London Design Festival 2024 Trends

One of the largest events in the global design calendar, London Design Festival has become a highly anticipated fixture in the industry since it was launched by Ben Evans CBA and Sir John Sorrell CBE in 2003. In 2019, the Festival welcomed a record-breaking 600,000 individual visitors from over 75 countries as it continues to play a key role in the growth of the design industry globally, drawing in the country’s greatest thinkers, practitioners, retailers and educators.
As the Festival continues to bolster London’s position as a global destination for business, culture and tourism, attracting visitors from around the world, it remains a valuable source for current and future trends. Below, we highlight the top trends we spotted throughout the festival to look out for in 2025.

Playfulism

Since it featured on the cover of Livingetc’s July issue, Playfulism has continued to grow as the interiors trend to watch. Playfulism, which is defined by a contemporary approach to retro and Art Deco interiors, was positioned more than ever as the trend du jour at this year’s festival, appearing everywhere from new collections to landmark projects.

In Strand, an area of London defined by romantic, Parisian-style architecture, Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama’s Landmark Project ‘Pavilions of Wonder’ leant heavily into this trend, introducing a vibrant pop of pink to the area. Presented by Mattel, Inc.’s Barbie® and Visit Greater Palm Springs, the installation took its inspiration from the mid-century modern design of Barbie’s DreamHouse and brought a joyful respite to the bustle of London’s Strand.

At their annual exhibition, Sketch London presented an installation by artist and fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, which immediately envelops you in a palette of vibrant blue, green, yellow, orange and magenta. Sketch is known for its colourful interiors and unique pod toilets and the bold design leans even more into the Playfulist interiors trend to create an impactful entryway.

Elsewhere, Tom Dixon presented his new seating collections: PLUMP and FAT. Versatile and luxurious, the range embraces the round shapes and playful silhouettes that define the Playfulist aesthetic.

Vibrant Pastels

Closely linked to the Playfulist aesthetic, vibrant pastel hues took centre stage, as we move away from the dustier, 70’s inspired shades of browns, burgundies and reds that dominated at Clerkenwell and Milan Design Weeks earlier this year.
Claire German, CEO of Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, noted: “We’re seeing a refreshingly vibrant palette this autumn featuring aqua, prickly pear pink, spearmint green, and sky blue.”

Looking again at Nina Tolstrup’s ‘Pavilions of Wonder’, bright Barbie pink was complemented by a lighter, powder pink, and softer shades purple and blue. At Cubitt’s Islington store, nine interpretations of spectacle frames designed by nine renowned creatives prominently featured designs by Yinka Ilori, whose Joy goggles were designed in a bright yellow ombre, and artist Wilfrid Wood’s playful hand design put pastel pink front and centre.

Light & Ambience

At this year’s festival, we saw a deeper exploration of how light can transform an interior’s atmosphere, a central theme at two of this year’s Landmark Projects.

At the Old Selfridges Hotel, Liquid Light by celebrated artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast and Johnnie Walker was an immersive installation exploring the innovation and craftsmanship of glassmaking. Its clever use of light to manipulate glass shadows created a mesmerising and elegant display, elevated by music composed by James Bulley.

In Somerset House, another Landmark Project by Marjan van Aubel Studio – The Sun, My Heart – explored the importance of human connection to the sun. Aubel, who is renowned for solar innovation, designed the constellation of lights to mimics the sun’s daily cycle, exploring our emotional connection to light.

London’s Montcalm Collection similarly explored the effect of light on our psyche with its installation, ‘Sunday Light’. Created by RCA graduates Nat Martin and Sean Hammett, the LED installation “uniquely demonstrates how thoughtful engineering and design can uplift and counter those seasonal effects,” explained Samantha van Exter, head of hotels at the Montcalm Collection.

From Nature

Sustainability is a theme that is impossible to ignore, as it continues to dominate trends and aesthetics in the design world.
This continued to be apparent during London Design Festival, where Material Matters at OXO Tower put reclaimed and recycled materials front and centre – from Arper’s Catifa Carta Chair constructed from PaperShell, a material made from a composite wood by-product and timber waste, to homeware by Rosy Napper created from recycled ceramic ash.
Grant Gibson, host of the Material Matters podcast, told The Times: “we’ve been careless about the way products are manufactured and consumed for two generations. It’s fascinating to see a tranche of designers working out what we should do with the things people leave behind.”

As well as creating new material from nature, the colours and aesthetics of the outdoors inspired design itself. Diptyque’s New Bond Street store presented ‘Imaginary Harvest of Hazelnuts’ by Cyril Lancelin, an immersive sculpture of giant, 3D printed hazelnuts inspired by Diptyque’s herbarium, endlessly reflected by the adjacent mirrored wall.

Edward Bulmer, the natural paint brand with a core emphasis on sustainability, collaborated with artist Jess Wheeler on ‘Under the Acanthus Leaves’: lighting inspired by the sculptural elegance of acanthus foliage and painted in a palette of four hues inspired by the seasons.

Heritage & Community

Taking inspiration from our personal heritage, culture, and creating space for community has always been a core element of design. Several LDF projects this year highlighted the importance of connecting through design, particularly at the V&A.

‘Communion’ reimagines the practice of making ‘fufu’ – a West African staple food – with a communal pounding table, highlighting the process making and sharing a meal as a point for exchange and discussion.

Memories in Motion focused on the SIM card, as an international ID card and a key tool for intimate connection that unlocks ‘smartphone suitcases’, to provide a portable sense of belonging.