London
When Heathrow airport's futuristic new Richard Rogers-designed terminal opens in March 2008 it will be another architectural highlight for a city beginning to establish itself as a leader in world style. Another man who has often been credited with steering Britain towards sleekness is design guru Terence Conran.
His vision flashes through living rooms and kitchens throughout the country and The Conran Shop in Chelsea, West London (Michelin Building, 81 Fulham Road, tel: 44 20 7589 7401), is the best place to find his design gems, such as the Nichelato double spot lamp (GBP65/HK$1,030) and an exotic multicoloured bowl set (GBP55). Also housed in this startling monument to art nouveau (below), built by French tyre company Michelin a century ago, is the stylish Bibendum restaurant (tel: 44 20 7581 5871).
Another British designer linked with west London is Paul Smith, who this year walked away with a Royal Institute of British Architects award for taking British men away from slacks and towards razor-sharp tailoring. Like Conran, Smith is something of a design renaissance man and you could easily kit out your entire home, not to mention your wardrobe, with his goods. His new furniture shop (9 Albemarle Street, tel: 44 20 7836 7828) in Mayfair is crammed with objects sourced from around the world but also features trademark designs such as a bone-china teapot (GBP200) edged with the Paul Smith stripe.
Less expensive but just as covetable are the treasures found at Designers Guild (267 Kings Road, tel: 44 20 7351 5775). For pure romanticism pick up the aubergine peony throw in swirls of block colour (GBP35) or Tricia Guild's ikebana peony cushion (GBP44).
Going east and into the shadow of the Sir Norman Foster-designed Swiss Re building, lie a sprawl of bespoke design shops from less established artisans. The curved fluorescent jugs and bowls of Milagros (53 Columbia Road, tel: 44 20 7613 0876) are handmade in Mexico from discarded glass.
Other furnishings, fashions and accessories free from high-street cloning are found at nearby Spitalfields Market (105a Commercial Street; open daily until 5pm). Nothing beats browsing stalls featuring work by the Conrans and Smiths of tomorrow - many of which capture today's need for design to be fairly traded and ecologically friendly as well as innovative.
