Spitalfields Fogeys and New Georgians

In the slum that was 1970s Spitalfields, settlers arrived to occupy, mend, restore and live in its derelict Huguenot houses, unintentionally inspiring a new taste for faithful neo-Georgian domestic interiors and joinery that culminated with the founding of the Plain English Design company by Katie Fontana and Tony Niblock in 1992.

Join long-time Spitalfields resident and designer Marianna Kennedy and Ruth Guilding of the Bible of British Taste in conversation as they discuss the enduring influence that Spitalfields still holds on design, with a contribution by Merlin Wright, Design Director at Plain English Design.

Refreshments will be served in the Plain English kitchen donated to the museum in 2021.

About Marianna Kennedy

Marianna Kennedy is one of Spitalfields’ original settlers, having lived in and restored two of its old houses and running her design studio there. The works of art and furnishings that she creates here and in Italy are rooted in the history and fabric of this place.

About Ruth Guilding

Ruth Guilding is the author of The Bible of British Taste (published 2025) and the founder-editor of a magazine of the same name, a former country house curator and contributor to The World of Interiors magazine.

About Merlin Wright

Merlin Wright is the Creative and Design Director at Plain English, a design studio renowned for handcrafted joinery, natural materials and meticulous detail. After working as boatbuilder and cabinet maker he studied Industrial Design before joining Plain English in 2003.

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A blurred figure walks across a room in front of weathered looking panels and windows showing a model of a city.

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