Possibly one of Design Centre Chelsea Harbour’s most united initiatives, the WOW!house is an immersive space built in the Design Avenue to showcase a plethora of collaborations between leading design studios and renowned brands alike. House of Rohl, which presented one of the stand-out rooms of 2023’s campaign, is on the lookout for a design studio to partner with in 2024. Here’s how to get involved…
Following previous WOW!house partnerships, with the likes of 2LG (2022) and Studio Mica (2023), House of Rohl is calling out to the design community to find its next partner who will create a fully funded, full-scale room for the 2024 edition of WOW!house.
Renowned and celebrated for providing the design community with an ‘exciting’ and ‘immersive’ experience – giving audiences a chance to capture a real and decorated sense of wonder – WOW!house, which opens for one month in June – July, offers interior designers an unparalleled platform to tell a story through colour, texture, art and craftsmanship.
> Email Emily Hunt to register your interest and find out ‘next steps’ in becoming the partner for 2024.
“Collaborating with House of Rohl on WOW!house 2023 was an amazing experience and a unique design opportunity,” said Carolynne Shenton, Director of Studiomica. “Creating an exceptional space with a specialist team was exciting and the location alongside the other prestigious designers focused our creative ambitions. We love a good Bathroom and this was our chance to explore our favourite ideas, materials and finishes and realise our dream.
“House of Rohl and Design Centre Chelsea Harbour were always supportive and ready to contribute to the design process. They ensured that our Bathroom met with our creative aspirations and matched their high quality standards and products.”
In 2023, the must-see concept was 500 square metres, and made up of 18 full-scale rooms, all sheltering different styles.
The decision for House of Rohl to launch a competition was born from it and Design Centre Chelsea Harbour’s aim to approach this year’s project fairly and democratically. “The WOW!house event is truly unlike any other,” said Emily Hunt, Head of Hosptiality Specification at House of Rohl. “We establish a partnership to create something exciting and unique, to thrill the most demanding of audiences. And we start with a blank sheet of paper, with no brief or restrictions (beyond the obvious practicalities). As a participant in WOW!house you become part of a community of designers, celebrating design. It’s hard work, but the result is a month-long house party that is a joy to share with friends, family, customers and prospects.”
Image caption: The 2022 WOW!house concept designed by 2LG for House of Rohl. | Image credit: House of Rohl
The group, which is made up of a collection of artisan bathroom brands, including Perrin & Rowe, Victoria + Albert, Riobel and Shaws, has deliberately kept the parameters of the competition wide. This decision, to give design studios the oxygen for ideas to breathe, was made to welcome simmering thoughts that boil into something truly extraordinary and, perhaps, unexpected.
To register your interest – and your idea – for the House of Rohl WOW!house project, email to the team.
Here are three things that the judging panel is looking for:
- The event is called the WOW!house, and the brief is clearly to surprise and impress. In a showhouse full of amazing designer rooms, we want to stand out.
- We are looking for original ideas in bathroom design. This is far harder than it sounds. Studio Mica were brilliant this year in introducing new thinking. 2LG’s concept in 2022 was totally unique, and could only have been designed by them.
- The team itself. We’re looking for an enthusiasm and commitment that matches our own. It will be a close collaboration over a number of months, so we need shared belief in the project’s potential.
Successful, shortlisted candidates will be notified via email, and must be available on the judging day (date TBC) to present their concept / ideas, in person, in front of a selected judging panel.
“Designers should enter as it is a fantastic platform to be showcased amongst high profile, likeminded creators that have a unique opportunity to create a space exactly how they want too,” added Hunt. “Each year the WOW!house has grown, it’s reached more people and there is nothing else like it. It’s been a fantastic event for House of Rohl and our previous design partners have thrived in the PR, introductions to new potential clients and capitalised on using the space to promote their brand as well as ours.”
The winning design studio will benefit from extensive press coverage – including the opportunity to partake in an exclusive Hotel Designs panel discussion during the launch week of WOW!house. The design studio will also be able to work with suppliers, outside of the bathroom arena, of its choice to create a one-off masterpiece, which will become an integral space that will sit in between other concepts created by like-minded design A-listers.
House of Rohl is one of our Recommended Suppliers and regularly features in our Supplier News section of the website. If you are interested in becoming one of our Recommended Suppliers, please email Katy Phillips.
Main image credit: House of Rohl
