This year – unbelievably its 15th edition – Clerkenwell Design Week felt both bigger and more considered. The festival has grown into a city-wide conversation about what design is for, who it serves, and how it must evolve. It felt like there were two key themes running through these conversations at CDW 2026: the craft of bespoke design, and of course, the importance of sustainability, which is no-longer an optional side-show, but part of the introduction, body and conclusion of any design conversation.
For designers, the district’s unrivalled concentration of showrooms opening their doors (around 160 of them apparently) provide a pool of inspiration, and this year CDW marked the opening of a few new kids on the Clerkenwell block. Australian brand ABI Interiors timed its opening with the festival, showcasing its distinctive approach to bathroom and kitchen specification in a space that was designed in collaboration with neighbours Conran & Partners. The beautifully curated environment reflected a broader trend seen throughout the festival: manufacturers investing in experiential showrooms that allow designers to engage with products within fully realised settings rather than traditional (and dull?) display formats.
Similarly Swedish flooring brand, Bolon, introduced Back2Bolon: a take-back initiative that makes its flooring and rugs genuinely circular. Bolon products can be returned to the brand’s recycling plant at end of life, where the materials are transformed into new floors and rugs. For hotel design where flooring plays a key role both in the design story and the budget reality, this kind of closed-loop offer is increasingly key in the conversation balancing aestheics and sustainability.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Hotel Designs.
