Emma Louise Payne – The Objects We Live By

As part of the London Design Festival 2025, artist and ceramicist Emma Louise Payne opens the doors of her five-storey London atelier, Seventy-Six, to unveil The Objects We Live By. This immersive exhibition explores how design shapes, inhabits, and becomes integral to our everyday lives.

Located just moments from Hyde Park, Seventy-Six offers a poetic and intimate setting for this unique exhibition. Each room hosts new works by nine invited designers and makers, with some long-time collaborators and others new voices. The exhibition avoids traditional display methods – no plinths, no spotlights – and instead places the objects as they might naturally appear in a lived-in space: a textile draped over a chair, a vessel on a kitchen shelf, or a light catching the morning sun.

Exploring the Relationship Between Design and Daily Life

Payne’s exhibition challenges the conventional perception of design objects as isolated works of art. Instead, it explores how design elements settle into our homes, becoming part of our daily rituals and the spatial rhythms of our lives. As Payne states:

“This exhibition is not about showcasing objects as isolated artefacts, but about understanding how they settle into our lives and surroundings – how they become part of our daily rituals and spatial rhythms.”

Visitors are invited to experience the objects in their natural context – through proximity, use, and atmosphere – prompting reflection on how our surroundings are subtly shaped by the design pieces we choose to live with.

Featured Designers and Brands

Granite + Smoke: In collaboration with Roger Oates Design, Granite + Smoke presents a new collection of hand-tufted rugs made from 100% British wool, spun and dyed in Yorkshire. Each rug blends traditional techniques with cutting-edge technology to create tactile pieces that celebrate both geometry and heritage.
- Granite & Smoke, Infinite Loops Rug, £2,819.00, 2400mm x 1920mm
NAT MAKS & Brogan Cox: The TIDES collection is a debut collaboration between artist NAT MAKS and designer Brogan Cox, inspired by the tidal landscapes of Margate. The collection includes sculptural tables, with pieces like High Tide and Low Tide, created from English-grown sycamore and marbled ink to evoke the motion of waves.
- Brogan Cox X NAT MAKS High Tide, occasional side table, £3,360
Studio B.C. Joshua: Minneapolis-born, London-based designer Blake Carlson-Joshua explores the emotional and tactile potential of furniture. His Dogtrot Side Table and Topo Lamp invite connection and engagement through raw materiality and refined craftsmanship.
Atelier Thirty Four: Known for their precision-driven designs, Atelier Thirty Four introduces Gradini, a modular candlestick series made from sand-cast and extruded aluminium, reflecting their ethos of honest materials and modern craft.
Daniel Mullen: Los Angeles-based designer Daniel Mullen presents sculptural vessels Columnar Vase I and II, reflecting his exploration of volume, structure, and surface through an interdisciplinary lens.
- Daniel Mullen, Columnar Vase, $2,500
David Irwin: Celebrated for his thoughtful, function-led design, David Irwin showcases the Hardy Chair and Oslin, a modular brass lighting system. Both pieces blend craftsmanship with innovation and timeless appeal.
Emma Louise Payne: As the curator of the exhibition, Payne expands her London Plane collection to include bowls, mugs, and pendant lights. Her organic approach to ceramics is complemented by custom bathroom tiles and lighting throughout the atelier.
Gather Glass: Known for their exploration of fluid form and colour, Gather Glass presents a series of table lamps that capture the spontaneity of molten glass, turning utilitarian objects into sculptural pieces of art.

Exhibition Dates and Details

Dates: Saturday 13th – Sunday 21st September, 1 – 6pm
Location: 76 Sussex Square, London W2 2SS
Website: www.emmalouisepayne.com

The Objects We Live By offers visitors an opportunity to reflect on how design influences daily life, subtly shaping our environments and rituals. Whether through the tactile beauty of a hand-tufted rug or the emotional resonance of sculptural furniture, this exhibition invites attendees to consider design not just as art, but as an integral part of the spaces we inhabit.

This immersive and thoughtful exploration of design is set to be a highlight of the London Design Festival 2025, making Emma Louise Payne’s atelier a must-visit destination for art and design enthusiasts alike.