book
[00:25:02] Speaker C: because everyone is going to, you know, have an opinion on it. So there's always this desire to do amazing things. And right from the go, this ceiling was the fifth wall. And how people wanted to interpret that to create a sense of difference.
And. And, yeah, so the creativity and the passion and the desire to support it so brilliantly is. It's sort of. It all comes quite organically.
[00:25:34] Speaker B: I love it that the Warehouse alumni are known as Wowzers.
And it's something that they are all justly proud of. Who first coined that nickname?
[00:25:47] Speaker D: No, no, no.
[00:25:49] Speaker C: Sadly, no. It's sort of like that's. Sadly, it was me because I had. I have this weird. I have this weird thing of. For example, we've just launched the Emporium on 5th, just in case anyone hadn't heard. And.
And so the. The. The brands that are associated with that I call the Emporiumites. So. And so it was just. It's just the sort of thing I'd say is like, oh, great, we know second year, you. Let's all. Do. You know, you're all Wowzers. And it just sticks. And so it's. It's Wowzers forevermore. And the being part of the Wowzer family is something that is on the top of everyone's list, I think.
[00:26:26] Speaker A: Is it on your website, letterhead, that you're a Wilson?
[00:26:30] Speaker D: I don't know that it is, but my website's quite small, so it's. But I have to say, I mean, I was thinking about it. That first year I made some brackets for Charlotte and Duncan's room.
[00:26:41] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:26:42] Speaker D: And then the second year, I made something for Vanessa McDonald's room.
[00:26:46] Speaker C: Oh, yes. Yeah.
[00:26:46] Speaker D: And then third year, I did my own room.
And then last year, I ended up very foolishly offering to help my partner, Daniel Slowik, with his room. And when I said I was going to help him, I thought it was more like help and moral support. And it was going to be like having a few drinks, like kind of behind stage. And I was like, that'd be really nice. Exactly. I was like, I can do that. Be nice.
Actually, it meant delivery, so that was fun.
But it was, you know, it was kind of. So I've never quite.
I think after my first year, I said that I was. I got it slightly wrong. This is a theme. I got it slightly wrong. And I said I was a Wozza because I have been a wowzer. But then I was a wozzer because I was. Anyway, I have ended up being a Wowza, seemingly, because in one way or another, I'm here every year.
[00:27:35] Speaker C: You are. So I'm sorry, you are the Wowzer. Honestly, you're fabulous. And then actually just hearing Dages and Benedick talking about how they've helped and happy to help in. In every way, literally, with that collaborative can do spirit, that's something that I'm really proud of and I really thank you deeply for that.
[00:27:59] Speaker B: How do you go about selecting and approaching the designers?
[00:28:03] Speaker C: It's, again, it's all a conversation and there's, in my mind, I always have a sort of a wish list. And then we then talk to the sponsors about what they're thinking, and we always think about making sure that there's a balance of styles through the house.
So, as I mentioned before, the sort of the golden thread through the house, which is sometimes a bit of a mouthful to say, but I've managed it tonight, so that's great. And so it's making sure that, you know, we're. We're, you know, sort of fully representative in every area, really. And, you know, so, you know, we, you know, we have diversity and we have something sort of contemporary, something traditional, so there's something for everyone. And getting that balance is. Is. Is very critical. And it's like. It's like creating a. Well, an editorial. Well, in A magazine, it has to have a balance that resonates with everyone.
[00:29:08] Speaker A: Interesting. Is there like a committee? I've got sort of visions of you sitting behind a table like Alan Sugar or something.
[00:29:14] Speaker C: No, we have a steering committee who are incredibly dedicated and very helpful.
[00:29:19] Speaker A: Okay, excellent. And what about the designers choosing the suppliers they want to work with? Or is it the other way around if the suppliers choose the designers that they want to work with?
[00:29:28] Speaker C: Again, it could be a bit of both, really.
And what's wonderful is that the selection of suppliers that, you know, there's a vast array of suppliers that get sort of a platform within Warehouse and we support them because obviously they're making bespoke things for the designers and working incredibly hard.
So it's.
We make sure that we get. Give them as much publicity and love as possible as possible as well.
[00:30:05] Speaker B: I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about what you actually did in your media room. You've talked about the cable ones and stuff, but what did you. What did you actually do?
[00:30:11] Speaker E: What didn't we do? Yeah, well, to go to Claire's point, we, you know, they also really good matchmakers because we were paired with Alex, Alex Dorley for our room last year. So that was a pairing that the design center put together.
She was already involved in the room before we got involved with the room. So what was amazing is that Alex had a vision for the room which was beautiful.
She had no knowledge of the technology that would go in the room. And we had an amazing collaborative journey working together to stitch her design together with the technology to bring it to life. And we had a full audio, visual cinema media room system with surround sound, layered lighting that John Cullen designed, all controlled by Lutron. We had a piece of art that lifted up to reveal a bar. Claire was always trying to find the drinks in there.
I knew work out which buttons and the curtains going.
[00:31:06] Speaker C: Basically, no, wrong button.
[00:31:07] Speaker E: Automated curtains.
[00:31:08] Speaker D: Correct.
[00:31:09] Speaker E: Automated curtains. We had.
And. And all of this was stitched into the design. It was hidden and discreet and it was a real message on collaboration and how you work together to deliver beautiful things. And you don't need to see technology, you just need to feel it and the emotion of it. And that's what I think. The evolution of Warehouse has gone from spaces to experiences, and it continues to level up on experiences and how. What you feel as you walk through it, down to the scent and down to, you know, everything that you select in the room.
[00:31:41] Speaker A: And I remember speaking to you last year and it was fairly stressful those last Few days.
[00:31:46] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:31:47] Speaker A: But what's the value for you of being involved in Warehouse and how, how do you measure that as a sponsor?
[00:31:53] Speaker E: I think it's the people. It's the people you meet and people you work with. And for us, I think the probably greatest thing was our relationship with Alex last year. That's come out of. I've gained a friend for life and a collaborator for life. Like, I was speaking to her yesterday. Like, it's, It's. It's amazing, the bonds you form.
We said it's an incubator for greatness. Like, you know, being involved in Warehouse and those kind of relationships and those, those relationships with other sponsors or contributors or other interior designers. We were helping interior designers in the middle of the night with tools and bits. Everyone's helping each other, running around.
It's. That's very unique.
[00:32:27] Speaker C: So.
[00:32:28] Speaker B: So I was also fascinated. So last year, for the very first time, you actually had a facade. So you had Adam Architecture come in and do the facade. What, what difference did that make to the success of the installation and more broadly, the success of the show?
[00:32:42] Speaker C: Well, I just think it created the most incredible sense of arrival and with the sort of courtyard garden with wonderful Alex hall, and it was just utterly beautiful and people immediately arrived and just went, wow.
[00:33:03] Speaker D: Well, I think they didn't know where they were.
[00:33:04] Speaker C: It was great.
[00:33:05] Speaker D: Maybe it was really exciting. It kind of so displaced people from, you know, what their expectations.
[00:33:12] Speaker C: It was just incredible.
[00:33:13] Speaker D: It was magical.
[00:33:13] Speaker C: So this year we have the same facade with a twist, because obviously from the sustainability side, we always like to sort of repeat the facade, but Darren, of course, is creating something absolutely incredible.
[00:33:29] Speaker B: What new features and innovations can we expect to see this year?
[00:33:34] Speaker C: Well, I think.
I think we've got some incredible sort of developments on the technology side, and it's really exciting.
And the whole, as Dagesh said earlier, the immersive experience is going one step further and we have a new room that we've added, which is a wonderful sort of garden room, stroke folly, and which would be very, very beautiful. And there's just, every, every year, there's little twists and turns with, with the, with the, with the room selection and layout. So I think you're all going to be literally thrilled to bits.
[00:34:23] Speaker A: Benedict, are you involved at all this year?
[00:34:25] Speaker C: Well, no, not yet.
[00:34:29] Speaker D: This funny feeling, you know, it's a bit like it was sort of white Lotus, but a really, really, really strong hunch.
See that, by the way, really quickly. No, no, I, I'm, I'm looking forward to. I'M really looking forward to going to actually just go and visit it rather than having to make it because, yeah, it's, it's, it's the most incredible thing to have done. And I really have been so, you know, honored and thrilled and excited to have been involved over several years.
But it's a real challenge and, you know, kind of I'm looking forward to, to being a visitor this year.
[00:35:10] Speaker C: Well, no, well, we're, we're, you know, sort of. You're not going to get off that lightly.
But I, but also I want to say that don't forget it's a philanthropic event where we raise tens of thousands of pounds for charity. And for the third year this year, it's United in Design. And we basically, it's that, you know, we support any initiative that makes a difference. So. And we're introducing, because of the monies, we raised far more internships and encouraging young people from diverse backgrounds to come into the design world. So. And we've, you know, we've had Centrepoint and the TP Caring Spaces as well. So it's, it's a very important part of it. So every ticket sold, a proportion of it will go to charity as, as well as the gala Monday evening as well. So we mustn't forget that. So it's all, all that hard work and the collaborative effort actually is for the greater good.
[00:36:22] Speaker E: Fantastic.
[00:36:22] Speaker D: Let's have a round of Paul.
[00:36:28] Speaker B: To say thank you so much.
[00:36:30] Speaker C: Benedict Claire, thank you so much. Thank you.
[00:36:32] Speaker B: It's been the most amazing discussion. I've just loved every minute.
[00:36:36] Speaker A: My appetite is certainly whetted. Can't wait for when else. 2026. So we will be there and thank you to our live audience and our host here at the Design Club and the Design Center, Chelsea Harbour, for having us. Thank you so much. The interior design business is a Wildwood plus production. Thank you very much.
