September is always an exciting month in the design calendar, with London coming alive with inspiring talks, creative conversations and new ideas. This year, Willow and Minnie Kemp will be taking part in a number of events across the city, sharing thoughts on everything from creating characterful interiors to the future of design and the spaces that bring us together.
The September programme begins on Friday 11th September at 3.30pm, with Minnie Kemp joining Livingetc Unlocked in Clapham to share her thoughts on adding personality to your home. The talk will explore the details, ideas and unexpected touches that can transform a house into a home. Tickets are available through their website here. For us, personality is what makes a room memorable. It might be an unexpected colour combination, a much loved antique, a piece of art discovered on holiday or simply something that makes you smile. The most interesting rooms are rarely too carefully matched. Instead, they evolve over time, collect stories and reflect the people who live in them.
Running from 14th to 18th September, the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour comes alive for Focus 2026. With more than 135 showrooms, 30 pop-up House Guests and over 100 events, it is a wonderful opportunity to discover new collections, meet inspiring creatives and gather ideas for the season ahead. With so much happening throughout the week, we wanted to share a few of the events where the Kit Kemp Design Studio will be joining the conversation.
One of the highlights of the programme is Willow Kemp’s talk on Monday 14th September, ‘The Art of Gathering in the Age of AI’, exploring an increasingly important question: in a world of screens and digital distraction, how can we create spaces that bring us back together? Willow will explore the importance of intentional, physical spaces that encourage connection, with a particular focus on the dining room. After all, there is something wonderfully timeless about sitting around a table, sharing food and conversation. The best dining spaces invite us to put our phones down, linger a little longer and enjoy being together.
On Tuesday 15th September, Minnie Kemp joins the Quintessential British Design panel at Design Centre East, exploring what British design means today. From heritage materials and traditional craftsmanship to contemporary creativity, the conversation will look at how the character of British interiors continues to evolve. Rather than simply looking backwards, it is about taking the best of our design heritage and giving it a fresh, modern voice, creating spaces that feel rooted in place while still being full of personality. With so many ideas, makers and conversations brought together under one roof, Focus 2026 promises to be a wonderful celebration of creativity. Good design is not simply about how a space looks. It is about how it makes us feel, how it brings us together and, most importantly, the stories it has to tell.
Reimagining Soho’s Landscape
This September, London Design Festival returns to celebrate the creativity, culture and design that make London such an inspiring city. For 2026, Soho joins the festival as a new design district, with a programme of events, installations, talks and collaborations taking place from 12th–20th September, centred around Great Chapel Street. Join Minnie at 9am at The Soho Hotel for Reimagining Soho’s Landscape, a conversation exploring how architecture and design can help shape the future of this wonderfully unruly neighbourhood.
Famous for its creative energy, music and cultural history, Soho has always had a character all of its own. The panel will consider how the neighbourhood can evolve while preserving the spirit that makes it so distinctive, creating a public realm that feels more accessible, inclusive and welcoming without losing its edge.
We hope you can make it along to one of the talks this September.