London

Long before Murray Moss opened his eponymous New York City design shop in 1994, he was a Shakespearean actor whose work took him in and out of London. He returns to the British capital every September to scout cutting-edge talent at 100% Design, England’s premier industry fair. But Moss still finds time to appreciate the city’s more traditional haunts, like the antique shops lining Kensington Church Street, and the National Portrait Gallery. “I get lost in the Tudor pictures,” he says of the museum. Among his other favorite places to lose himself in London are:

SHOPS

Vessel (44 20 7727 8001; vesselgallery.com) is a wonderful jewelbox of a gallery, featuring contemporary glass and porcelain, often specially commissioned and always well chosen.

For architecture and art books, Sotheran’s of Sackville Street (44 20 7439 6151; sotherans.co.uk) is a gem.

I go to the upper floor of Liberty (44 20 7734 1234; liberty.co.uk) for vintage Tudric enameled pieces and other Arts and Crafts masterpieces.

Vitsoe (44 20 7935 4968; vitsoe.com) features beautiful installations of its 606 Universal Shelving System designed by German Rationalist Dieter Rams. The owner will always give us a nice cup of tea.

HOTEL

The service is superb—the best laundry in London—at The Dorchester (44 20 7629 8888; thedorchester.com) One never knows whom one will run into. A couple of years ago on our floor were Julie Andrews and the entire cast of the Hulk. Not together.

BAR

I love The Wolseley (44 20 7499 6996; www.thewolseley.com) for drinks or, especially, tea. It was a showroom for Wolseley Motors, but I’ve never managed to figure out how they got the cars in.

ARCHITECTURE

Cheyne Walk is the most wonderful collection of beautiful houses, especially the one where the great British designer Robin Day once lived. And it’s Chelsea, so meandering those streets is a treat.

RESTAURANT

Cecconi’s (44 20 7434 1500; cecconis.co.uk) was re-done by my friend Ilse Crawford and features her exquisite selection of Venetian mirrors.

MUSEUMS

I love dioramas, and the Geffrye Museum’s (44 20 7739 9893; www.geffrye-museum.org.uk) “re-creations” of period rooms are inspiring.

I am a cult follower of Sir John Soane’s Museum (44 20 7405 2107; soane.org) To see the paintings, I gently pull back the curtains that protect the work from the sunlight—a brilliant solution that allows the museum to keep the window curtains open and let in the light!