Inside The Art of Après at sketch London: A Design-Driven Alpine Transformation
sketch, the iconic art-centric restaurant located in Mayfair, unveils this year’s Christmas installation. For 2025, the transformation is its most ambitious and design-forward to date. The Art of Après sees 9 Conduit Street reimagined as a sculpted alpine landscape; not a theme or decoration, but a fully conceived design environment led by artistic collaboration, material experimentation and spatial storytelling.
Curated by Milly Wright, sketch’s Creative Director and Art Curator, the installation approaches the idea of “après” not as nostalgia but as an exploration of atmosphere: the interplay of cold and warmth, texture and light, stillness and celebration. Through floristry, sculpture, scenic art and fine craft, each room articulates a different facet of the winter experience, forming a cohesive but richly varied design journey.
Reception & The Glade — Lucy Vail Floristry’s Multi-Sensory Alpine World
The design narrative begins at Reception and The Glade, where Lucy Vail Floristry constructs a tactile alpine forest using real pine, hand-painted scenic trees and textural dried botanicals. Rather than leaning on artificial snow or holiday tropes, the installation uses tonal depth, from dusty whites to glacial greens, to create an authentic winter palette.
A particularly thoughtful design moment is the repurposed ski chairlift, placed against a backdrop of hand-painted mountains. The juxtaposition of functional object and scenic art turns the entrance into both an immersive tableau and a sculptural anchor for the installation.
Inside The Glade, the existing tree canopy is “frosted” using dried flowers and glass icicles. These glass elements introduce a sense of cold luminosity, catching the shifting ambient light and creating the illusion of falling snow. The result is an atmospheric interior where botanicals are treated sculpturally, turning the room into a suspended winter canopy without obscuring its architectural form.
The East Bar & Pods — Ricky Paul’s Miniature Alpine Resort
For his ninth Christmas at sketch, Ricky Paul delivers one of the installation’s most intricate and technically impressive works. Beneath the dome of the East Bar, Paul constructs a central mountain landscape featuring:
moving miniature ski lifts
hand-detailed cable cars
illuminated timber lodges
pine-dotted slopes
miniature skiers hand-placed in motion
The integration of movement is key; the continuous motion of the lifts transforms the scene from static installation to kinetic sculpture.
Real pine Christmas trees cascade down the staircase, adding vertical movement and scent-driven layering. The clarity of materials: timber, glass, metal, greenery, enhances the realism while complementing sketch’s architectural detailing.
The Lecture Room & Library — A Study in Light and Reflection
Returning for 2025, Mehbs Yacqub’s crystal tree, decorated by artist Maya Heritage, is a masterclass in material resonance. The tree uses mirrored facets, cut-glass ornaments and reflective surfaces designed to mimic the refractive qualities of ice at night.
The piece engages the room’s lighting design, scattering reflections across the three-Michelin-star space and subtly altering its ambience throughout the day. This installation is less narrative and more sculptural, functioning as a contemporary interpretation of the alpine night sky.
The Gallery — Paper Constellations by PomPom Factory
The Gallery’s transformation is defined by paper craft at scale. PomPom Factory suspends hundreds of handcrafted constellations and snow-like forms from the ceiling, drawing on a celestial theme that pairs beautifully with the room’s soft tonal palette.
The craftsmanship is meticulous: layered paper elements create depth, shadowing and movement as air shifts through the room. The installation sits comfortably within sketch’s design language, bringing a sense of levity and refinement.
Craft, Materials and Design Cohesion
What distinguishes The Art of Après from typical festive décor is its approach to material honesty and artistic collaboration. Each room prioritises:
multi-sensory design (scent, texture, movement)
craftsmanship over spectacle
immersive scenography
consistency of tone and palette
The use of authentic materials: real pine, glass, sculpted paper, and mirrored surfaces, avoids artificial gimmicks and instead celebrates the tactile qualities of winter.
All Photography: Mark Cocksedge, courtesy of sketch
A Design-Led Seasonal Offering
While sketch’s culinary programming plays a key role in the visitor experience, the design installations remain the focal point of the Christmas transformation. The spaces are not decorated but reimagined, offering designers, architects and creative audiences an opportunity to explore winter aesthetics through contemporary craft.
For design enthusiasts, The Art of Après presents:
a study in how interior spaces can be seasonally transformed without compromising architectural character
an exemplary use of craft collaborations at scale
a refined exploration of atmosphere through materiality
This year’s edition is one of sketch’s most cohesive and thoughtfully executed festive installations, and it stands as a compelling example of how artistry can elevate seasonal design in hospitality settings.
More Stories
Experience Christmas at The Royal Exchange, London: real spruce displays, glowing baubles and an iconic Fortnum & Mason tree create a spectacular festive setting until 4 January 2026. A must-see for London Christmas lovers.