The Marylebone pop-up for Christmas-maxxers The Times Carolyn Asome The Marylebone pop-up for Christmas-maxxers new The celebrity florist Sean Anthony Pritchard has recreated Napoleon's bedroom for his exuberant new design emporium. Prepare to be overwhelmed Camilla Greenwell Carolyn Asome Monday October 19 2026, 4.10am BST , The Times Listen 0:00 / · 4:03 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save Puzzles Challenge yourself with today's puzzles. Sean Anthony Pritchard, the maximalist plantsman who has designed a pavilion at the Chelsea Flower Show and a garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Festival, is explaining the appeal of Napoleon's bedroom. Specifically, why he has decided to recreate it for Atmosfloric, the pop-up lifestyle emporium he is launching in London this November. “I wondered how I was going to temper the raw, industrial event space on Great Portland Street that I'd hired, and it made me think of how Napoleon's wife, Empress Joséphine, had transformed their home,” he explains. “Previously, it was very austere and had been decked out in laurels and military motifs. Most commented 1 Scotland plane crash: boy, 16, and flight instructor, 80, killed Scotland 72 comments “She wanted to soften it, but had very little time to do this, so she hung panels of fabric, and paintings that resembled frescoes, or marbled paper. She appeased Napoleon by telling him the drapes were inspired by his military tents, but really what she created was a highly sensual, colourful and tactile space.” Sean A Pritchard in his “highly sensual, colourful and tactile” emporium Camilla Greenwell This speedy transformation from austere to sensual was inspirational for Pritchard — his own aesthetic is unashamedly exuberant, a colourful and “glorious jumble” with lashings of grannycore and English cottage clutter. Visitors to the Marylebone Village shop, which will offer pieces by 70 of the most insider-y design names, will enter via a space that pays homage to Empress Joséphine's DIY interiors approach, albeit one featuring a 10ft Christmas tree decked out in glass daffodil ornaments created by a German glass-blowing company. Top stories 1 US inflation hotter than expected as Iran war stokes fuel costs Economics Atmosfloric, which will be open for six weeks, will be the perfect place for a maximalist Christmas shopping experience. As a child, Pritchard was transfixed by the Christmas windows at Selfridges and Liberty when he visited from Manchester. “I'd go home and draw hundreds of sketches. I've always been fascinated by how things were displayed — in museums or shop windows — the way they were arranged and the dialogue between the objects, as well as the theatre and drama of it all, of course,” he says. Advertisement Jess Wheeler brooches “What excites me most is the coming together of highly creative people and ideas, artists who make things with such soul and care.” Top stories 1 How Lisbon's coolest neighbourhood is shaking off its staid past Lisbon 2 17 of the best hotels in the Bahamas Bahamas 3 Why an all-inclusive cruise is the ultimate single-parent getaway Cruises Highlights will include wicker lamps by Atelier Vime (from ￡300), the rarely-seen-on-these-shores designers whose exquisite eye and deft way of pairing 1920s art with rope furniture by Audoux-Minnet is highly coveted and copied; along with interior finds from Alex Tieghi-Walker, a New York-based Brit; silverware by Heath Wagoner (from ￡350); candles in porcelain vases from Moro Dabron (￡149); brooches by Jess Wheeler (￡50); and natural body care from the Somerset-based Commune (￡44). An aperitivo set by the silversmith Heath Wagoner paulo placencia “What differentiates this from any other pop-up,” Pritchard says, “is that there is going to be a lot of interaction and conversation, with talks and workshops by Freya Marton on candle painting, jewellery making with Aquila Dunford Wood, an exploration of scent with Vanderohe, and me sharing advice on how best to create Christmas flower arrangements.” A trinket dish by Aquila Dunford Wood, who will be giving a talk on jewellery making So what were the criteria when it came to selecting the participants? As the author of the book Atmosfloric (about the way we use colour), Pritchard was particularly keen to explore how different creatives approach colour, be that in a minimal way (he cites Moro Dabron's neutral palette), or those for whom it is a driving force. “I was also interested in artists and brands who lead their field, and who weren't so readily available elsewhere.” He mentions that Colette, the celebrated high-fashion and lifestyle concept store in Rue St Honoré, Paris, which closed in 2017, was an inspiration. “I remember visiting when I'd recently left university and thinking it was the epicentre of the world, filled with such innovative design.” Advertisement Moro Dabron candle Atmosfloric will also have a gallery where art will be hung on rotation. Pritchard is excited about featuring artists such as Ivan Terestchenko, David Schmitt and Christina Manucharyan. “It's a coup to have artists who are typically only represented by galleries. Creatives such as Colette Woods, for instance, a ceramicist who rarely leaves Somerset.” A small selection of products will be available online including the launch of Pritchard's own Atmosfloric collection, which features T-shirts (￡60), totes (￡25) and baubles (￡18), “although really the point is to visit in person and enjoy that interaction in a physical space”. Pritchard's Atmosfloric tote… … and glass baubles Stock will be rotated throughout the six weeks, so there will be a changing selection of items, with exclusive pieces that won't be available anywhere else. Items that Pritchard has his eye on are Black Lion Workshops' Jago lamp (￡1,850), Drake's corduroy Field Games blazer (￡795), Geoffrey Preston's Tulip, Peony and Rose plaster panels (￡5,400), as well as Colette Woods's tulipiere (￡980). “What the emporium will hopefully try to bridge are the gaps between the different creative directions. It's going to be a different sort of retail experience, more personal and intimate, a space for opening up conversations across all these looks and aesthetics.” My hunch is that Empress Joséphine would have approved. The Atmosfloric Emporium, 120-122 Great Portland Street, Marylebone Village, London W1, runs from Nov 11 to Dec 24; atmosfloric.com Life & Style LUXX Home interiors Christmas London property London today Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save