Once again WOW!house 2026 is a triumph. Here is a complete guide to the event with photos of every room

I think we can all agree that WOW!house 2026, at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, is an extraordinary feat of engineering, design excellence and sheer determination to build, fully furnish and present the best show house in the world in just a matter of days. But the organisers did it again (this is the fifth year of WOW) and the house will remain open until the end of June

There has been a flurry of social media commentary on what to look out for, favourite moments and hidden details. But I can’t choose the best bits so, instead, here is a summary of all 18 rooms plus outside spaces at WOW!house 2026. These photos don’t do the project justice, it is impossible to capture the atmosphere created by the interior designers, not to mention the curated Jo Malone fragrances, so I urge you to go and see WOW!house 2026 for yourself.

Garden Folly Facade by Darren Price of Adam Architecture for Hector Finch – Built to enchant, the Garden Folly offers a new element of surprise in the landscape of WOW!house 2026. In what Price calls a “moment of permission,” it allows him free rein to play with rules of classical architecture, nodding to the fun formality of the 18th-century. Central to the build is the collaboration with lighting designer Hector Finch whose new verdigris finish makes its global debut. Visitors have license to sink into reverie – or let loose.

Darren Price also created the main facade for WOW!house 2026, working with Size Group to reimagine a Georgian town house. Architectural gestures, include a sheltered loggia with elevated platforms to introduce depth, rhythm and a heightened sense of arrival

Garden Folly Room by Studio Enass  – A precious jewel box, layered with velvet seating, intricate coquillage, a decorative mirrored ceiling and vivid, patterned tiles. Blending her own heritage with Mannerist and Rococo notes, founder Enass Mahmoud brings softness and sensuality to an opulent oasis, part tropical idyll, part North African hotel

Artorius Faber Entrance Garden by The Gardenists  – Hay Hwang translates English landscape tradition into something deeply liveable. “The arched loggias, the lion mask fountain, the rhythm of the columns – every element has grammar and precedent,” she says. “It’s classicism, but worn lightly.” British stone by Artorius Faber provides an authentic foundation for the simple, powerful planting and naturalistic luxury that characterise The Gardenists’ style, inspired here by Georgian walled gardens and Capability Brown

Entrance Hall by Francis Sultana  – Francis Sultana is an award-winning aesthete whose refined homage to the great British entrance hall heralds artistry, authority and excellence. Merging English design and Continental flair, Sultana reinvents precedent in collaboration with artisans and craft-based brands. But this is no historical throwback. Filled with contemporary art and collectable design, exquisite elements delight and surprise at every turn

Turnell & Gigon Group Drawing Room by Albion Nord  – After a rollicking dinner, no one wants the evening to end. Guests retreat to this octagonal drawing room where formality and invitation go hand in glove. While the architecture skews Georgian, layered with hand-blocked Filling Spaces walling fabric and bespoke trimmings made by Les Passementeries de l’Ile de France, both from Turnell & Gigon Group and Tim Page rugs, together with soulful antiques, this room feels like a home for bright young things who believe in craftmanship, artistry and the idea that “there is no beauty without character.” A

Shepel’ Library by Róisín Lafferty – “Libraries represent something profoundly resonant to me. They are places of introspection, imagination and cultural memory,” Lafferty says. “They hold stillness, but also possibility.” With hidden alcoves and concealed doors (exquisite joinery is the work of Shepel’), the space has an uninterrupted flow shaped by discipline and restraint, hallmarks of this Irish designer’s practice. Reimagining Art Deco’s architectural grandeur and precise craftsmanship, Lafferty creates a seamless cocoon with sweeping curves of bespoke joinery, a dark and moody palette, intricate marquetry and high-gloss lacquer

Lalique Home Bar by Elicyon  – Seductive, shimmering, just 20 sqm, the Home Bar offers a journey for the curious, celebrating Lalique’s unmistakable artistic identity and its century-long mastery of crystal. Here, the material is fundamental, not just ornament – integral in lighting, objects, furniture and architectural panels. The result is serene yet spirited with backlit alcoves, hidden compartments, mirrored planes and unexpected niches

Benjamin Moore Minhwa Salon by Young Huh – Unapologetic maximalism celebrating Korean folk art and personal heritage – that’s how this New York-based designer creates a vivid, modern interior. Inspired by the Millions Room at Schönbrunn Palace with its Indian miniature paintings set inside baroque panelling, Huh insets lacquered walls with minhwa panels, hand-painted by Fromental using an array of Benjamin Moore paints. The result is immersive and joyful – an imaginative room where craft and cultural memory unfold in harmony

Phillip Jeffries Morning Room by Sara Cosgrove  – Informed by nostalgia for slower rituals – reading print magazines, long conversations, uninterrupted time and drawing boards – the Morning Room is enveloped in Phillip Jeffries’ ethereal Aura wallpaper. Celadon, cream and lavender tones create a sense of calm. This is a contemplative space shaped by poetry, clarity and quiet confidence, expressing this Dublin-based designer’s mantra: Design that elevates.

Salvesen Graham The Collection Primary Bedroom by Salvesen Graham  – Dusty pink, rhubarb and roses; block print and flamestitch; a soaring four-poster bed and an elegant Regency fireplace. Channelling the spirit of an historic American home, this transatlantic dreamscape offers a poised dialogue between architecture and decoration. Coffered ceilings, cornicing and panelled walls provide gravitas, softened with fabrics from Salvesen Graham’s latest collection. A literary spirit unfolds through books, antiques and firelit corners, creating a mindful retreat

Samuel Heath Primary Bathroom by Rigby & Rigby  – Shaped by Scandinavian and Japanese bathing rituals, this timeless space for wellness balances authentic materials and technological innovation. Refined aesthetics set a meditative tone, centred on a sculptural ofuru bathtub. In contrast, immersive digital landscapes evolve on large-scale screens, transporting guests anywhere in the world. Layered Japanese textiles harmonise with bespoke artwork and Samuel Heath’s exceptional fittings that testify to British craftsmanship. The result is elegant, sensory and captivating

Munder Skiles Courtyard by Richard Miers – Aged walls with gentle patina frame a serene, enduring retreat – an outdoor room where classical structure meets contemporary craftsmanship. Bespoke pieces from Munder Skiles gather around a central fountain, with cream limestone underfoot and layered plantings that complete the composition

Black Edition at Romo Speakeasy Salon by Studio Duggan – The room takes its cues from Black Edition fabrics. Walls wrapped in lustrous, dark brown linen have the sheen of softened lacquer. A bespoke plaster frieze anchors the tented ceiling. Generous curtains, loosely pinned back, heighten the sense of enclosure. The hidden bar is playfully concealed within Imani wallcovering. “Visitors will encounter moments of delight and intrigue, reinforcing the room’s central narrative: a meeting of tradition and contemporary expression,” Duggan explains

The Parlour by Martin Kemp Design – “Over the years, we have focused quietly on designing and building a strong client roster and body of work, much of which remains private,” Kemp says. “There is a natural sense of intrigue around what we do and this room seeks to express that spirit.”  Circular in plan, the Parlour encourages conversation and the free exchange of ideas in a discreet hideaway. Voluminous drapery creates depth and movement, controlling sightlines and the flow of experience

Misia for Casamance Group Bedroom Suite by Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay – The mix of Casamance fabrics, geometric plasterwork, carved wood, verdigris detailing, wall-to-wall carpet and modernist furniture celebrates the centenary of the Paris expo that gave the Art Deco movement its name. However, this former fashion stylist avoids pastiche, reinterpreting rather than just recreating the Deco style. She leans into the movement’s utopian aspect, its spirit of experimentation and internationalism with nods to Brazilian and Nigerian modernism and a hint of Brutalist style

Ca’ Pietra Bathroom by De Rosee Sa – Step into this Mediterranean idyll, the kind of bathroom you’d find in a perfectly aged hotel, firmly grounded with crafted architectural stonework from Ca’ Pietra, overlooking a garden, with the sea just beyond. You can almost hear the crickets, sense citrus in the air, perhaps catch the distant sound of a motorboat on the sea. Cinematic and slightly faded from time, the sun and memory, it’s atmospheric and transportive

Zardi and Zardi Withdrawing Room by Sean Symington Design – Long evenings would unfold gently in Symington’s take on a Georgian withdrawing room, with a bespoke games table almost always at play. The scheme centres on Zardi & Zardi’s Primavera print, based on an archival design at Sir John Soane’s Museum, and its striking tapestry ‘La Belle Vie – The Dance’. Antiques, traditional upholstery, decorative details and contemporary art balance formality, frivolity and plenty of flair

THG Paris Powder Room by Studio Mark Andrew – “Bathrooms used to be where we unplugged – a zen space – now we’re designing technology quietly within bathrooms to make everyday rituals feel like five-star experience,” designer Mark Partner says. “We want everything to glow, warm, or respond to your mood and voice effortlessly.” Their starting point: a sculptural tap custom made by THG Paris

Nucleus Immersive Room by Russell Sage Studio – Known for blending functionality and opulent, aesthetics, this studio’s range of work includes five-star hotels, exclusive members’ clubs, restaurants and private houses. Here, Sage reimagines home entertainment in what he calls ‘the Momentarium’ which combines luxury hand-craftsmanship with state-of-the-art audio-visual and lighting technology. Integrated from the outset, systems disappear visually but elevate the experience, with ceiling and wall-mounted screens creating atmosphere. “What inspires me about Nucleus is their ability to translate complex technology into something elegant and intuitive,” he says

Schumacher Dining Room by Max Rollitt  – Specificity is key for this much-admired interior designer, furniture maker and antiques dealer who imagines a room from the 18th century “at late afternoon, with the low sun coming in through the windows and the candles lit ready for guests.” His aim: to infuse the reference-rich room with warmth and joy – and make it work for today. Rollitt tapped into Schumacher’s archive for a terracotta damask to cover the walls, a lush silk and wool tablecloth and weighty, textural curtains

Martin Moore Kitchen with Samantha Bartlett – Rooted in the poetry of nature, the kitchen is conceived as a living environment that reflects the arc of a day. As the heart of the house, its atmosphere transitions and welcomes everyday rituals, supporting convivial evening gatherings, slow mornings and precious family time. Bartlett contemporises heritage references in a refined composition that brings together materials that will continue to patinate and evolve – tactile bronze handles, Martin Moore’s linear grained fumed oak cabinets and exquisitely and veined stone to complement soft green walls

Perennials and Sutherland Garden Terrace by Fettle Design – Inspired by Perennials’ latest collection, La Dolce Vita, the Garden Terrace embraces the joyful spirit of relaxed Mediterranean living, where colour, texture and craft come together in a celebration of outdoor revelry and peaceful moments. Curved architectural niches frame moments of greenery and sculpture. Bold pattern, striking marbles and Sutherland’s outdoor furniture layer together to evoke the warmth of seaside towns where life is for living

Charity partner

WOW!house 2026 is committed to the idea that design is a force for good. The three-year partnership with United in Design (UID) will continue through WOW!house 2026. UID was founded by interior designers Sophie Ashby and Alex Dauley to deliver an equal opportunity pathway for entry into the interior design industry for people from black, Asian, ethnic minority and socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. A portion of each WOW!house ticket and funds from the opening-night gala go towards supporting UID’s Career Pathway Programme, offering year-long internships, personalised coaching and workplace access to create opportunities for underrepresented talent. 

(photo credit: James McDonald)