WHY I LOVE FULHAM
WHY I LOVE FULHAM
Rudolph Diesel is the head of London interior design company Rudolph Diesel Interiors. In this article, he describes areas of London that have earned a special place in his heart.
Love to look at
Fulham has always been a place to see and be seen. Fulham Palace House & Gardens is free to visit and provides hours of visual inspiration, whether it’s in the botanic grounds or the historic former home of the Bishop of London. In the 1960s and 1970s, Fulham was where fashions of the time were debuted, with designer Ossie Clark famously holding a fashion show simply walking along the Fulham Road.
Good design is easy to find, with the Peterborough Estate and Bishop’s Park Estate; the Bishop’s Park conservation area brimming with beautiful period properties from the Edwardian and Victorian eras, with luxury interior designs to match.
Eel Brook Common is another coveted Fulham enclave and the perfect place to pitstop with a picnic. There is plenty of open space in which to spread out and relax but for something more upbeat, book a seat at Neverland. This SW6 venue takes on seasonal themes in an explosion of food, drink, live acts and activities. In early autumn the sandy beach makes way for Fulham Oktoberfest, before Winterland rolls in and the mood turns festive – it’s the new place to be seen!
Love to shop
Many interior designers use books as object d’art when dressing a home and rather than opt for the obvious – Chanel Catwalk or Mario Testino Portraits, for example – I prefer to browse Sokol Books on Fulham Road. It specialises in Medieval and rare manuscripts, which can make interesting additions to coffee tables and bookshelves.
There are other reasons why I love visiting Fulham Road. One is Michelin House, which always provides a timely reminder of what good design is. As well as being home to Bibendum and legendary chef Claude Bosi, you’ll also find florist Petals – a place to buy exquisite blooms that will complete any luxury interior design.
If you’d like an extra pop of colour in your new house interior, visit Indian Summer; the homeware it stocks comes in an array of shades, from electric neons to the softest pastels. The Edition 94 is another Fulham treasure, brimming with accessories destined for the smartest interiors in London.
Love to eat
If you eat with your eyes, you must visit Colette on Fulham Road – a gourmet traiteur and delicatessen. Its trademark flower arch at the entrance is just as Instagrammed as its food. Didn’t get to grips with your sourdough starter over lockdown? Don’t fret. The Little Sourdough Kitchen on Munster Road bakes daily and sells fabulous coffee too – a win win! If, like me, you’re often scurrying across London with a laptop under your arm, you should set-up camp in Boys ‘n’ Berry – the brunches served here will certainly make working ‘on the fly’ a little easier.