Design Field Trip with Christopher Farr Cloth

I felt lucky to be invited on a design field trip with Christopher Farr Cloth. I know their fabrics well and use them often in my projects, but I truly didn’t know what to expect. I had never explored London through the lens of a designer, knew no one else on the trip, and—truthfully—committed before even seeing the itinerary. But you can’t go wrong with a legendary London-based design house, and it paid off.

The week brought together thirty like-minded, talented designers from across the U.S. and Canada. We toured museums, showrooms, and attended design events—each day packed with inspiration. I’m still sorting through the thousands of photos I took. We kicked things off with a black-tie evening at Cliveden House, then dove straight into the heart of the trip: visiting the Christopher Farr Cloth showroom, previewing their new collection, celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary at Michael Silver’s Chelsea home, and touring the printing studio where their linen fabrics are made. Stay with me as we dive into what makes Christopher Farr Cloth so extraordinary.

The Showroom

Located in London’s Chelsea Design Quarter, the Christopher Farr Cloth shop feels quintessential—sitting among kindred luxury showrooms. You enter through a small welcome area that changes often to showcase new wallpapers, fabrics, and area rugs. (The rugs are a separate company but carry the same identity.) Inside, whimsical wallpapers and cheerful furnishings fill the space. The showroom featured a blue palette with pops of springy green and yellow, setting the tone for a brand that celebrates joy in color and craft.

Custom brass racks line the walls in the rear room and in the lower level. Above them, shelves hold pillows, folded fabrics, and objects. Below, a rail displays every pattern in every color—meticulously organized by hue. Hand-knotted rugs pair with printed linens, showing the range from woven to printed goods. The neutrals feel smart and timeless, but the colors draw you in.

Collaboration Drives Everything

Collaboration drives everything at Christopher Farr Cloth. The studio works with artists and designers who bring a clear point of view and a willingness to experiment. Each partnership expands the brand’s visual language, adding cultural depth and diversity to the collection. Co-founder and CEO Michael Silver steers the company’s creative direction and keeps its focus on artistry and craftsmanship. Nina leads design development, while Ivo Textiles – a seperate companty – manages the screen-printing and production process that turns sketches into finished fabrics. This structure allows the brand to take creative risks while maintaining quality and control. It’s the balance that has made Christopher Farr Cloth a sought-after partner for artists worldwide—none more so than Nendo, the Japanese designer behind the latest collection.

The Nendo Collection

The collaboration between Christopher Farr Cloth and Nendo captures the brand’s mix of craft, culture, and innovation. Founded in 1997 by Oki Sato, Nendo began in Toronto before moving to Tokyo and Milan. The name means clay in Japanese—a fitting nod to shaping ideas with patience and purpose. Nendo’s work connects people, places, and objects through quiet humor and precision. Past projects include furniture for Paola Lenti and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch. Each piece celebrates process over speed and meaning over trend.

For Christopher Farr Cloth, Nendo designed several fabrics—Cloudy Night, Drizzle, and Squall—inspired by Japan’s forty expressions for rain. Cloudy Night is a double-width sheer with an embroidered feel, reversible and delicately textured. Drizzle has a denser weave, while Squall moves toward soft neutrals. The palette—greens, terracotta, pale blue, and off-white—echoes nature’s rhythm. Each fabric drapes with ease and quiet confidence. The collection also includes wallpapers printed on rice paper and raffia grasscloth, plus customizable vinyls for durability. Together, they merge Japanese discipline with British artistry—a meeting of two cultures that value meaning as much as beauty.

Some of the newest textiles are shown below alongside Japanese-Canadian designer Oki Sato of Nendo. Drizzle in indigo is a cotton-blend upholstery fabric woven with multidirectional stripes in varied hues, adding depth through tactile yarns. Cloudy Day, also shown in indigo, is a sheer double-width fabric with subtle vertical ombre effects that create a soft play of transparency and color; the terracotta colorway introduces a grounded, warm neutral option. Squall, crafted in 100% linen in ecru and natural, features fine irregular striping that mimics the sudden shifts of rain, turning atmospheric movement into woven texture.

25th Anniversary Celebration

After days of design talk and showroom visits, it was time to celebrate. Christopher Farr Cloth marked its 25th anniversary at Michael Silver’s Chelsea home—a converted historic chapel. Legend says the Rolling Stones once practiced there, and the space still shows its past through arched windows and glowing glass.

For one night, the room transformed into a dining hall. Long tables filled the open space, each one covered in Christopher Farr Cloth’s fabrics and trims. More than a hundred guests—designers, collaborators, and industry friends—shared a dinner that felt both lively and personal. Glasses clinked. Conversations moved easily. Speeches honored the brand’s creative legacy and the people who’ve shaped it. All photos in this section by Elena Bazu.

A Closer Look at the In-House Design Team

One of the highlights of the trip was spending time with the Christopher Farr Cloth design team. Nina Luminati, the brand’s Design Director, leads the creative development of every fabric. She brings each concept to life—refining texture, adjusting scale, resolving technical challenges with Ivo Textiles, and ensuring every design maintains the integrity of the original artwork.

We also met Kate Blee, a contemporary artist behind some of the brand’s most recognizable prints. She works with natural materials and hand-drawn mediums—charcoal, ink washes, watercolor—which Christopher Farr Cloth then translates directly into fabric and wallpaper. Seeing her original artwork in its raw form before it becomes a textile revealed the heart of the brand: every pattern begins as art, not a digital file.

All Things Considered: Michal’s Home

It’s hard to imagine Michael’s home after seeing it packed with guests, tables, and servers weaving through the crowd. During the trip, we saw another side of it. Each guest received a copy of All Things Considered—one of my Fall 2025 design-book picks—which features Michael’s actual home. The same converted chapel appears as it does day to day, filled with her own furniture, art, and fabrics. Seeing it in the book after celebrating there made the home feel richer and more layered. Her eye for design clearly goes beyond the showroom.

Ivo Textiles

Last but not least, we visited Ivo Textiles. Nothing excites me more than meeting the maker and seeing how textiles come to life. While Christopher Farr’s woven goods and wallpapers are produced elsewhere, all of their screen-printed linens are made in London, not far from the company’s main office.

The team uses high-quality Belgian linen, first singed to remove lint and frays so the paint applies cleanly. Having done plenty of printmaking in college, I recognized parts of the process—but seeing it at this scale was next level. Each screen is made by hand, ink is pulled across the fabric in measured rhythm, and the panels are dried and prepped for shipment.

Ivo himself runs the studio and remains one of the last printers in England still dedicated to traditional screen printing. He believes it produces truer color and richer depth than digital methods—and after watching him work, I agree.

NYC Showroom

Christopher Farr Cloth opened its first full showroom in the United States this year at 200 Lex, the New York Design Center. For many years, the brand sold its textiles through partner showrooms across the country, beginning with Holland & Sherry. Marking its 25th year, the company now has a standalone space that reflects its identity and expanding reach. I loved seeing that growth firsthand and meeting design friends there to celebrate. The showroom sits on the 7th floor, and it’s worth the visit—easy access to samples, larger displays of linens and wallpapers, and a clear look at the full breadth of the collection.

Christopher Farr Cloth

If this trip’s goal was to make me specify more Christopher Farr Cloth in my projects—it worked. I was already a fan, but spending a week with the people behind the brand deepened my appreciation for it. From Michael Silver and Nina (in house designer) to Ivo, Harry, and the extended team, it was a rare look inside a company that lives its craft. The week delivered friendship, inspiration, and a renewed respect for specialty fabric. It reminded me why I love this industry—because great design always starts with people who care deeply about what they make.