I've been meaning to write about Material Lab for some time. It's a showroom for surface coverings... wait... don't nod off yet... if only there was a more seductive way to describe the myriad materials on offer - plastic, leather, vinyl, ceramic, paper, textiles, glass - than the slightly disappointing words 'surface coverings'. Anyway, we're basically talking wall and floor tiles, and places like this are usually only for architects and designers who come seeking inspiration and swanky new textures for their latest projects, but this one (while technically still being a resource for architects and designers) is open to all, and is located at 10 Great Titchfield Street, London W1. Funded by UK tile manufacturer Johnson Tiles there are free samples to take away. Go on, embrace your touchy feely side.