Visit The Amtico Retreat at CDW 2026 to experience a deliberate break from the high-energy pace of Clerkenwell Design Week.
British flooring designer Amtico returns to Clerkenwell in 2026 with a concept designed to offer a more considered pace within one of the industry’s most high-energy events. Taking over Paxton Locher House, the company presents a space that balances activity with moments of pause, allowing visitors to reset and engage more meaningfully. Rather than stepping away from the intensity of the festival, Amtico reinterprets it through an environment that works for a wide range of needs.
The approach reflects how people experience spaces differently. Instead of a single path through the installation, visitors can choose how they explore—whether by feeling materials, taking part in a workshop, or simply stepping away from the buzz of CDW. This flexibility allows guests to control their own experience, creating a calm, open environment that supports both creativity and rest.
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Inside the retreat, the experience unfolds through interconnected areas that bring together collaboration, creativity, and choice. Amtico’s in-house design team developed sector-focused installations that reflect real commercial environments across workplace, retail, and hospitality. These life-sized moodboard-style compositions combine flooring with furniture, lighting, and material palettes, showing how pattern, color, and texture come together in practice.
Specification remains integral to the space. Throughout the installation, Amtico’s core collections—including Spacia, Signature, Form, and Décor—are used to demonstrate how flooring can be adapted and combined to suit different environments. The emphasis is on flexibility, allowing designers to bring their own ideas to life through standard designs or fully bespoke outcomes.
The retreat’s philosophy suggests that not everyone responds to design events in the same way. While many attendees handle the district looking for inspiration and new products, the physical layout of the event often forces a fast pace that doesn’t suit everyone. By providing a dedicated area for slowing down, the organizers acknowledge that meaningful engagement sometimes requires stepping away from the crowd.
A hands-on approach allows visitors to engage directly with materials through interactive and creative sessions. The schedule includes mindful origami papercraft sessions led by Origami Est, which offer a quieter, tactile moment within the day. Visitors can also take part in ‘create your own’ LVT coaster artwork sessions, producing small, take-away pieces designed as reminders to take a moment of calm.
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Dr Craig Knight will lead a seminar exploring the relationship between wellbeing, biophilic design, and human-centred spaces. The session reflects the thinking behind the wider concept, offering a deeper look at how materiality shapes atmosphere. More informal moments, including drinks, live music, and a dedicated breakfast briefing on bespoke design, create opportunities for conversation and connection across the three days.
Visitors can step inside, take a moment to pause, and spend time within the space throughout the week. Drinks will be available daily, encouraging guests to settle in rather than rush through.
- 11:00–12:00 – Fold & Flourish: Origami Planters Workshop (bookable via Eventbrite)
- 14:00–16:00 – ‘Create your own’ LVT artwork sessions (drop-in)
- 11:00–13:00 – ‘Create your own’ LVT artwork sessions (drop-in)
- 14:30–15:30 – Seminar with Dr Craig Knight: Sex and Work and Rock & Roll (bookable via Eventbrite)
- 17:00–21:00 – Unwind at the Amtico Retreat (drop-ins welcome, booking recommended)
- 10:00–10:45 – Bespoke Breakfast Briefing (bookable via Eventbrite, drop-ins welcome)
The Amtico Retreat @ Paxton Locher House, 8-9 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R.
