From new collections at Focus/26 to exhibitions across Chelsea, Shoreditch and Bankside, discover COVER’s rug highlights for London Design Festival 2026.
London Design Festival returns from 12–20 September 2026, bringing launches, exhibitions and creative events to destinations across the capital. For rug lovers, Focus/26 on Design at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is an essential starting point, with further highlights nearby and across Shoreditch and Bankside.
Here are the rug brands, collections and events to look out for throughout the week.
Taking place from 14–18 September, Focus/26 brings more than 700 brands to over 140 showrooms at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. Alongside the latest autumn launches, visitors can explore an extensive programme of talks, demonstrations and showroom events.
Amy Kent will unveil a new collaboration with British furniture and lighting brand brand Julian Ch at Focus/26. The collection will be presented at the Julian Chichester showroom, where a press preview takes place from 10am–1pm on Monday 14 September. Known for made-to-order rugs that can be adapted in colour and size, Kent brings her distinctive approach to pattern to this latest partnership.
Topfloor by Esti’s imaginative rugs combine expressive pattern, colour and texture with a highly individual approach to interiors. The showroom will also host Learning Curves: AI – Friend or Foe? at 3pm on Tuesday 15 September, with Siri Schumann, Esti Barnes and Russell Barnes considering the relationship between technology and design.
Sacco Carpet specialises in bespoke hand-knotted rugs developed for residential and commercial interiors. During Focus/26, visitors can learn more about the techniques behind its pieces at The Art of Hand Knotting Rugs, taking place in the showroom at 3.30pm on Thursday 17 September.
Tufenkian Artisan Carpets offers hand-knotted rugs made using natural materials, ranging from understated textural pieces to richly patterned compositions. Visitors to its Design Centre showroom can explore the brand’s contemporary designs, one-of-a-kind rugs and extensive archive of colourways.
Jaipur Rugs returns to Focus/26 with its extensive portfolio of contemporary handmade rugs. On Thursday 17 September at 2pm, the showroom will host Crafting Spaces: The Art of Rugs & Interiors, a conversation between Ananth Ramaswamy and Livingetc Executive Editor Pip Rich exploring the role of rugs within interior schemes.
Amini’s latest collections will be presented within the Rubelli showroom at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. Its 2026–27 launches explore innovative yarns, natural fibres and distinctive woven structures, with designs including Aeris, Strato, Flamma and RD Field. Ferid Amini will discuss the materials and processes behind the company’s rugs during It All Starts with the Thread at 2pm on Wednesday 16 September.
The Rug Company will welcome visitors to its Design Centre showroom during Focus/26. Its recent launches include Ratio by Paul Smith, shaped by the designer’s playful approach to colour and ordered repetition, alongside the naturally inspired Surface & Stillness and textural Arden collections.
Obeetee’s Focus/26 programme places materials, interiors and heritage at its centre. On Monday 14 September at 4.30pm, Shreya Kanoi will present Wild Silk, while Common Ground follows at 10am on Wednesday 16 September. The showroom will also host The New Luxury, a design masterclass exploring changing ideas of luxury, on Thursday 17 September at 4pm.
Jacaranda’s handwoven carpets and rugs celebrate natural fibres, tactile surfaces and the subtle variations created by hand. At 12pm on Tuesday 15 September, the showroom will present Designing for Reality: Bridging the Gap Between Specification and Installation, led by Martin Murray.
Jennifer Manners introduces /sea/SILKE™ NAVIGATOR, the inaugural collection made using the studio’s new /sea/SILKE fibre. Produced predominantly from reclaimed fishing nets, the silk-performance material combines a soft, fluid feel with durability and exceptional colour depth.
The seven hand-knotted designs, Swell, Calypso, Beacon, Pelagos, Maren, Ondine and Alize, explore graphic lines, curved forms and varied pile heights. The collection also introduces a specially developed palette of 45 colours, ranging from rich, saturated tones to softer shades.
A short journey from Chelsea Harbour, Tai Ping marks its 70th anniversary with Icons Underfoot. Presented at the brand’s Fulham Road showroom, the exhibition brings together seven rugs representing seven decades, tracing key moments in its development through archive pieces, influential collaborations and contemporary experiments in texture and materials.
The exhibition runs from 14–18 September, with an open evening on Thursday 17 September from 6–9pm.
Roger Oates Design’s nearby Chelsea studio offers an opportunity to explore its latest flatweave rugs and runners. The new Venetian Collection is designed and woven in the UK using British wool, while each rug is cut, sewn and finished by hand at the company’s Herefordshire workshop.
FLOOR_STORY launches five new collaborations through Configurations, an installation created with Spanish furniture brand Sancal and curated by Trifle* Creative. Rugs by Coco Lom, Les Keepers, Lakwena, POoR Collective and House of Quinn will be presented in a series of playful room sets at the brand’s Shoreditch showroom.
Look out for designs including Coco Lom’s East London Lines, Lakwena’s vibrant Home & Peace and POoR Collective’s geometric flatweave POWER in Tangerine. Launch drinks take place from 3–5pm on Tuesday 15 September.
Christopher Farr joins Max Radford Gallery for Progressive Permanence, an exhibition bringing archival works into conversation with emerging artists and designers. Highlights include rugs by Louise Bourgeois and Gary Hume, presented alongside contemporary furniture and collectible design.
On Tuesday 15 September, drinks begin at 5pm, followed by a conversation between Max Radford and Christopher Farr co-founder Matthew Bourne at 5.30pm.
At OXO Gallery, Crafted Futures by Design Nation presents work by 35 UK-based designer-makers spanning textiles, ceramics, glass, furniture, jewellery, wood, lighting, paper, fibre and metal. Organised around the themes Nature & Sustainability, Heritage Reimagined, Geometric vs Organic, Tape and Vibrancy & Calm, the selling exhibition offers a snapshot of contemporary British design while allowing visitors to purchase directly from its makers.
The exhibition runs from 9–20 September and is open from 11am–6pm daily.
From experimental reclaimed fibres and British flatweaves to major collaborations and seven decades of rug design, London Design Festival 2026 offers plenty to explore underfoot.
Whether starting at Chelsea Harbour or travelling onwards to Brompton, Shoreditch and the South Bank, the week provides an opportunity to see new work, meet the people behind it and discover where rug design is heading next.
Words by Libbi Kettle
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