Matt, Harry and myself recently returned from a festive weekend in London. 

We wanted to see the new Vitra showroom at Tramshed in Shoreditch (Rivington Street), pay a visit to SCP on Curtain Road and Tom Dixon at Coal Drops Yard and share what we found inspiring and exciting with you.

Vitra at the Tramshed

The new Vitra showroom is incredible. Once a power station for the Eastern London Tramway, it’s a Grade II listed building that was designed in 1905 by Emmanuel Vincent Harris. The renovation was led by Vitra’s creative director of Scenography Til Weber. It’s been renovated with such respect for the original features and history. The building is double height (originally to house cranes and machinery). Vitra have created an open plan layout that’s split into different areas with soft dividers and curved rails with sound-proofed curtains.

In the central space there is the Terrazzo Bar which was perfect to sit at and eat pizza and salads; Harry thoroughly enjoyed it here. He also loved reclining and trying out all the lounge chairs.

The gallery space downstairs is a huge white box that will be used as an exhibition space. It's currently showing Jean Prouvé's work.Being able to see so many of his designs in the one place was a real treat. Our favourite piece was one of the original Standard Chairs on display. It was really good to see the new Jean Prouvé pieces that Vitra have launched in the flesh too like the Rayonnage mural shelving and the Tabouret Metallique Stool.

We loved the Mezzanine space above the main central space, featuring the new Polder sofa in a new colour palette which is another favourite of ours and the Prouvé Fauteuil de Salon chairs.

The showroom looked very festive with its huge simplistic xmas trees and the Akari lights.

It was so good to try out all of the furniture. The most comfortable lounge chair was the Grand Repos with its footstool, definitely one to add to our wishlist for our own home in the future.

SCP

It’s been a little while since we’ve been able to visit SCP's showroom on Curtain Road.

The showroom looked fantastic; we loved all the new upholstery. We sat on the most comfortable sofa ever, the Puffer sofa by Philippe Malouin. It’s like getting a hug from a sofa!

All the new upholstery looked great, the fabrics were especially beautiful from the British company The Yarn Collective, who produce some of the loveliest fabrics in the most beautiful colour palettes.

Another favourite of ours in the SCP showroom was the Ewelina recliner in a gorgeous green boucle fabric, so comfy add the reclining mechanism is so smooth.

Tom Dixon

We love Coal Drops yard and always make sure the when we go to London that we leave time to visit and have something to eat before travelling home from Kings Cross. It was very festive to see the contemporary xmas trees and decorations and wander around the Christmas fair with a mulled wine.

We popped in to see the impressive Tom Dixon showroom that welcomes you as you enter coal drops yard.

The contrast of Toms lights and furniture against the background of the architecture with its old arches and brick look amazing. We saw lots of pieces we'd not seen before like the cork furniture which was so tactile and with its curves is very satisfying. The Tom Dixon Marble fan tables were another favourite of ours.