Prepare to be WOWED
As the new WOW!House showhome hits Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour (1 June – 1 July), interior designer Linda Boronkay has plans to kick-start your imagination
‘It’s interior designers coming together to create their fantasies,’ says Linda Boronkay, explaining the concept behind Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour’s ambitious new venture. The Londonbased mastermind of several Soho House venues’ looks – from Amsterdam and Mumbai to Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds – is just one of the 20 renowned names creating a space within the 400-square-metre showhome. She’s collaborating with Pierre Frey (other partnerships include De Le Cuona and United in Design, and Schumacher with Campbell-Rey) in what is set to be a unique kaleidoscope of ideas.
‘It will create a sense of excitement and a buzz after the long lockdown,’ adds Boronkay, who found inspiration for her room in Pierre Frey’s ‘Egyptian’ collection. ‘Ancient Egyptian culture has long been an obsession of mine,’ she says. Taking fabrics from the range (including
‘I WANT VISITORS TO WALK AWAY WITH A SENSE OF AWE’
‘Amenhotep’, depicting priests pouring a libation for the god Osiris, and ‘Byblos’, which represents opulent Egyptian jewels), she has emphasised what she calls the ‘glamour and mystery’ of the era. The designs are blended with a mixture of modern and vintage pieces of furniture to create a layered look that has the impact of a theatre set. Architectural elements, including columns, will add extra drama, painted in a bold, high-gloss blue. ‘This was an important colour in ancient Egypt, symbolising fertility, birth, rebirth and life,’ explains Boronkay.
The opportunity to experiment has given everyone involved in WOW!House the chance to push boundaries – just a glimpse at Boronkay’s moodboard shows the fun that has been had. The hope is that it will inspire the same joy in others. ‘What I want,’ she says, ‘is for visitors to walk away with a sense of awe, with all their senses awakened.’ Tickets to visit the WOW!House showhome are available now from £20, with a percentage of proceeds going to the charity Centrepoint. Purchase online at dcch.co.uk