Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week

A temple of textiles

Anna Solomon, digital staff writer

What started as a coffee meeting at Farm Shop turned into a morning of mentally reconfiguring my home when we popped over to nearby Mount Street to visit Nordic Knots’ showroom. My colleague Ali Morris covered this impeccably curated space, which is open until March, for Wallpaper*; still, I couldn’t resist immersing myself in the world of a brand whose exquisitely tasteful yet (somewhat) accessible rugs I’ve long admired. Nordic Knots’ London debut is tucked inside a discreet Mayfair townhouse, showcasing its textiles – from bed linen and curtains to rugs and throws – alongside sleek industrial touches and a mix of antique and contemporary pieces including a 1920s desk and Swedish glass lamps. Pure heaven – and members of the public can drop in anytime.

Dreaming of Accra

Ellie Stathaki, architecture & environment director

Architect Glenn DeRoche was in town this week, so we met for a coffee and a catch-up near the Wallpaper* HQ in west London. We talked about travels and cultural destinations, as well as his recent project in Accra – the tennis court at the Backyard Community Club – and how its earth-building methods give it a unique feel (and even aroma). (I also hear there are potential future expansion plans in the works, all to be confirmed.) We talked about living in Accra, the art scene, and his own work there, from upcoming projects to developments within his studio, which has been expanding healthily in both space and numbers. It was so exciting to hear about the buzzing capital of Ghana; it made me want to go even more.

Life lessons from Tilda

Anna Fixsen, US editor

Monday, packed like a sardine among an impeccably-dressed horde at Dover Street Market New York, I eagerly awaited for Tilda Swinton to enter the room. The actor was in Manhattan to celebrate the launch of her first-ever book, Tilda Swinton: Ongoing which is a reflection on a life lived creatively and an homage to friends past and present. Swinton (dressed in a chunky ‘Stay Faithfull to Marianne’ jumper by S.S. Daley) treated us to a reading, which included an intimate letter to her late friend and collaborator Derek Jarman, as well as a list of dictums for radical living. On Swinton’s list? ‘Grow plants’ and ‘feel your courage’. My houseplants, unfortunately, are all dead. So, book in tow, I made a beeline to the autograph table for a giddy fangirl moment.

A seasonal spread

Ailis Bickford, digital project manager

This week, I revelled in the ever-grey London skies and enjoyed lunch at Toklas, a Mediterranean restaurant tucked away near the Strand in a matching grey brutalist building. Founded by Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover – the creators of Frieze magazine and art fair – the restaurant is far warmer than its exterior suggests. Inside, concrete walls are softened by wooden accents and autumnal hues from a patchwork of assorted posters, all complemented by a fully adorned bar. The menu is seasonal, so don’t miss their ricotta and sage casoncelli (a type of stuffed pasta) or the beetroots with stracciatella, pomegranate and mint. Next time, I’ll be sure to stop by the bakery conveniently located next door.

Memories of Japan

Sofia de la Cruz, travel editor

I’m easing myself out of what I’ve decided to call the post-Tokyo trip blues. The timing helps: I’ve just had all my film developed, and the scans have become a portal back to the city’s contrasts. It was my first time trying a Candido 800 roll, and the night frames in particular surprised me: moody, cinematic, washed in a soft electric glow.

A showroom summit

Rosa Bertoli, global design director

This week the Wallpaper* team braved the chilly London temperatures and visited the Minotti showroom to look at the new launches from 2025. It always feels like a privilege to be able to stop and discover new designs away from the fast pace of fairs and design weeks, and this week also marked an opportunity to sit down with architect Hannes Peer, who has authored several pieces for Minotti (including the Yves sofa, pictured). Over coffee with Peer and the Minotti team from Milan, we had the opportunity to chat about design and much more – a perfect reminder of the power of design connections.

A festive foreword

Jamilah Rose-Roberts, social media editor

This week, I took a trip into town that turned out to be far more enchanting than anticipated. Annabel's has revealed its annual festive façade, The Wardrobe: A World of Wonder, and approaching Berkeley Square felt a little like walking into a whispered secret. The installation appears suddenly: an ornate wardrobe tall enough to challenge the trees, its doors opening onto a wintry dreamscape of snow-dusted branches, shimmering icicles and a porcelain lion poised with a kind of gentle majesty.

Designed by Tatiana Kharchylava, creative director of The Birley Clubs, the façade draws on childhood imagination and the quiet bravery tucked inside small hearts. Tatiana describes it as a ‘celebration of light in the darkness’. I found myself thinking of it as a meeting point between Narnia, a couture fairytale and the kind of guardian figure you might have invented as a child. It is theatrical in the most tender way.

Inside Annabel’s, Johnnie Walker Black Ruby cocktails and small, carefully crafted canapés brought a gentle warmth back into the room. It was the sort of night when the city feels briefly transformed, and where celebration finds its own gentle swing.

A soul-stirring show

Charlotte Gunn, director of digital content

On Monday evening, I saw Lorde bring her ‘Ultrasound’ tour to the O2. I consider her 2017 album, Melodrama, to be amongst the finest pop records of the last decade, so discovering that her new album, Virgin, dives even deeper into club culture was a joy. The show played out like a sleek, industrial rave: hard white light, lasers, and Lorde dressed in a T-shirt and jeans – climbing a ladder, writhing around on the floor, even running on a treadmill. All in all, it was a truly euphoric start to the week.

A Spanish sojourn

Nick Vinson, contributing editor

This week I flew to Galicia for a few days of winter sun, design and local food. My first stop was Inditex for a tour of the mind-bogglingly large Zara Campus in A Coruña. I visited the design teams of Zara, Zara Man and Zara Home; their sample-cutting ateliers, photo studios, and an entire floor of mock-up stores showcasing all the latest merchandise.

Then I headed to Santiago de Compostela to visit Casa RIA, the headquarters of Fundación RIA. The historic building houses the independent non-profit think tank and agency founded by David Chipperfield in 2017 to promote sustainable development and quality of life in Galicia. It also includes restaurant and café A Cantina, an office for David Chipperfield Architects, and accommodation for visitors.

That night, David, Evelyn and Celeste Chipperfield took us to one of their local restaurants, hidden behind an unassuming door, for a sensational meal that included life-changing Cantabrian anchovies and three desserts. The next morning, we visited the local market and stocked up on some artisan cheeses (also sensational).

Then it was back to A Coruña for the opening of Wonderland, the first major retrospective of Annie Leibovitz’s work in Spain, at the Marta Ortega Pérez Foundation. MOP is housed in a former industrial area of the port of A Coruña, repurposed by architect Elsa Urquijo. Guests included directors Pedro Almodóvar and Luca Guadagnino, Linda Evangelista, Karen Elson and other stars of Leibovitz’s photography, as well as many independent creatives who collaborate with Zara.

I loved revisiting Leibovitz’s work, especially her portfolios for Vanity Fair during Graydon Carter's golden era. And of course, we ate really, really well this time, with meals prepared by chefs Albert Adrià and Marcelo Tejedor.