WHY I LOVE ISLINGTON
WHY I LOVE ISLINGTON
Rudolph Diesel is the head of London interior design company Rudolph Diesel Interiors. In this article, he describes areas of London and the Home Counties that have earned a special place in his heart.
Love to look at
Islington has long been the focus for cutting-edge design and the heartbeat is the Business Design Centre. Regular events and exhibitions see the world’s leading textile, art, graphic and homeware designers trend-set for the years ahead. A permanent design feature that is unmistakably Islington is Everyman’s Screen on the Green – a retro cinema with an iconic illuminated façade. Catch a film while enjoying cocktails, pizzas and sharing plates. Not to be missed is Islington Square – a collection of shops, dining experiences and social opportunities at the more independent end of the leisure spectrum. Highlights include a meta gaming arena, the Omnom wellness hub, theatre spaces and a subterranean six-screen cinema.
Love to shop
Any self-respecting interior designer will put aside at least an hour to visit the Abigail Ahern shop on Islington’s Essex Road. The in-store range spans faux botanicals, furniture, paint, wall art, soft furnishings, accessories and lighting. Aria’s One Six Eight showroom on Upper Street is another must visit. As well as products for every room and the most coveted brands - including Saba, Ligne Roset, Jonathan Adler and Ercol - Aria has a beautifully-curated selection of clothes, watches and gifts. If your shopping habits lean more towards the larder, then stop by The Passage Pantry. Here the shelves groan with spices, sauces, oils and even biodynamic wines.
Love to eat
Ottolenghi in Islington never disappoints on the food - and aesthetic – front. The luxury interior of the venue has even been documented by Design Week. Expect to be seated at long communal tables with modern, sculpted plastic chairs. Fresh pasta is one of the ultimate comfort foods and if I need a bowl of Genovese ragu or brown shrimp and ricotta ravioli, I head to Noci near Angel Tube station. As well as silken pasta, there’s Sicilian street food-inspired snacks and cocktails on tap. Staying in Europe but infused with completely different flavours is Kipferl – an Austrian restaurant and patisserie. It’s a cliché but go there and feast on wiener schnitzel and sachertorte, washed down with a glass of Grüner Veltliner.