Travel: A Design Lover's Guide to London
I recently went to the UK with my husband and kids, which was the ultimate design lover’s summer family trip! From London, to Ireland, to Bath, I’m sharing trip highlights in this two-part journal entry, all from a designer’s point of view. This first part focuses on our time in London, where we stayed at The Clermont. Located right in central London, it’s directly above a Tube station, so getting around on the Underground (as they call it) was super easy and fun.
On our first full day in London, we explored Pimlico Road, a major design district that I loved. Also called Belgravia Village, it’s the local epicenter for world-class craftspeople, artisans, curators and makers. After exploring a few showrooms, we stopped at a charming little bar for a midday snack. Luckily, the weather was absolutely perfect! It stayed in the 70s the whole time, which made walking around even more enjoyable.
To get around town during our trip, we used the Tube (or the London Underground), and took buses and cab rides as needed. Since our hotel was so centrally located, we were within walking distance to many attractions. One of my favorite outings was to Notting Hill. The architecture was a standout for sure — clean, crisp, and white. Did you ever see that movie?! While we were there, we caught the Portobello Road Market which had flea market-style booths selling all kinds of treasures. Definitely a highlight of the trip.
During our trip we got a little taste of London’s pub culture, which is no joke! Every day around 4 or 5 p.m., the pubs were packed for happy hour. It was fun to see people of all ages out enjoying a beer. We also visited Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the nearby Tate Modern, which made for a really memorable afternoon.
We also enjoyed other site seeing classics, like walking along the River Thames, admiring the iconic Tower Bridge, and exploring some old castle ruins—can’t remember the name, but it was such a cool surprise.
Now for the touristy stuff…! We strolled through one of the Royal Parks, called Hyde Park, watched the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, and even saw King Charles drive by, which was such a thrill! We visited the Tower of London, wandered through Trafalgar Square, and browsed the National Gallery. We were in the heart of it all!
Lastly, we checked out Shoreditch, a neighborhood north of the city center that has a much more hip and artsy vibe. Lots of graffiti art everywhere, but the streets were still very clean, felt safe, and were well-kept.
Overall, London is such a walkable city, filled with history, character, and incredible energy. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
Did this post inspire you to plan a trip to London? Next month I’ll be sharing part two of our family vacation, where we traveled via train to explore Bath and Ireland. Stay tuned.