Reflections from Paris Design Week and Design Destination London
The past two weeks brought me back into two design capitals that continue to shape how I think about design, Paris and London. While each city operates with its own rhythm and philosophy, together they offered a layered perspective on where European design is today and how those ideas continue to translate globally.
Paris, in particular, is my beloved city, the place where I grew up and where my design sensibility was first formed. Returning during Paris Design Week is always layered, part professional immersion and part personal homecoming. The city has a way of reminding me that design does not exist in isolation, but within culture, history, and everyday life.
This trip was not about seeing everything. It was about being intentional, seeking out spaces that offer depth and moments that continue to shape how European design translates into contemporary American homes.
Paris: Home, Continuity, and Cultural Fluency
Paris Design Week begins long before you step inside a showroom. During Déco Off, the streets themselves feel alive, animated by designers moving between destinations, windows layered with new collections, and the iconic Linen Lux fabric lanterns suspended overhead, casting a warm, textural glow across the city. It is a moment when Paris becomes a living design landscape and the boundary between design and daily life all but disappears.
Throughout the week, I spent time immersed in work that reflects depth, craftsmanship, and thoughtful evolution. Moments with heritage European houses alongside internationally respected American brands, including Fromental, Casamance and Misia, Houlès, Arte, Pierre Frey, Phillip Jeffries, Clarence House, Pollack Weitzner, Rubelli, and Nobilis, underscored a shared commitment to material intelligence, nuanced color, and refined texture. These collections speak quietly but confidently, designed to endure rather than impress all at once.
Several presentations stood out for their cultural and intellectual resonance. The Louis Vuitton Art Deco exhibition in collaboration with Dedar offered a layered exploration of materiality and heritage. Sean Leffers’ presentation, operating at the intersection of traditional luxury, American sensibility, and high-net-worth cultural fluency, felt particularly aligned, an environment less about introduction and more about shared aesthetic language. Time spent at Kraemer Gallery, including an in-depth visit led by Mr. Kraemer himself, provided a deeper understanding of the gallery’s historic context. That dialogue carried through to Soirée du XVIII, hosted by Jiun Ho, Shiir Rugs, and Lala Curio within one of Paris’s distinguished 18th-century galleries, reinforcing the enduring dialogue between art, design, and history that remains central to the city.
One of the added joys of the week was the series of cocktail gatherings woven throughout Paris Design Week, and they were truly a blast. These moments of shared energy and creative exchange complemented the more focused presentations beautifully. From brand-hosted receptions to broader industry celebrations, including the American Party in Paris and Samuel & Sons’ Masquerade, they added a lively, wonderfully social layer to the experience and reflected the interconnected spirit of the week.
I am deeply grateful for the remarkable access my involvement with the Design Leadership Network continues to provide during design events like these. From intimate presentations to cultural exhibitions, these experiences foster meaningful dialogue, thoughtful exchange, and a deeper understanding of the broader design landscape.
London: Process, Precision, and Contemporary Craft
If Paris is defined by cultural continuity, London offers clarity through process. Design Destination London provided a grounded and thoughtful counterpoint, with a strong emphasis on how ideas are translated into objects and how those objects ultimately live within a space.
The London leg of the trip began at the bustling Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, where the scale and energy of the space set the tone for the week ahead. Moving through the centre offered a broad view of how brands are thinking about material, color, and form, and how those ideas translate across markets.
Several moments stood out for their storytelling and cultural depth. The talk and book signing for Secrets and Stories from the Real Downton Abbey, moderated by Steele Marcoux, offered a compelling conversation around heritage, stewardship, and the evolution of historic homes. Having the opportunity to meet The Countess of Carnarvon and have my copy signed was a particularly special moment, one that underscored how deeply narrative and place shape design.
From there, one of the true highlights of the trip was a journey into the Surrey countryside to visit Porta Romana, where witnessing artisans at work, from lampshade making to sculpting and casting, reinforced the value of hands-on craftsmanship. Being immersed in the making process, and even participating in it, was a powerful reminder of how deeply craft informs meaning.
Back in London, time spent with studios and showrooms including PINCH, Robert Kime, Chelsea Textiles, Cole & Son, Cox London, The Kensington Paperie, The Lacquer Company, and The Odd Chair Company highlighted a shared respect for proportion, material honesty, and longevity. These are collections that reveal themselves slowly, rewarding restraint and careful attention, a sensibility that continues to resonate deeply in the work we bring home.
Reflections Moving Forward
Taken together, Paris and London offered more than inspiration. They reinforced the importance of cultural fluency in design, understanding where ideas originate, how they evolve, and how they are thoughtfully translated across markets and audiences.
For designers, brands, and homeowners alike, these two weeks underscored a shared truth: meaningful design is built on depth, not immediacy. It values craft, context, and intention.
As I return home, I carry both cities with me, Paris with its memory, vibrancy, and cultural continuity, and London with its clarity, restraint, and respect for process. Together, they continue to inform how I approach my work, how we design at Laure Nell Interiors, and how we contribute to a design conversation that extends far beyond any single week or destination.
