The capital — and the design world — is finally waking up from deep winter hibernation. The flea markets are easing back into trade and the few quid charged for entry are well worth it for a day out, even if you leave empty-handed.
Elsewhere, exciting new collaborations are cranking up as industry insiders geek out at the Surface Design Show (Business Design Centre Islington, Feb 3-5), which is proud to be the UK's only show dedicated to surface material innovation.
Lighten up!
Beautiful lighting can be extortionate, so an exciting new collaboration between accessibly-priced Plank Hardware and Good Bones is welcome.
Launching Feb 10, designer Leanne Kilroy has conceived a trio of jewel-like fixtures in mixed metals with perforated shades. A vintage pendant that Kilroy admired in a former rental and never had any luck in tracking down inspired the Vesper conical pendant light (£169). There are two chic wall lights in the mix too: the Domino (£119) with a handy swivel arm, and Stella (£149) which sits flush to the wall.
All are intentionally petite in size and ideal for illuminating bedsides, hallways, bathrooms and compact spaces.
Book club
Your postage-stamp of a backyard might be too small for a herb garden, never mind a sauna, but it’s fun to daydream. Ridiculously Good-Looking Saunas (gestalten, £40) by Chris Selman, an authority on the matter (and founder of luxurious sauna maker Out of the Valley), whisks the reader away to forest cabins and lakeside pavilions where great design pervades.
Minimalists, meanwhile, will rejoice at the publication of The Quiet Home (out February 12, Mitchell Beazley, £27). Author Michelle Halford has created an authoritative guide to “house hushing”, detailing design principles and strategies for dialling down the visual noise around a space.
Thrift o’clock
There are markets every weekend through February: The Giant West London Flea (Feb 1) takes over Wembley Park on the same day that The East London Vintage Furniture & Flea Market returns to the Art Pavilion at Mile End Park.
On February 8, the Giant London Flea heads to the Olympic Park, while the Chelsea Old Town Hall Vintage Furniture & Flea Market is an ideal destination for rummaging.
On February 21, the Camden Flea Market is popping up at Cecil Sharp House, while Hackney Flea Market is in Stoke Newington on February 21 and 22. Not forgetting Marylebone Vintage Furniture & Flea Market at St Cyprian’s Clarence Gate on February 20.
Call in the experts
Interior designers charge (quite rightly) handsomely for their expertise and prefer working on large-scale projects. For the moments when you need to bat ideas around or a professional, honest opinion, an hourly consultation is just the ticket.
Design expert Kate Watson-Smyth has launched a tiered system, with £350 netting you a one-hour chat and an annual subscription to her tip-tastic Substack; or choose from blocks of five, eight or 10 consultations with WhatsApp chats for extra support (the more you buy, the lower the price, down to £225/hour).
Designer Alice Palmer — best known for her box-pleat lampshades and tropical-adjacent aesthetic — has also branched out into interior design guidance after gutting and renovating two London homes. From £275 per hour, you can hook up via Zoom, or meet one-on-one at her boutique on Golborne Road.
Collect at Collect
Championing contemporary craft since 2004, Collect returns to Somerset House (Feb 26 - Mar 1, tickets £32) with over 40 global galleries exhibiting ceramics, tapestries, installations and sculptures produced by over 300 living artists, the majority within the last five years.
This iteration is the first under the directorship of former Wallpaper* editor TF Chan, and will see a notable addition of collectible design and furniture, as well as 11 new platforming artists under the Collect Open 2026 umbrella.
Desk mate
Spruce up your workspace with a pick-me-up from design duo Supergroup’s Oddments collection, produced exclusively for The Conran Shop.
Spanning 20 colourful ceramic pieces, ranging from the decorative (see the oversize flower and snail) to the functional (pen pots and trays) — there is something to boost every desk’s morale at a time when it is needed the most (prices range from £30 to £85).
