Out of office: What the Wallpaper* editors are looking forward to in April

In our new monthly series, we highlight the products, places and experiences we’ve bookmarked – and that you won’t want to miss.

April is high season for design, with Milan Design Week kicking off on the 19th. But if you’re not bound for Italy, there’s a whole world to explore as the days stretch longer, brighter and full of promise – especially with a four-day Easter weekend within reach. Read on for the season’s freshest fragrances to spritz, the architecture to watch for, and the art exhibitions to peruse – or the cemeteries, if that’s more your sort of thing.

The event: Milan Design Week 

Anna Solomon, digital writer

April means one thing at Wallpaper* HQ: the annual citywide showcase of Milan Design Week, and its centrepiece, Salone del Mobile. From 19-26 April, the Italian capital will transform into a vast, walkable design playground, as brands, studios and ateliers throw open their doors to unveil their collections.

Much of the team will be making the pilgrimage to take the temperature of the year ahead. I’ll be heading to Milan with Veuve Clicquot, which is launching ‘Chasing the Sun’ – a collection of design-led champagne accessories created in collaboration with British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Illori, which riffs on Veuve’s signature, joyful yellow.

Make sure to follow along via our live blog, where we’ll be sharing the week’s biggest stories as they unfold.

The exhibitions: Sylvia Sleigh and 'Eel Pie Hotel'

Hannah Silver, art, culture, watches & jewellery editor

In a packed month in the cultural calendar, I'm looking forward to going more in-depth. For the crop of upcoming smaller shows – including Daniel Malarkey's celebration of lesser-known artist Sylvia Sleigh and Nick Goss' take on the former island in the Thames, Eel Pie Island Hotel, at Josh Lilley – I plan on taking a closer look at the works, talking to artists and curators and gleaning a sense of how an exhibition is brought to life.

The day trip: Green-Wood Cemetery, New York

Anna Fixsen, US editor

April is one of the busiest stints on the international design calendar (I will be heading to Milan Design Week with the rest of the Wallpaper* crew), but one can’t-miss spot to visit this spring offers a place to rest – forever, if you please. Green-Wood Cemetery, considered the Père Lachaise of Brooklyn because of famous ‘residents’ including Leonard Bernstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat, is opening a brand-new visitors centre this month.

The inauguration is a significant moment in Green-Wood’s long history as one of America’s first rural cemeteries and a landscape arboretum: while the site features a grand Gothic-style arch (populated by a famous flock of rogue monk parakeets), it lacked a central gathering place to orient visitors wishing to explore its 478 rolling acres. The new building, located just across the street, was designed by local firm Architecture Research Office and combines a historic greenhouse (originally used for mourners to purchase flowers) with a glossy new terra-cotta-clad building containing exhibition, research, office and event space. Talk about a near-death experience!

The artist: Gabriella Persia

Tianna Williams, staff writer

While the lighter evenings are more than enough to look forward to this month, I am also excited to see what young artist Gabriella Persia will work on. I stumbled across her work online and was captivated by her whimsical aura and style, which sit somewhere between Shakespeare’s 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' and 1920s Paris. Her work boasts an ethereal, painterly style, offering an array of hybrid forms that seamlessly blend together – creating a glimpse of a story already in medias res. In a world where everyone is beginning to look the same, Persia stands out.

The fragrance: Ffern 

Tianna Williams, staff writer

An additional spring favourite is the sustainable perfume brand Ffern. Each fragrance is released on a solstice or equinox – turning points in the year as the Earth orbits the Sun. With four releases annually, each scent is inspired by the seasons. This particular release captures the scent of ‘blossom at first light’, evoking the fresh smells of the English countryside. This month, I am looking forward to experiencing the Perfumer’s Candle, which features notes of wild mint and thyme. Aniseed adds a warming depth, resulting in a fresh scent that evokes dew-soaked earth.

The city break: Antwerp

Sofia de la Cruz, travel editor

I’m excited for a weekend away in Antwerp, the historic Belgian port city with an avant-garde point of view. I was there last year to review the exhibition ‘Girls. On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between’ at MoMu, but this time I’m hoping to make it out to Axel Vervoordt Gallery on the outskirts of the city. I love returning to places – the second time, you know exactly what you want to indulge in and how to make the most of it. A great piece of advice I once received is to always leave something unseen when travelling, so you have a reason to come back.

The opening: V&A East Museum

Ellie Stathaki, architecture & environment director

The V&A East Museum is set to be this spring’s big architecture and cultural opening. The building, which we visited while it was under construction a couple of years ago, was designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey and cuts a distinctive figure across the East Bank – no mean feat given its impressive neighbours, including a 2025 Stirling Prize nominee, the London College of Fashion by Allies and Morrison. Jayden Ali, with A Practice for Everyday Life and Larry Achiampong, have contributed to the new destination’s Why We Make galleries and connecting spaces inside – I can’t wait to take a peek. The V&A East Museum will officially open on 18 April 2026 at East Bank in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.