London's Best Design Shops
The design-conscious shopper has no shortage of options in London, where you can find just about anything from cutting edge contemporary furniture and product design to vintage finds from a range of sources. And because design means different things to different people, we've put together a brief list of London's best addresses for those in search of stylish furniture, accessories, or inspiration that's as eclectic as the city itself.
9 Albemarle Street
Albemarle St
London, Greater London, W1S 4, UK
Paul Smith's London shop devoted to home design sells one-of-a-kind objects, art, and antiques from his buying trips the world over. Set up to look like an eccentric's … wild domicile, it's expensive and full of inspiration, especially those objects that Smith has customized and transformed with his uninhibited imagination and imaginative fabrics. [link]
Liberty
Great Marlborough St
London, Greater London, W1F 7, UK
This venerable Regent Street department store has a fabulous design department, with vintage and contemporary furniture, lighting, rugs, kitchen and tableware, in a … dizzying range of styles. You can find everything from a Murano chandelier to a new bath mat here, plus the work of up-and-coming designers like the Glasgow-based Timourous Beasties, whose quirky fabric covers the armchair pictured here. [link]
Aram Store
110 Drury Ln
London, Greater London, WC2B 5, UK
Zeev Aram opened his first showroom on Kings Road in 1964, before modern design was the cult it is today. Now located in a massive five-story converted food warehouse at … Covent Garden, Aram has become a destination for contemporary furniture, lighting, accessories, and more. One floor is reserved for showcasing new and experimental work from emerging talent. [link]
Twentytwentyone
18 River St
Islington, Greater London, EC1R 1, UK
This Islington shop is a great address for designer furniture, lighting, and accessories from a range of vintage and contemporary names from around the world. Sale and … clearance items available online. The shop also hosts events and product launches throughout the year. [link]
Labour and Wait
18 Cheshire St
Poplar, Greater London, E2 6, UK
This anti-design design shop in the East End sells simple, traditional goods from manufacturers the world over. From hardware to housewares (plus clothing), their … products celebrate the timeless and the functional, be it vintage or new. Labour and Wait also has a space at the fashionable Dover Street Market. Online ordering. [link]
Vessel
114 Kensington Park Rd
Kensington, Greater London, W11 2, UK
This shop/gallery calls itself "a modern Mecca for all those who appreciate good design and beauty in their life, to look at and to use." Vessel has a carefully curated … selection of globally sourced contemporary glassware, tableware, and ceramics, plus ongoing exhibitions and commissioned works by established and emerging British and European talent. [link]
Mint
70 Wigmore St
Paddington, Greater London, W1U 2, UK
A well-edited selection of designer furniture and accessories from around the world makes this two-level shop on Wigmore Road a must for design conscious Londoners. The … quirky space makes use of every corner, and you can find everything you need here for a stylish home -- from high-end designer pieces to more modest gift items. Mint also carries exclusive pieces, like a white rubber vase with room for 30 individual flowers or a rocking chair with a quilted leather seat. [link]
