The beach towels have been packed away and the out of office responses turned off — September is on the horizon. The design crowd are embracing that back-to-school feeling with gusto by gearing up for the London Design Festival. Get involved by experiencing, touching and admiring — and if you feel the urge for something new but your budget is more high street than high-end, make a beeline for the latest slew of affordable design collaborations.

The ultimate chance to snoop around iconic buildings normally closed to the public is back — it’s the 35th year of the London Open House Festival. From September 12 to 21, you can marvel at the unique Lloyd’s of London building, which was designed by pioneering architect Lord Rogers and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

You can also gain exclusive access to the Roman Basilica and Forum remains beneath Leadenhall Market. It’s worth checking out the walking tours, too: themes range from filming locations in the City to Brutalism and high-tech architecture. New to the roster is The Print House, a 1870 Victorian paint factory in Dalston which survived the Blitz — and developers — and is now a creative hub with a roof park and original Second World War bunker.

Not only for trade and industry insiders, the LDF (September 12 to 20) is a place for creatives and thinkers across all mediums. Highlights include the Pangolin Shield, a huge bamboo installation by Studio Saar and Atelier One popping up on the Strand to explore colonial legacies, power and ecological exploitation. Islington design destination TwentyTwentyOne is curating an exhibition celebrating Spanish interior designer Miguel Milá, while Gallery FUMI in Mayfair is staging After School, bringing together recent graduates and alumni from the Royal College of Art to present works across textiles, ceramics and design. At Béton Brut in E9,

the Masur Edition by Isokon is a new interpretation of four 1936 designs by Marcel Breuer, reimagined in rare masur birch veneer. And many will be raising a toast to SCP’s new five-storey townhouse on Clerkenwell Green. Designed with Nice Projects, the showroom will play host to designs by Bitossi, Källemo, Shore Studios and Very Simple: Kitchen.

H&M Home has struck gold in its partnership with Kelly Wearstler, an American interior designer behind many glamorous homes, bars and boutique hotels with a line of products for the one per cent. Priced from £24.99, her 29-strong range for the Swedish retailer is infinitely more democratic. Launching on September 3, it includes candle holders, lamps and vases alongside modular side tables and accent chairs.

The jewel in the crown is the cloud-like Soluna lounge chair. When bought in multiples, it can be configured into a sofa not unlike that Insta-favourite, the Camaleonda. MADE has just launched an exciting collaboration with the Barbican; drawing on archival research, original apartment layouts and the work of designer Miriam Howitt, the 23-piece collection features furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories. Prices start from £32. And as it’s almost candle season, check out the trio of scents created by Reena Simon for Beauty Pie. The three-wick candles come in a generous ceramic vessel that’s handsome enough to re-use (RRP £65; members’ price £39).

As the evenings start to draw in, the focus is switching to lighting. Abask, the e-tailer which champions craft, is launching a dedicated category with designs by its specialist makers, who are based in countries ranging from India to Denmark. Pieces feature unexpected materials, such as leather and shell, with prices from £499. Beata Heuman is launching the 188 Light Collection; originally designed for the renovation of its immersive studio and showroom at 188 Hammersmith Road, the picture lights, rail options and articulated shades have been the subject of such admiration that they are now for sale. Prices start from £200 +VAT for a perforated single spot.

For Second Hand September, Vinterior has invited five London brands to reimagine a pre-loved chair. Sourced from Vinterior’s archive, the results include a small mahogany settee on cabriole legs recovered in a striped Irish linen from shirtmaker With Nothing Underneath and a B&B Italia Metropolitan Me84 armchair reupholstered using contrasting green and pink houndstooth prints in wool from menswear brand Oliver Spencer. House of Hackney and artists Harlie Briggs and Sam Wood have also taken part. The Sit Differently collection starts from £1,200 and launches on September 15.

How to Start an Art Collection (Thames & Hudson, £35, out September 3) is the guide everyone needs to avoid a dodgy selection of slogan prints. Written by Partnership Editions founder Georgia Spray, the book serves as a personal art advisor and includes practical guides on navigating the market, framing, and hanging. In No Place Like Home (Quarto, £30, out September 10), Jojo Barr, author and founder of design studio House Nine, gives you the tools to become your own interior designer. Chapters include flow, how to incorporate colour and embracing imperfection. And for country house aficionados, The Romance of Classicism: Designing the English Country House for Today (Rizzoli, £47.95, out September 8) is a love letter to elegant homes built in the past 20 years by George Saumarez Smith, a director of ADAM Architecture.