Grand Designs Live London 2026: Renovation tips and favourite finds

If you love home interiors, renovation ideas, clever storage, garden inspiration, wellness trends and discovering brands before they hit every Instagram feed, then Grand Designs Live, London, is one of the best events in the UK calendar.

This year felt particularly special for me because I was invited to speak on a renovation panel hosted by the wonderful Deirdre McGettrick of Ufurnish.com as part of my ongoing work sharing my bespoke on a budget approach to interiors, DIY and home styling and by virtue of my previous Ufurnish.com award wins.

I love finding clever ways to create beautiful spaces without unlimited budgets so it was brilliant to be surrounded by so many people passionate about renovation realities, interior design, practical DIY tips and achievable interiors.

What Is Grand Designs Live?

Grand Designs Live is essentially a huge home and interiors exhibition inspired by the hugely popular Grand Designs TV series. It brings together hundreds of brands covering:

• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Home renovation
• Self-build projects
• Garden design
• Outdoor living
• Furniture
• Wellness spaces
• Interior styling
• Smart home technology
• Sustainable living ideas

One of the things I love most about these shows is that you can actually see products in real life rather than just online. You get a much better feel for finishes, textures, colour palettes and scale, which is so important when planning a renovation or redesigning a room.

How to get to Grand Designs Live at ExCeL London

The show takes place at the ExCeL London in East London (there is also on in Birmingham later in the year).

One of the easiest ways to get there is by public transport. The Elizabeth Line has made access much quicker and easier now, especially if you are travelling into London from Kent or Essex like I often do.

Top travel tips:

• The nearest stations are Custom House and Prince Regent
• The Elizabeth Line is usually the quickest option
• The DLR also stops directly outside
• If driving, parking is available but can be expensive
• Book tickets in advance online where possible
• Wear comfortable shoes because you will do a LOT of walking

I always try to tie these London trips into my broader money-saving lifestyle content too. Travelling into London does not have to cost a fortune if you plan ahead with advance train tickets, railcards and meal deals. After the show I went off and found 5 free things to do in London along the Southbank which was the perfect way to end the day.

Speaking On The Renovation Panel

One of my highlights from the day was joining the renovation discussion hosted by Ufurnish.com and Deirdre McGettrick, alongside Natasha Landers – Interior Designer, Art Curator, Gallerist & Collector. & Becky Russell – DIY Her Way™

It was relaxed and informal chat about our fave topics… we discussed:

• The realities of home renovation
• Budget-friendly design ideas like my DIY resin path
• Taking renovation projects slowly
• Creating high-end looks on realistic budgets – Becky talked all about her DIY outdoor kitchen project.
• Adding personality into interiors – Natasha bossed this one with her super inspirational home design, including kitchen ceiling lighting based on the London tube map and lots of info about her Location shoot home.

I spoke a lot about my own “bespoke on a budget” philosophy, which is really the foundation of everything I do.

You absolutely do not need unlimited money to create a beautiful home. Clever styling, thoughtful layouts, DIY confidence and mixing affordable finds with standout statement pieces can completely transform a space.

The Grand Designs display house was incredible

One of the standout features at the show was the display house.

The kitchen by Nispero Kitchens immediately caught my eye with its sleek modern design, clever use of space and gorgeous worktops and decking details.

The overall look felt luxurious but still warm and liveable rather than cold and overly clinical.

I particularly loved the atrium area. Despite having quite a small footprint, it felt enormous thanks to the incredible glazing and tall ceilings. It was such a brilliant example of how natural light and vertical space can completely transform how a home feels.

This is something I talk about a lot across my own interiors content too. You do not always need extensions or huge square footage to make a room feel bigger. Clever layout planning, glazing, mirrors, colour palettes and sight lines can completely change the perception of space.

Bedroom And Bathroom Inspiration

The bedroom layout inside the display house was beautifully done and full of ideas you could realistically adapt at home.

The bathroom styling was especially stunning, featuring:

• A freestanding bath
• Lots of layered textures
• Natural materials
• Pots and plants
• Soft muted tones
• Spa-style styling

There is definitely still a huge trend towards creating calming wellness-inspired bathrooms that feel more like boutique hotel spaces.

Texture also continues to dominate interiors. Reeded panels, fluted finishes, tactile fabrics and layered natural materials were everywhere throughout the show.

Outdoor Living And Garden Trends

The outdoor living sections were packed with inspiration this year.

One of my favourite trends was the more natural, rewilding-inspired plunge pools. These felt far more organic and design-led compared to the standard hot tub look you often see.

The pools incorporated pond-style planting and softer landscaping to create a much more rustic and calming outdoor space.

As someone who loves garden transformations and budget-friendly outdoor styling, I found this particularly inspiring because it ties beautifully into the move towards relaxed, nature-led garden design.

The outdoor furniture styling was also fantastic, particularly the reclining loungers and deck chairs from Cult Furniture. They looked incredibly high end while still sitting at a surprisingly accessible price point.

Wellness Spaces Are Still Huge

Just like we saw at the Ideal Home Show, wellness spaces are continuing to grow in popularity.

Home saunas were everywhere.

I particularly loved the compact outdoor saunas from Yakia Saunas. The wooden finishes were really stylish and would genuinely elevate an outdoor area visually as well as functioning as a wellness product.

What stood out was how compact and achievable many of these setups now are.

You no longer need a huge luxury property to incorporate wellness-inspired design into your garden.

Loved the Cult Furniture stand

The Cult Furniture stand was probably one of my favourite furniture areas overall – really stylish and nice dining options with interesting modern chairs, beautiful tables, wooden partitioning, sustainable, friendly velvet materials, and excellent side tables and coffee tables, creating a really cool, minimalist, rustic vibe.

With Cult, there were lots of textures, velvet, soft velvet, tactile beat clays, and reeded and fluted panels. Real and quite a muted colour palette grounded in natural greens and browns. The textures did a lot of the talking.

The wooden partitioning details looked amazing and gave lots of ideas for zoning open-plan spaces without fully closing rooms off.

This ties in so well with current interior trends towards softer modern homes that still feel warm, relaxed and liveable.

My Overall Thoughts On Grand Designs Live

I left the show feeling incredibly inspired.

One thing I always take away from shows like Grand Designs Live is that you do not need to recreate entire showroom spaces to achieve a stylish home. Often, the best ideas come from picking out individual elements that catch your eye, whether that is a colour palette, an interesting furniture shape, layered lighting, clever storage solutions or the way textures and materials have been combined. Even small details like outdoor styling ideas or room layouts can spark inspiration. The key is adapting those ideas to suit your own home, lifestyle and budget rather than trying to copy a space exactly, which is very much at the heart of my bespoke on a budget approach. One thing I always love about these events is seeing how trends evolve but also how many ideas can genuinely be adapted on realistic budgets with a bit of creativity.

That is really what bespoke on a budget means to me.

Creating spaces that feel personal, thoughtful and stylish without spending endlessly.