Below Stairs, Sir John Soane's Museum

We love the Sir John Soane Museum - a quaint time capsule and expression of one man's artistic vision, lovingly preserved in all its glorious eccentricity.

It's been a long seven years for the site, but this autumn, the restoration work has finally been completed. The 'housewarming' takes the form of the unveiling of a brand new exhibition in the Museum's kitchens.

For the first time in the Museum's history, members of the public will be able to visit the workplace of Soane's servants, opened up as part of the restoration project and guaranteed to offer a rather contrasting perspective to the elaborate Georgian rooms on the floor above.

And that’s not all. Curators Rachael Barraclough and Zoë Wilkinson have invited four of the UK’s most celebrated designers to contribute to an exhibition in the kitchens. Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Jasper Morrison, Martino Gamper and Paul Cocksedge all have an interest in culinary and domestic objects and have been encouraged to design or select a piece relating to the materials found throughout the kitchen and the wider museum. Intriguing.

This opening promises to be a highlight of the London Design Festival, so head to one of the city’s most unusual museums to experience a real-life version of Upstairs Downstairs.