A day spent pottering around East London is a design lover’s dream. For centuries, writers, artists, designers and musicians have gathered here, long establishing this corner of the capital as a creative hub. But while the borough’s cultural identity may have changed several times over time, East London has retained its artistic identity. This month, when the new V&A East Museum opened in Stratford, I was reminded of how central art and design is to my home borough. I’ve lived in Hackney all my life, and as an East Londoner born and bred I can attest that the mix of creative sensibilities – industrial and artisanal, time-worn and cutting-edge – rubs off on you. It can be felt everywhere, whether you’re wandering among the Georgian terraces of old Huguenot silk weavers before entering the thrift shops of Brick Lane, or cycling along the Regent’s Canal towpath, passing houseboats with flowers balanced on their roofs.
It makes the perfect place for a little getaway in your home town. and for anyone interested in design, art and InternalIt’s easy to make yourself an itinerary of places to visit. It’s a thriving ecosystem, where studios and ateliers sit alongside galleries and museums. Boundaries between disciplines blur in organic and interesting ways.
There are options for those who want to spend the day in museums, plenty of antique shopping opportunities, and high-end design studios for those in need of renovation inspiration. Venture east from the famous west London haunts of Portobello and Pimlico Road and you can start your morning in a carefully curated furniture store more reminiscent of a gallery and end the day at a design-led restaurant built in a group of artists’ workshops (try Tom’s Pasta and D House for the lovely D House and Studio D House for the incredible beef shin lasagne).
This is an area of London which rewards curiosity. The history is plain to see, but there’s also an energy about East London – a sense of momentum and potential. So here’s your job Home and garden A guide to navigating that prosperity. From museums and galleries to independent design shops, studios and seasonal fairs, these are the places that mark East London as one of the city’s most important cultural centers – one that’s worth returning to again and again.
