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

A development with a difference

Anna Solomon, digital staff writer

There’s a certain aesthetic – dubbed ‘modern luxury’ on TikTok – that, in my opinion, is the scourge of contemporary design. It’s a deliberate blend of minimalism, high-end materials and technological polish, and I see it so often in new hotels and developments that all those LED-lit, quartz-clad interiors start to blur into one.

So when I visited the showroom of The Capston, which marks the final phase of Embassy Gardens in Nine Elms, I sat up. This isn’t your standard, ‘safe’ London development. The Capston trusts that the right people will fall in love with its bold design, and they probably will.

The Capston’s interiors (developer Ballymore has created likenesses of some of the soon-to-be-built spaces in the showroom) are eclectic, sometimes eccentric, with more than a hint of art deco. There's a ceramic fireplace by Fabienne L'Hostis, stained glass from Stuart Suckling, a mural by Sam Wood, and enviable furniture from Bryan O'Sullivan Studio. The aesthetic will carry across 247 residences – studios to three-bedroom penthouses – in two buildings linked by a ground-floor pavilion and Japanese-inspired gardens.

What summed it up for me was the lift, which features a small niche housing a Vincenzo Muratore sculpture. Now that’s attention to detail.

A traveller's toast

Tianna Williams, staff writer

On the cusp of my friend spontaneously purchasing flights to Mexico, we celebrated with and evening of 'Vinyls by V87' at Viajante87. The Latin American listening bar is a hidden spot, a stone’s throw from Notting Hill Gate. ‘Viajante’ translates to ‘traveller’ in Spanish, reflecting the bar’s inspiration, which spans from Mexico down to Argentina, from Peru to Brazil. We were welcomed by Beatriz, who looked after us for the evening and explained the cocktail menu, divided into three sections: Be Courageous, Be Confident, and Be Curious. Naturally curious, I chose the latter – where you simply tell the bartender what you like, and they create a concoction bespoke to you. With drinks in hand, we enjoyed vinyls of Latin, Afro-international, instrumental jazz, funk, and soul while tucking into fresh guacamole and chips.

A Shoreditch surprise

Jamilah Rose-Roberts, social media editor

After a long stretch of deadlines, I finally took an evening to exhale and catch up with a friend over herbal tea. We met at what I thought was Nobu Hotel Shoreditch, only to find it had been reimagined as Aethos London Shoreditch, newly opened this October.

What was meant to be a quick tea turned into a slow, unhurried evening. The space feels beautifully composed – terracotta tones, brushed metal, and layered wood textures create a warmth that settles around you. The staff were warm and attentive, striking that rare balance between charm and calm precision – the kind of hospitality that makes you want to stay longer than planned.

Aethos draws on Shoreditch’s creative character, but with refinement; it feels more lived-in than staged, more conversational than performative. A new Japanese dining concept and members’ club will open soon, promising to deepen that rhythm.

Having stayed at Nobu before, I’ll be returning once the restaurant and additional spaces are fully curated. Something tells me it’s a place that will keep unfolding, one evening at a time.

An enlivening evening

Gabriel Annouka, senior designer

Thursday evenings are meant for domestic rituals and for pretending that early winter is restorative. Instead, I headed south for a night of performance. At Chemist Gallery, Fiontan Moran restaged Press Release, Hera Santos turned the bathroom into a site of soft resistance, and Anahita Harding held the room – and the staircase – in slow, devotional tension.

Later, at Ormside Projects, Coalesce combined narration, sound, and light. Helin Karabil, with Engin Eskici (aka DJ Baklava), delivered a visual and sonic architecture that transcended the ordinary, demanding full attention and immersion.

A runners reception

Anna Fixsen, US editor

The New York fashion world may lay claim to the first Monday in May, but the Big Apple’s running community owns the first Sunday in November – the day of the TCS New York City Marathon. While you won’t find me shivering on Staten Island at the start line this weekend, I joined Grammy Award-winning actor and singer Anthony Ramos (you’ll know him from a little production called Hamilton) Thursday evening to celebrate his first-ever run through the five boroughs. The event, hosted by Brooks, took place at Ramos’s own watering hole, Milly’s Neighborhood Bar, just blocks away from the marathon course in Brooklyn. He was joined by his coach, the one and only Des Linden, to discuss his training, his charitable efforts for Scholarship Plus, and – one of the biggest parts of conquering a marathon – his ‘why’: ‘I am doing it for my family, I am doing it for myself, I am doing it for the voices in my head that told me I couldn’t,’ the actor said. One of the themed cocktails of the evening summed up the audience’s sentiments best: ¡Vamos, Ramos!

A meeting of minds

Rosa Bertoli, global design director

This week, I was in Almería to take part in Cosentino’s C-Next event, a gathering of designers and other design professionals from 30 countries to discuss trends and the state of the industry from a variety of perspectives. Among the highlights was a welcome dinner inside a local greenhouse (pictured), and I had the opportunity to moderate a panel with designers Peter Ippolito, Chris Thornley of Conran and Partners, Rania Hamed, Amine Khouni, and Sam Boujada of Nexgen Construction. It was fascinating to hear such diverse perspectives on the industry and to discover how leading interior designers craft spaces that are both considerate and experiential.

A smooth journey

Sofia de la Cruz, travel editor

Flying Finnair from London to Tokyo is pleasantly calm for a long-haul trip. The connection in Helsinki sets the tone: pale wood, soft light, no frantic transit energy (from as little as 40 minutes). By the time you board the flight, you’re already half decompressed. The cabin has that Nordic, gallery-like quiet and lighting that makes the hours feel softer than they should. Service is warm in a low-key, almost discreet way, and the food hints at the enticing Finnish-Japanese overlap. You land feeling far less battered than expected: A smooth, minimalist bridge into the city of contrasts. Finnair flies from London Heathrow via Helsinki to both Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita, all year round, up to twice daily, from Helsinki to Tokyo.