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Festival of Upholstery 2026

Festival of Upholstery 2026

Celebrating the craft and artistry of upholstery, The Design Archives will be exhibiting at THE FESTIVAL OF UPHOLSTERY in the autumn. The trade exhibition is a dynamic two day event on the 2nd & 3rd October 2026 at The National Conference Centre, Solihull. This is a networking event for upholstery professionals and apprentices. There will be talks, demonstrations, awards and more. Created by upholsterers for upholsterers, this event offers a space to learn new skills, connect with industry suppliers, network with fellow professionals whilst enjoying a welcoming social atmosphere.

Buy your tickets HERE 

The Design Archives at Festival of UpholsteryThe Design Archives at Festival of Upholstery

Taste of Design roadshow 2026

Taste of Design roadshow 2026

Each year in May, The Design Archives with TASTE OF DESIGN, takes to the road. Taste of Design brings together some of the UK’s finest interiors brands in a series of curated events hosted in exceptional locations across the country. Designed to inspire interior designers, upholsterers, architects and design professionals, the roadshow offers the opportunity to experience a carefully selected collection of products, meeting the suppliers behind them, and connect with fellow creatives in remarkable settings.

The 2026 tour proved to be the most successful Taste of Design yet, with record attendance across the four venues. For the THE DESIGN ARCHIVES team, it was a genuine pleasure to step away from London, reconnect with long-standing customers and friends, and meet so many new faces along the way. The conversations, enthusiasm and support at every event made this year’s tour particularly memorable, and we’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us.

This year’s roadshow brought together 22 outstanding brands, each showcasing the very best in craftsmanship, materials and design. Among them were Ian Mankin, John Boyd Textiles, Edward Bulmer Natural Paints, Roger Oates Design, Haslam Lighting and Ian Sanderson, alongside many other respected names from across the interiors industry. The collaborative spirit between exhibitors is one of the defining features of Taste of Design, creating an inspiring environment where ideas, expertise and innovation are shared as freely as products.

Our journey took us the length of the country, beginning at the elegant Rudding Park in North Yorkshire before travelling south through Britain’s beautiful countryside finishing at West Horsley Place in Surrey. Each venue brought its own unique atmosphere and architectural character, providing the perfect backdrop for the collections on display. Among the highlights were the extraordinary interiors of Grittleton House, whose dramatic interior architecture does not fail to impress, and the breathtaking grandeur of CHATSWORTH HOUSE, where the scale and magnificence of the surroundings created an unforgettable setting for the event. These historic locations continue to remind us how contemporary design can sit alongside centuries of craftsmanship and heritage.

The British weather certainly kept us on our toes from glorious sunshine to dramatic hailstorms, often within the same day. Thankfully, whatever the forecast, the warm welcome from visitors and exhibitors alike ensured every event was full of energy and optimism.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make Taste of Design 2026 such a success. From our fellow exhibitors to the wonderful venue teams, and especially every designer, specifier and visitor who took the time to attend, thank you for being part of the journey. We hope for those that came, you left the event feeling inspired, having discovered new products, new ideas and new connections. We certainly did, and we’re already looking forward to seeing where Taste of Design takes us next.

 

The Design Archives on tour for Taste of Design Derbyshire countryside

Derbyshire countryside

The Design Archives team at Taste of Design Rudding Park

The Design Archives team

The hallway in Grittleton House, Wiltshire

The hallway in Grittleton House, Wiltshire

The Design Archives wallpaper

The Design Archives wallpapers

Visit Taste of Design, May 2026

Visit Taste of Design, May 2026

We are thrilled to announce that THE DESIGN ARCHIVES will be participating in the TASTE OF DESIGN 2026 roadshow. The Design Archives will be visiting four beautiful country house venues where we will be showcasing our fabric and wallpaper collections alongside a fantastic line up of luxury brands.

Chatsworth House (Derbyshire) 12th May
Rudding Park (North Yorkshire) 13th May
Grittleton House (Wiltshire) 19th May
West Horsley Place (Surrey) 20th May

Interior trade professionals are invited to register for this free event. Lunch & refreshments will be provided. At CHATSWORTH HOUSE there will be a talk by EDWARD BULMER, and prizes to win at the other locations such as a ROGER OATES travel bag. Visit www.tasteof.design for more information.

Brands exhibiting include Ian Mankin, Titley & Marr, Ian Sanderson, John Boyd Textiles, Roger Oates, Art of the Loom, Hunter & Hyland, Whitehead furniture and more…

 

Taste of Design Exhibitors

Art of the Loom joins the showroom

Art of the Loom joins the showroom

We are so happy to introduce our new SHOWROOM partner ART OF THE LOOM, a British brand with with generations of history in the textile world. Owned by Andrew Thornber, Art of the Loom is based in Clitheroe, in Lancashire’s beautiful Ribble Valley.

Andrew says, “It is now many moons ago that my great, great, great, great, grandfather Benjamin Thornber made that leap from farmer weaver to out and out textile man.” Art of the Loom was reborn out of a desire to produce pure, natural fibre fabrics and this journey of discovery has enabled the company to make a significant contribution to the UK textile manufacturing and finishing industry.

In The Design Archive’s showroom in Chelsea we are proud to showcase Art of the Loom’s beautiful new ARCHIVE collection, as well as some of their woven collections: CAMILLA (includes plains and ticking stripes) plus plains Dandy velvet, Sherborne linen mix and Elgar Shetland Wools.  You can also order their Oxford and Cambridge cushions, available in 2 sizes, in a fabric of your choice, made with skill and love in Lancashire.

Come and visit the showroom to view Art of the Loom’s collections, and collections from the three other brands: BENNETT SILKS, THE HOLBEIN COMPANY, and of course THE DESIGN ARCHIVES. We are open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday.

The Design Archives, Worlds End Studios, 132-134 Lots Road, London, SW10 0RJ

Shown in the lead photo, central we have Andrew Thornber (Managing Director & owner) and Hannah Kitchen (Creative Director) of Art of the Loom with Olivia and Faye from The Design Archives showroom

 

Wool plaid covered chair from Art of the Loom

Taste of Design roadshow 2025

Taste of Design roadshow 2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us at TASTE OF DESIGN 2025! It was an absolute pleasure to swap the office for the Taste of Design venues and connect with so many of you in person. Some of you reading this now will have met us there, and we’re so grateful you came.

Alongside 25+ brands, we popped up in four beautiful locations in Hampshire, Surrey, Essex and Kent. Each venue was truly inspiring, from elegant period architecture to lush, landscaped gardens. With complimentary food and drink for trade guests and a thoughtfully selected range of exhibitors, we hope you found it to be a worthwhile day out sourcing.

For those who requested THE DESIGN ARCHIVES fabric and wallpaper samples, they should be with you by now. If not, please get in touch with Olivia or Faye at info@thedesignarchives.com.

You can see more HERE. We look forward to seeing more of you next year!

Sharon Crowson with Celeste Chintz

Sharon Crowson, Owner and Creative Director with Celeste Chintz fabric at Penshurst Place

Olivia with Cyrus Jade

Olivia, Showroom Manager, with Cyrus Jade fabric at Penshurst Place

Taste of Design Penshurst Place Kent

A busy show at Taste of Design, Penshurst Place Kent

The Grange in Hampshire

An impressive facade at Taste of Design, The Grange in Hampshire

Taste of Design 2025

Taste of Design 2025

Have you got your ticket?  Soon THE DESIGN ARCHIVES will be taking to the road for the wonderful TASTE OF DESIGN 2025. We will be showing alongside other selected interiors brands such as Coordonné, John Boyd Textiles and Ian Mankin.

A Trade only event, each day is at a different venue chosen for it’s spectacular period architecture and grounds. Show dates and locations:

THE GRANGE, Hampshire – Tuesday 29th April
HYLANDS HOUSE, Essex – Wednesday 30th April
HAMPTON COURT PALACE – Tuesday 13th May
PENSHURST PLACE, Kent – Wednesday 14th May

Click HERE  for more information and to register for free, complimentary refreshments will also be provided.

The Design Archives at London Design Week 2025

The Design Archives at London Design Week 2025

A huge thank you to everyone who visited THE DESIGN ARCHIVES stand at LONDON DESIGN WEEK 2025!  We absolutely loved our ‘House Guest’ residency in Design Avenue and were so thrilled with the feedback received, especially the enthusiasm for the NEW SPRING GARDEN WALLPAPER collection. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our collections and welcome newcomers to The Design Archives, and reconnect with our loyal customers and suppliers.

Thanks too to DAVID SEYFRIED FURNITURE who provided the furniture on our stand and, our showroom partner, THE HOLBEIN COMPANY who provided the poles. David Seyfried’s elegant EDITOR chair and sofa are upholstered in CHLOE and HEIDI Gold linen fabrics with OPERA velvet piping, and their GEORGIAN foot stool is upholstered in MALAYA Sage linen with Opera velvet piping.

The walls of the stand are papered in wallpapers from the new Spring Garden wallpaper collection, the four designs in the collection are PERRYVALE, HEIDI, GARDEN STRIPE and CHLOE.

 

Sharon Crowson on The Design Archives stand at London Design Week 2025

Sharon Crowson, Creative Director, on The Design Archives stand at London Design Week 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Garden fabric on the David Seyfried furniture and Spring Garden wallpaper on the walls

Spring Garden linen fabric on the David Seyfried’s Editor furniture, also the NEW Spring Garden wallpaper on the walls

 

Framed documents from the Crowson Archive on Garden Stripe Celadon wallpaper

Framed documents from the Crowson Archive on Garden Stripe Celadon wallpaper

 

The Design Archives stand at London Design Week 2025, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour

The Design Archives stand at London Design Week 2025, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour

The Design Archives will be a House Guest at London Design Week 2025, Chelsea Harbour Design Centre

The Design Archives will be a House Guest at London Design Week 2025, Chelsea Harbour Design Centre

We are proud to announce The Design Archives will be once again a House Guest for London Design Week 2025 at Chelsea Harbour Design Centre. This year we will be launching the beautiful new Spring Garden wallpaper collection, which coordinates with our SPRING GARDEN fabric collection. Find us at stand G in Design Avenue, Monday 10th – Friday 14th March.

As well as the reputable interior brands permanently in the Harbour, we shall be exhibiting alongside a fantastic line up of other carefully curated House Guests, only in-situ at Design Avenue during the London Design Week 2025 show.

Sign up HERE to register for free.

Spring Garden Wallpaper

Some of the Spring Garden wallpaper collection. From left to right: Garden Stripe Celadon; Heidi Mist; Perryvale Gold; Perryvale Mist.

Decorex 2024

Decorex 2024

DECOREX had a wonderful buzz this year, the visitor feedback was so positive. The show was full of vibrant colour, exciting new brands, insightful talks and plenty of innovative ideas for sustainable design. THE DESIGN ARCHIVES, with our own signature pop of colour, shared a stand with our fantastic showroom partners BENNETT SILKS and THE HOLBEIN COMPANY.

The walls of our stand were decorated in MALAYA Denim and MALAYA PLAIN Paprika wallpaper from the BIRCHGROVE collection, follow the links to find out more. Other highlights to mention, the furniture was crafted and upholstered beautifully by DAVID SEYFRIED, using GRAND FLORAL Autumn fabric on the sofa, QARSHI fabric on the footstool and chair, and piping in our versatile OPERA velvet. We also had some cushions exquisitely quilted by LOUIS MOREAU.

For those who came to Decorex we are delighted to have met and caught up with so many of you. Thank you for coming and see you next year!

Sharon & father Derek Crowson

The Design Archives owner and Creative Director, Sharon Crowson, with her father Derek Crowson

 

Meet some of our Decorex team, Brian Lawrence from Bennett Silks, The Design Archives' staff Faye and Olivia with owner & Creative Director Sharon Crowson

Meet some of our Decorex team, from left to right, Brian Lawrence from Bennett Silks, The Design Archives’ staff Faye and Olivia with Sharon Crowson