September brings a packed calendar for design enthusiasts, headlined by the London Design Festival and the 35th edition of the Open House Festival. Alongside these events, several affordable design collaborations launch, along with new lighting collections, an archive furniture sale and a crop of interior design books.
Open House Festival and London Design Festival
The Open House Festival runs from September 12 to 21, offering a chance to explore iconic buildings normally closed to the public. Highlights include the Lloyd's of London building, designed by architect Lord Rogers, which marks its 40th anniversary this year, and the Roman Basilica and Forum remains beneath Leadenhall Market. Walking tours cover themes from City filming locations to Brutalism and high-tech architecture. New to the programme is The Print House, a Victorian paint factory in Dalston dating from 1870 that survived the Blitz and now serves as a creative hub with a roof park and an original Second World War bunker.
The London Design Festival (September 12 to 20) is open to creatives and thinkers across all mediums. Notable installations include the Pangolin Shield, a large bamboo piece by Studio Saar and Atelier One on the Strand exploring colonial legacies, power and ecological exploitation. TwentyTwentyOne in Islington curates an exhibition celebrating Spanish interior designer Miguel Milá, while Gallery FUMI in Mayfair presents After School, featuring recent graduates and alumni from the Royal College of Art across textiles, ceramics and design. At Béton Brut in E9, the Masur Edition by Isokon reinterprets four 1936 Marcel Breuer designs in rare masur birch veneer. SCP also opens a new five-storey townhouse on Clerkenwell Green, designed with Nice Projects, showcasing designs by Bitossi, Källemo, Shore Studios and Very Simple: Kitchen.
New Collaborations and Lighting Launches
H&M Home launches a 29-piece range with American interior designer Kelly Wearstler on September 3, priced from £24.99. The collection includes candle holders, lamps, vases, modular side tables and accent chairs, with the cloud-like Soluna lounge chair as a standout piece that can be configured into a sofa when bought in multiples. MADE has also launched a 23-piece collaboration with the Barbican, drawing on archival research, original apartment layouts and the work of designer Miriam Howitt, with prices starting from £32. For candle season, Reena Simon has created a trio of three-wick scents for Beauty Pie, presented in a reusable ceramic vessel (RRP £65; members' price £39).
Lighting takes centre stage as evenings draw in. Abask, an e-tailer championing craft, launches a dedicated lighting category with designs from specialist makers based in countries from India to Denmark, featuring materials such as leather and shell, with prices from £499. Beata Heuman is launching the 188 Light Collection, originally designed for its studio and showroom at 188 Hammersmith Road; the picture lights, rail options and articulated shades are now for sale, with prices starting from £200 plus VAT for a perforated single spot.
Archive Sale and New Books
For Second Hand September, Vinterior has invited five London brands to reimagine a pre-loved chair from its archive. Results include a small mahogany settee on cabriole legs recovered in striped Irish linen from shirtmaker With Nothing Underneath, and a B&B Italia Metropolitan Me84 armchair reupholstered in contrasting green and pink houndstooth wool from menswear brand Oliver Spencer. House of Hackney and artists Harlie Briggs and Sam Wood have also participated. The Sit Differently collection starts from £1,200 and launches on September 15.
New books this month include How to Start an Art Collection (Thames & Hudson, £35, out September 3) by Partnership Editions founder Georgia Spray, offering practical guides on navigating the market, framing and hanging. No Place Like Home (Quarto, £30, out September 10) by Jojo Barr, founder of design studio House Nine, covers flow, incorporating colour and embracing imperfection. For country house enthusiasts, The Romance of Classicism: Designing the English Country House for Today (Rizzoli, £47.95, out September 8) by George Saumarez Smith, a director of ADAM Architecture, celebrates elegant homes built in the past 20 years.
