Summer Drinks Reception Brings Together West London Business Community
Harrington Design & Build hosted a well-attended Summer Drinks reception last night at their Parsons Green showroom, welcoming business owners from across West London. Organised in partnership with Networking.London, the evening provided a relaxed setting for conversations about local enterprise, design, and the future of small businesses in the borough.
The event was joined by Ben Coleman MP, recently elected Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham. Before entering Parliament, Coleman served as Deputy Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, where he oversaw public health and economic development. Last night, he took time to meet a range of small business owners and speak informally about challenges facing local businesses.
The venue – Harrington Design & Build's showroom in Parsons Green – provided a fitting backdrop. Known for their high-spec home refurbishments across Fulham, Putney and Chelsea, Harrington Design & Build has grown from a small local contractor into a design-led firm with a strong reputation for reliability and detail.
“It’s great to open our doors for something like this,” said founder Frank Harrington. “A lot of us spend so much time on-site or in meetings – it’s refreshing to take a step back and have real conversations with others building things in the same part of London.”
Among the guests was Laurens Paulmann, architect and founder of Made Of Space, a studio based in SW6 working on residential and workspace projects. Having trained with Foster + Partners, Paulmann set up his practice in 2022 with the aim of offering more personalised, context-driven design.
“There’s a lot of talent locally – from builders and planners to tech founders. But unless you deliberately make space for people to meet, that ecosystem stays disconnected,” he said. “Tonight felt like the opposite of that.”
The event forms part of a regular series hosted by Networking.London, which supports collaboration between independent businesses, creatives and founders in the capital. Guests also included representatives from the construction, architecture, retail, and property sectors, with conversations ranging from apprenticeships and skills to local infrastructure and workspace policy.
