As Interior Design Marketing specialists, the London Design Festival is always an exciting time for us. Launched back in 2003 by Sir John Sorrell CBE and Ben Evans CBE, the event brings together the great and the good of the design world, promoting the city’s creativity and bringing in the best designers, retailers, educators and thinkers.
We went along to two of the events. Focus 22 at Chelsea Design Centre and Design London at the Greenwich peninsula. Here’s what we saw, heard and loved.
First stop Focus 22 at Chelsea Design Centre
Over at Chelsea Design Centre we found a plethora of new studio openings as well as new designs. The first of which was Fameed Khalique, a company that specialises in finding exquisite materials from around the globe for use within interior design. We loved the striking blue wood veneer that was on show as you walked into the centre, we could see this working in a number of settings from residential properties through to commercial settings.
Other notables were Varied Forms that offer a very stylish – but oh, so elegant and simple – solution to wanting to mix up your mixer tap. Its range of brass taps and showers allow for handles and spouts to be easily and continuously interchanged in colour and style. No matter the mood, taste or trend. From the traditional chrome, brass or brushed metal finishes, it also offered the of-the-moment pastel colours and monochrome too. We loved playing around with the configurations and can see many clients would welcome this bespoke touch to their tapware.
Fabric for all
Of course Chelsea Design Centre has such a fabulous selection of fabric studios that it’s hard to pick a favourite. From Pierre Frey and Romo, Andrew Martin and Chase Erwin, we always feel completely spoilt for choice. We did love the selection on offer at Altfield Interiors though and were especially drawn to a range from Thesign whose collection featured some gorgeous sheers, velvets, bold synthetics and natural fibres.
Harlequin had the most captivating window display boldly featuring its newly launched Journey of Discovery design. The hanging Gardens of Babylon sit alongside the Tower of Bable surrounded by geishas, goddesses and emperors, giant pandas and mythical Chinese dragons. This range is not for the faint hearted, but wow does it pack a design punch.
New from Norway
Norway’s oldest glass factory known for its lighting, tableware and art glass, Hadeland Glassverks has just opened its first UK showroom at the Design Centre and we found ourselves mesmerised by it. The fabulous display of modern glass lighting alongside stunning glass decor really stood out for us. They shared the showroom with another intriguing new arrival, Lundhs Real Stone stone and furniture company Eikund. We chatted to Ben Ayling, Business Development Manager for Lundhs who explained to us why the company feels London in particular is a place to set up a studio right now.
“Our aim in collaborating with Hadeland and Eikund within the Chelsea Design Centre is to create a platform to showcase Norwegian products and design.
We were very taken by its collection – formed by nature several hundred millions years ago and only found in Norway. Ideal for surfaces both inside and out, we hope to use it in a design very soon.
Design London at Magazine
After our day at Chelsea Harbour we headed over to the other side of town to visit Design London. Held at Magazine London in North Greenwich – London’s newest design district. Design London is the largest contemporary design fair of this year’s festival and had a whole host of international exhibitors, pavilions and a packed talks programme.
On entering we were struck by the quality of design straight away. We immediately found Weewood, a stunning range of Portuguese joinery which looked as beautiful as it felt. Its ethos of wanting to create timeless, functional and aesthetically intriguing furniture was certainly evident to see.
We also enjoyed meeting the representative from Dutch company Jess. Its gorgeous leather chair was a moment of complete relaxation. All of the furniture was so ‘sittable’ and the muted orange and chestnut tones of its upholstery made for a welcoming and striking stand.
Discussions in design
One of the reasons we wanted to go along to London Design was to see how other companies are approaching their interior design marketing and attend some of the Discussion In Design forums. One of which was with celebrated product designer Lee Broom. It was fascinating to hear his story of an actor turned designer and how his path has led him to many areas of design.
His passion for good design shines through (excuse the pun) in his new lighting collection “Pantheon.” Inspired by the distinctive concrete ceiling of Rome’s ancient temple, as well as the clean lines and geometry of Brutalist architecture.
Window film solutions
Other notable finds were the Sonte crew who were showcasing an almost ‘magical’ product which turnt large expanses of glass from transparent to private – with the touch of a remote control. We couldn’t get any good images of these but if you take a look at their website, you’ll be as amazed as we were. With many new buildings now being constructed with large glass windows, it can sometimes be difficult to offer privacy and protection from the sun. This film could be the answer to many issues, not least of all because it can be retro fitted. It is based on digital shading technology that allows the colour of the film to go from non-transparent to transparent when you apply a current through it.
There were colour and shapes aplenty on offer at the New Terracotta stand – a company we hadn’t previously come across, but are very glad we have. Another Portuguese company, this time producing the most fabulous ceramic tiles in a wide variety of designs and styles. From botanicals and leafy designs through to muted pastel geometrics, there really was something to suit all.
3D printing
In one of the halls was an amazing example of design and 3d printing from Versarien who had teamed up with British Artist and Designer Steuart Padwick to create a 3D printed installation using 100% cement free mortar enhanced by Graphene. Not only does 3D printing significantly reduce the volume of material needed, the special mortar being cement free also reduces the carbon footprint by as much as 35%.The team wanted to highlight the versatility of the material and its green credentials, both in composition and use.
Upcycling
Having come across them before at Clerkenwell Design Week we knew the House of Upcycling stand would be worth stopping by and we weren’t disappointed. The House of Upcycling is the UK’s premiere authority on professional upcycling for interiors. Its member artisans produce furniture, art and accessories in a unique style aesthetic, all in partnership with sustainability and the new design agenda which celebrates expertise, environment and design evolution in equal measure. Stunning pieces of work were on display and we look forward to working on designs that feature more of this kind of unique furniture.
The Third Age for interior design marketing
Another interesting talk we attended was one about design for the “Third Age” – a market we have been keen to develop a better understanding of ourselves.The facts tell us that by 2050, over two billion people in the world, or one in five of us, will be aged 60 or over, and ’third agers’ will have huge spending power. Swedish lift brand Aritco hosted the panel discussion on how innovative design can transform the home to accommodate an ageing population. It was interesting to hear how designers and architects learn from sectors like transport that have been focused on mobility and comfort for decades to ensure that houses and commercial spaces should cater to this often-neglected demographic?
New Talent & interior design marketing
We talked to many independent exhibitors whilst there and were excited to see some new and innovative designers such as Six Dot Design and Shelf Studio both of whom were proudly showcasing their own designs. It’s always interesting to talk to new talent as often they have a different outlook on how the design world may progress and, we hope, will be producing furniture, design concepts and products that we may well be using within our own designs in the future.
Overall we found the two days in London to be full of inspiration and a huge amount of optimism in the design world as a whole. Everyone seems to be on a high of creativity and we loved being able to share some of the positivity. We came back with a head full of ideas for how to incorporate some of the new trends, designs and ideas in our interior design marketing work and looking forward to sharing it with our clients. Watch this space.