With Jumeirah Carlton Tower or Jumeirah Lowndes as your base, it’s easy to set off on a journey of design discovery. Explore the city’s most stylish buildings and discover works by up-and-coming makers alongside iconic furniture and fashion through the ages.

 

FUMI

Surrounded by the grand townhouses, antique dealers and fashionable restaurants of Mayfair’s leafy Berkeley Square, this specialist gallery revolves around contemporary and collectable design. Founders Sam Pratt and Valerio Capo left the corporate world behind to open the gallery in 2008, and have since established themselves as two of London’s most innovative developers of original, limited-edition design works.

FUMI is just a few streets from the Royal Academy of Arts – another institution dedicated to shining a spotlight on fresh talent – and the Burlington Arcade, a 19th-century covered shopping precinct home to high-end jewellers and perfumers.

Sarah Myerscough Gallery

With a focus on organic material such as wood, jute, willow and stoneware, Sarah Myerscough expertly curates pieces by contemporary artists and designers at her gallery in Barnes. Housed in an old boathouse on the south side of the River Thames, the space celebrates the talents of highly skilled international artisans. Unique objects and sculptural furniture pieces are available for purchase during special exhibitions and art fairs held throughout the year.

Design Centre

If the stylish surroundings at Jumeirah Carlton Tower inspire you to refresh your decor once you return home, then make your way to the Design Centre for ideas and expert advice on interior design. Housed under three glass domes in Chelsea Harbour by the River Thames, the centre has 120 showrooms exhibiting pieces from 600 of the world’s most prestigious brands. Whether you need fabric or furniture, its personalised shopping service is the ideal way to find exactly what you wish.

The Design Museum

A vast exhibition space that’s devoted to contemporary design, The Design Museum dazzles even before you enter its towering central atrium. Originally constructed in the 1960s, renowned architect John Pawson breathed new life into the Grade II-listed modernist building with the addition of a saddle-shaped copper roof. Inside, a permanent collection champions the achievements of the world’s best designers and architects, while exhibitions curate fashion, graphics, product and digital design from the likes of Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. Be sure to pick up a design-forward souvenir from the museum’s beautifully curated shop before returning to the hotel via Hyde Park or the museums that line Cromwell Road.

V&A

Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes are just around the corner from the V&A, a decorative arts and design museum in Kensington. Founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, its lavish rooms, cloisters and courtyards house a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects from around the world. You could spend days admiring its architectural excellence and fascinating artefacts but, for an understanding of fashion through the ages, explore Room 40, which has the world’s largest textile and clothing collection. Here you’ll find wedding gowns, couture pieces, footwear and hats spanning five centuries.

Having spent the day exploring some of the city’s museums and galleries, continue to indulge your passion for design at Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes, where rooms combine contemporary luxury with timeless elegance.