Five dreamy London design destinations to visit this week

Want to take part in the sprawling London Design Festival but don’t know where to start? Head to these creative hot spots:

1. London Design Festival at the V&A

The V&A is the LDF’s hub once again, housing a number of specially commissioned installations and displays from an international line-up of designers. Don’t miss Flynn Talbot’s coloured-light experience ‘Reflection Room’ or an exhibition of more than 1,000 handmade clay sculptures in the Ceramic Galleries. V&A. South Kensington. Until Sun Sep 24. Free.

2. Brixton Design Trail

Brixton’s Love Is Power Design Trail will be bursting with bright street displays, but it’s the fringe events you want to look out for. Check out ‘Sanctum Ephemeral’, a guided tour of an evocative outdoor photo exhibition led by residents of the Cressingham Gardens Estate (Saturday September 23). And visit ‘ID Papers’, an exhibition of works by Brixton artists and makers at the Grade II-listed Animali Domestici. Various Brixton locations. Brixton. Until Sun Sep 24. Prices vary.

Brixton Design Trail

3. Design Junction at King’s Cross

King’s Cross is going to become an ultramodern hub of showy light fixtures and funnyshaped chairs for the LDF. More than 200 design brands will be spread across five locations: Cubitt House and Cubitt Park, The Canopy, Granary Square and The Crossing. It’s a mix of pop-up shops, free workshops by Central Saint Martins and interactive installations. Look out for the Campari barge, a floating narrowboat-cocktail bar by Granary Square (until Sunday September 24) where you can buy the bittersweet aperitif. King’s Cross. Thu Sep 21-Sun Sep 24. £15 gives entry to Cubitt House, Cubitt Park, The Canopy and The Crossing.

4. Shoreditch Design Triangle

Shoreditch triangle sounds like a lame pub crawl, but this is one of the most innovative destinations. Inside those three points, you’ll find a structure that literally provides cyclists with fresh air and a show of eye-popping prints at Rich Mix’s ‘Bold: Graphic Design from India’. Tonight’s the late view in the district, so you can go on an after-hours design crawl. Various Shoreditch locations. Until Sun Sep 24.

Mini Living’s Urban Cabin

5. Oxo Tower Wharf

Visit a mini forest at ‘380:1’ – the Friche Studio’s display of itty-bitty sapling trees planted to help spark a conversation about air pollution – paired with a programme of terrifying talks on climate change. Staying with the sustainability theme, Oxo Tower is hosting a micro-library and book swap tomorrow with Mini Living’s Urban Cabin project. The bad news? You will have to part with a dog-eared book. Oxo Tower. Southwark. Until Sun Sep 24. Free.

More design? Here's our pick of the best things to do at the London Design Festival.