Last Friday, Wylde’s Harriet spent the day in Saltaire, West Yorkshire – it was one of those trips that quietly refuels your creative energy without you quite realising it until afterwards. From an interior design perspective, Saltaire is endlessly inspiring, not just because of its historic fabric, but because of how confidently it balances heritage with contemporary design culture. The Salts Mill opened in 1853, the centrepiece of Sir Titus Salt’s utopian vision of Saltaire. He built the adjoining model village to house his workers. Cloth production at Salts finally ceased in 1986, and the following year the mill was purchased by the late Jonathan Silver, who re-imagined it as a place where culture and commerce could thrive together.
A highlight was the vast design-led shop that feels as though it was created with interior designers in mind. Stepping inside this huge space, you’re immediately surrounded by beautifully curated furniture and an exceptional selection of designer seating. Seeing iconic pieces by the likes of Eames in such an accessible, thoughtfully styled setting was a real pleasure. These weren’t pieces hidden away behind glass or treated as untouchable artefacts, but furniture that invited you to really consider proportion, comfort and how timeless design continues to sit so comfortably in modern interiors. It was like being at a design-week Clerkenwell showroom!
Beyond the larger furniture, the shop was a treasure trove of design books and home accessories. The shelves were packed with publications that you could happily lose hours to, covering architecture, interiors, graphic design and photography. The accessories were equally compelling; tactile objects, sculptural lighting, ceramics and smaller details that reminded us how much personality and warmth the right finishing touches can bring to a space. It was the kind of place where every corner offered a new idea!
The visit also took in the current David Hockney exhibition, which felt especially fitting in Saltaire. From a design point of view, Hockney’s use of colour, composition and perspective is endlessly relevant. His work has a confidence and clarity that translates beautifully into interior thinking, particularly when it comes to colour palettes and the relationship between art and space. It was a timely reminder of how art can anchor an interior and completely change the way a room is experienced.
We also visited Ian Beesley’s photography exhibition, which offered a more grounded, human counterpoint. His images, rooted in the social history of the North, have a raw honesty that resonates deeply. From an interiors perspective, it reinforced the importance of storytelling and authenticity, qualities that are just as vital in the spaces we design as they are in photography.
A quieter but equally meaningful stop was the Peace Museum. While not directly linked to interiors, it provided an important moment of reflection. Museums like this remind us that buildings and spaces are not just about aesthetics, but about values, memory and purpose. It’s a perspective that subtly feeds back into how we think about designing spaces that are considerate, meaningful and enduring.
Saltaire left us inspired, creatively energised and full of ideas. It’s a place where design, art and history sit comfortably side by side, and last Friday’s visit was a perfect example of why spaces liek this continue to be such a valuable source of inspiration for us creatives! Enjoy our pics of the humongous mill turned design-space here!
