There is something truly magical about the way football brings the world together. As the FIFA World Cup reaches its final stages, it becomes so much more than a sporting event. It is a celebration of culture, identity, colour, craftsmanship, food, music and shared emotion. Flags fill the streets, supporters gather in bars and restaurants and cities come alive with the energy of people from all over the world cheering side by side.
For us, design has always been about storytelling. Our interiors are layered with colour, pattern, art, craftsmanship and pieces that feel collected over time rather than simply placed. In many ways, this spirit mirrors the joy of the World Cup. Both celebrate individuality, heritage and the beauty of different cultures coming together.
The teams still competing in the tournament each bring their own unique personality. France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Argentina and Switzerland all arrive with distinctive traditions, visual identities and passionate supporters. Their colours, songs and flags proudly reflect where they come from and the stories they carry onto the pitch.
This same sense of cultural layering can be found throughout Firmdale’s interiors. Our rooms are never afraid of colour or pattern. A bold fabric might sit beside a hand-painted lampshade, a striped chair next to a floral cushion, or a contemporary artwork above an antique chest. Like a World Cup crowd, these elements may come from different places, but together they create something joyful, unexpected and full of character.
At Firmdale Hotels, we celebrate makers and artists from around the world, each bringing depth, personality and craftsmanship to our spaces. Sebastian Cox, Gary Bunt and Tess Newall showcase exceptional British craftsmanship and storytelling, while Basak’s Turkish-inspired artistry introduces rich detail and imagination. Lucie de Moyencourt from South Africa and Mimi de Barritz from France each bring their own distinctive sense of colour, pattern and place. Schotten & Hansen in Germany are masters of timber and surface finishes, while Sanaa Gateja from Uganda creates extraordinary work rooted in history, material and transformation, often using locally sourced and recycled materials to produce pieces full of meaning.
This global spirit continues through our fabrics and collaborations, many of which are produced in countries including England and Belgium. Textile traditions from around the world add richness and depth to every scheme, whether through embroidery, weaving, printing or hand finishing. You can even spot echoes of national colours throughout our interiors, with combinations of red, white and blue recalling England, France and the United States, while black, red and gold evoke Germany.
Food and hospitality are also at the heart of the cultural celebration. Across Firmdale, our brasseries, bars and restaurants are places where guests from around the world come together to eat, drink, talk and celebrate. Brasserie Max in Covent Garden Hotel, for example, is housed in a building that was once a French dispensary, a charming reminder that buildings, like interiors, carry the stories of the people and places that have shaped them.
Football has the same remarkable power. It brings people together through pride, tradition and shared celebration. We wish every team the very best of luck.
In both football and design, the magic lies in bringing different elements together. A great team needs balance, contrast, confidence and flair and so does a beautifully designed room.