A Transatlantic Exchange

When it comes to the interior design industry, London is an essential destination – not just for British designers, but globally. Building and nurturing connections is one of the Design Centre’s strengths, which is why in January 2026 it welcomed more than 350 US designers as part of Design Destination London: they came to discover, learn, network and meet the experts behind some great British brands, all in the name of strengthening transatlantic ties.

The initiative was set up in 2024 by Lauren Hudson, president and CEO of The Wells Companies, whose stable of brands in the US includes prestigious British names such as George Spencer Designs and de Le Cuona. Noticing an appetite among American designers to seek deeper connections with British makers, she spearheaded a group trip where they could experience all this great design on a more personal level, with exclusive talks, demonstrations and excursions.

Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour has been an underwriter since the start, and it has seen the event double in size and turn into one of the cornerstones of the international design calendar.

The Design Centre’s participation in Design Destination London was anchored by a special talk between The Countess of Carnarvon and Steele Marcoux, editor-in-chief of Veranda. For the visiting US designers, the catnip was that the Countess’ seat, Hampshire’s Highclere Castle, served as the primary filming location for Downton Abbey – but the talk covered many other fascinating behind-the scenes stories.

She revealed secrets about living with a film crew, and sharing her home with cameras, cables and actors, but it was also enlightening to hear about her dedication to renovating and decorating a castle with more than 250 rooms. Balancing historical preservation with a family home is clearly a labour of love, and Lady Carnarvon has sourced at many of the showrooms in the Design Centre.

During the talk, she also discussed the estate’s evolution as a modern business, navigating the challenges of the 21st century while ensuring the estate’s legacy – from planting 22,000 trees to the success of Highclere Castle Gin. Further behind-the-scenes insights included how to entertain important guests such as the late Queen, and the collective power of a brilliant team when hundreds of Christmas baubles need to be hung.

Delegates spent the rest of the morning exploring supporting showrooms including Sanderson and Porta Romana, with highlights including a first look at the spring 2026 collection at Hector Finch.

Activities continued over the following two days: Tissus d’Hélène hosted a ‘transatlantic exchange’ between interior designers Kate Stamps, Guy Goodfellow and Adam Bray, where the trio discussed the nuances and contrasts between decorating in the US and the UK.

Stamps explained how she makes vastly scaled US homes feel on a more human scale; Bray noted how the Brits generally look for something “artfully mismatched” that appears to have evolved over time, while US homeowners lean towards a more tailored and coordinated look; and Goodfellow shared that, wherever he’s working, in the end it’s about “creating a world, and a backdrop, that’s deeply personal”. Over at GP & J Baker, the showroom hosted acclaimed US designer Corey Damen Jenkins, for talk and a book signing over lunch, alongside a preview of new spring collections from Threads.

It’s safe to say that Design Destination London nurtured the creativity of its 350 delegates for months to come – while showrooms benefited from access to a market that is many times larger than the UK’s.

Introducing the delegates to the Design Centre, CEO Claire German said that “there’s something so thrilling about experiencing great design in person and meeting talented creatives, too – that moment when you discover something new that sparks a whole new idea for a scheme.” If those sparks were real, the Design Centre would have been alight with the joy of finding beauty and craftsmanship at every turn, the spirit of innovation and the pleasure of making new connections.

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