Clerkenwell has long been one of London’s most responsive districts when it comes to design culture, constantly shifting and absorbing new creative energies. Ethimo’s address sits naturally within this landscape, as if it had always belonged there.
Once a heavily industrial quarter, now layered with showrooms, studios and exhibition spaces, Clerkenwell has become one of Europe’s most concentrated design hubs. During Clerkenwell Design Week, the neighbourhood turns into an open map of ideas and cross-pollination, where design spills out of interiors and into the streets.
Ethimo’s space spans approximately 300 square metres across two levels, overlooking Old Street. Its relationship with the city is immediate: large, glazed surfaces blur the boundary between inside and outside, while natural light becomes an active part of the display, constantly reshaping how the collections are perceived throughout the day. Below, the lower floor – lit by overhead openings – extends the narrative into a more intimate, yet equally fluid, dimension.
The building retains its industrial memory – exposed brickwork, cast iron elements, generous ceiling heights, timber beams – reframed as part of the spatial narrative. On this foundation, Ethimo introduces its own visual grammar: natural materials, soft tones and textures that evoke the Mediterranean approach to outdoor living. The result is a carefully tuned balance between urban rigour and material warmth, between London and the South.
The collections are not simply displayed but staged as domestic landscapes suspended between inside and outside. Seating arrangements form intimate clusters, tables suggest an informal sense of gathering, and accessories define small-scale environments that evoke a relaxed, open idea of comfort.
Within this London address, a further layer of dialogue between design and art is now visible: the new Loop sofa and a selection of works by Elena Salmistraro are currently on display inside the showroom, continuing the conversation initiated during Clerkenwell Design Week. The installation explores the contamination between languages through a bold material and expressive approach, where design opens itself to artistic interpretation without losing its functional grounding.
More than a showroom, Casa Ethimo becomes a place of connection – a meeting point for designers, materials and ideas, where outdoor living is reinterpreted as a contemporary cultural language.
