We love this book! A total treat for anyone interested in good design and where to find it, Max Fraser’s London Design Guide 2012-2013 combines need-to-know information (with the occasional pithy observation) about retailers and auction houses, galleries and museums, plus industry experts’ own favourite places, essays on all aspects of design and places to eat and drink.
Divided into nine design ‘villages’, from Notting Hill & Ladbroke Grove in the west of the capital to Shoreditch & Brick Lane in the east, each section opens with a map pinpointing the featured venues with an invitation alongside it to ‘take a walk’ with one of the area’s local business owners or residents. These include Kit Kemp of Firmdale Hotels’ Covent Garden & Holborn; design author and journalist Bradley Quinn’s Soho & Fitzrovia; and Mint’s Lina Kanafari on Chelsea, Knightsbridge & Brompton.
Then we get to the pages devoted to the establishments that Fraser has visited, from world-famous stores and galleries to quirky, one-of-a-kind ventures that you might never find yourself – treasures that are discovered only by accident or through word of mouth, or via this guide!
At the end of each section, there are two pages devoted to the best cafés, restaurants, delis and butchers, including some old favourites – Bocca di Lupo, L’Anima, The Ginger Pig – and some intriguing new names – The Elk in the Woods, Look Mum No Hands (a café for cyclists!), Roganic.
Dotted throughout are essays on design by experts in their field, including ‘Designing’ by industrial designer Benjamin Hubert; ‘Identifying’ by typographical designer and owner of Rocket Gallery, Jonathan Stephenson; and ‘Appreciating’ by Hugh Pearman, The Sunday Times architecture and design critic and editor of the RIBA journal.
The back of the book contains a selection of Fraser’s favourite furniture, lighting and accessory designs, discovered on his travels, plus a tenth section, entitled ‘Citywide’ and covering notable businesses in those areas not included within the nine villages, from Hatch End to Crystal Palace, Hackney Wick to Tooting.
The book is the perfect size for popping in a handbag or manbag before venturing on a shopping trip and a fascinating bedtime read – we’re fans!
The London Design Guide 2012-2013 costs £12 and is available from our Chelsea Store.
