Open doors and open studios - Inside Artists at Home 2026

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Ad - The artists of West London are opening their doors again this June. Horton + Garton sat down with Chair Kathryn Davey ahead of the event.

For more than fifty years the artists of Chiswick, Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush have done something quietly radical: they open their front doors to the public.

At Horton and Garton we have been proud to sponsor Artists at Home for years, and we genuinely look forward to it every June. So we sat down with Kathryn Davey, Chair of Artists at Home and an abstract oil painter based in Chiswick, to talk about the history of the event, the creative community behind it and exactly what visitors can expect this June.

You can watch the full interview on YouTube now:

West London's Longest-Running Open Studios Event | Artists at Home 2026

Art where it is made

Artists at Home began in 1973 and has since become one of West London's most enduring cultural traditions. Every June, painters, sculptors, printmakers and makers of all kinds invite the public into the homes and studios where their work is actually created.

When Kathryn talks about the event, she keeps returning to connection. When you visit a studio you are not simply looking at a finished piece, you are meeting the maker, hearing what inspired it and sometimes watching it take shape in real time.

You can ask questions, take your time and come back later if something stays with you. Buying directly from an artist means you carry the story home alongside the work. It becomes far more than something on the wall.

A community that stays

That same sense of community is what keeps artists rooted here. West London offers everything the city has culturally, with galleries, exhibitions and performances all within easy reach, balanced by the calm of the river, the green spaces and the architecture. Add a generous local network of artists who share ideas and quietly support one another and you have somewhere creative people are genuinely happy to stay.

It is exactly that community we love being part of. Visiting so many talented locals in their own homes year after year is one of the highlights of our calendar, and it is a privilege to support an event that gives this corner of London so much of its character.

How to make the most of it

With so many artists to visit we highly recommend doing a little research before the weekend arrives. Browse the artists on the website and choose the ones you would most like to visit, then use the booklet and map to map out a route between them: Plan your route.

You can pick up a studio booklet in both our Hammersmith Office at 172 King Street and our Chiswick Office at 161 Chiswick High Road.

You might arrive at a studio to find the artist there ready to talk about their work, and many offer refreshments along the way. The atmosphere is friendly and unhurried throughout, and you will almost certainly explore parts of our patch of West London you might otherwise have never visited.

Bigger than ever in 2026

This year the event is bigger than ever. Close to 90 artists will exhibit across around 66 locations, a mix of well-established names and exciting newcomers, so there is something fresh to discover whether it is your first visit or your fifteenth.

Artists at Home 2026

Artists at Home 2026 takes place over three days. There is a preview evening on Friday 19 June from 6pm to 9pm, followed by open studios on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June from 11am to 6pm.

We recommend it wholeheartedly.

Browse the full list of artists, plan your route and download the studio guide at artistsathome.co.uk.

For the whole conversation with Kathryn, you can read the full interview here: Artists at Home 2026: In conversation with Kathryn Davey, Chair of Artists at Home

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May 29, 2026