Interior Design Blog
Against the Grain
September 29, 2011
Not an everyday sight here in the UK, but over in New Zealand grain silos are regularly found in areas where farm animals roam. Filled with animal feed, grain silos have always been content with just doing what they do best, but Stuart Wright-Stow and F3 Design have got bigger plans for these gleaming structures.
Signs of our times
September 28, 2011
Hundreds of visitors grabbed a pen and let loose their imaginations to create a veritable forest of road signs on the Blueprint stand at 100%Design during the London Design Festival. Leading designers and illustrators including Pentagram, The Partners, Noma Bar and Pete Fowler had already lent their creative skills to Blueprint's Look Again project, re-examining UK road signs. Keep an eye on Blueprint's website for some of the results.
And the award goes to...
September 26, 2011
Jenny Brewer idfx
Yesterday I was joined by interior design icons Tara Bernerd and Karen Howes to co-judge the idfx Best Contemporary Product award at Decorex. Italian lighting company Baroncelli was awarded the first prize for its Rex Light, a sophisticated and innovatively modular design, which invites users to build any shape or size of light according to their project needs using different combinations of a single component. Rug designer Luke Irwin was also given a Highly Commended prize for his luxurious and chic San Remo rug.
To make in Britain?
September 23, 2011
This year's London Design Festival is well under way and involves hundreds of events across the capital, but it hasn't all been about Champagne-fueled parties: LDF has also been educational. For me, the most interesting and informative event so far has been a discussion called To Make in Britain?, which took place yesterday morning at Portobello Dock, the canal-side HQ of designer and entrepreneur Tom Dixon.
Walking in a Winter Wanders-land
Christmas is upon us! Well, sort of. On 12 October Marks and Spencer is launching an exciting new Christmas product range under the creative direction of world-renowned designer, Marcel Wanders. The collection is a gift range that includes men's and women's accessories, cakes and confectionary, cosmetics, Christmas decorations and of course, homewares.
100% Design Show: 100% Successful?
By Jamie Mitchell and Anshu Pandit 
With over 400 exhibits including furniture, lighting and materials, 100% Design, which is on at London's Earls Court exhibition centre as part of this week's London Design Festival, is one of the UK's leading contemporary design events. But is the festival's biggest show still essential viewing for designers and architects?
MET Studios Brings War Stories to Life
September 20, 2011
By Anshu Pandit
Experiential designers at MET Studio have been commissioned to create an interactive exhibition at the National War Museum in Chelsea. Based on the critically acclaimed novel and play War Horse, the exhibit explores how horses were used and treated in war throughout history, primarily the First World War.
Cinimod Illuminates Peru
By Anshu Pandit
The visually stunning work of Cinimod Studio has been taken abroad where it has influenced countries in South America, including Peru. Architect Dominic Harris, who specialises in fusing architecture and lighting design, has transformed Peru's National Football Stadium into a mood stadium. What's a mood stadium? Well, with the concept of mood ring that changes colours when your mood does, this stadium now interprets the mood of the crowd in the stadium to reflect in a colourful lightshow outside, so football fans and the whole of Lima can get sense of the emotions running through the match even if they can't be there.
London Calling
September 19, 2011
Jenny Brewer idfx
The ninth annual London Design Festival is already in full swing, and with hundreds of events, exhibitions, talks and parties taking place across the capital, it's difficult to know where to go first. The idfx team will be hot-footing it around as many as we can handle, so here's our top ten must-see events to help you with your schedule...
Smack My Sketch Up
September 16, 2011
The Prodigy's Maxim, under the alias MM, this week launched his first ever art exhibition, entitled Lepidop Terror. More than just your typical art exhibition, Lepidop Terror is a sensory experience, which uses sounds, smells and lighting as well as the art itself to create an overall experience.
London Design Festival
By Kim Heinz
This year's London Design Festival will be the largest and most significant yet, according to the organisers, with an expected 180 exhibitors, around 350,000 visitors and more than 250 events celebrating the world's creative capital.
This year, LDF encompasses venues including the V&A museum and trade shows such as 100% Design, the original trailblazing interiors show that brings you divine innovation and a wealth of talent all under one roof.
Here are some of the events we are most looking forward to.
Cut It Out
September 15, 2011
Graphic designer, Noma Bar has created a hands-on installation for the forthcoming London Design Festival. Cut It Out, at Outline Editions Gallery, 17 - 30 September will give visitors the opportunity to create their own little piece of Noma Bar art with the help of, what can only be described as a giant dog shaped hole-punch.
The people's pavilion
Rick Roxburgh
Many readers of this blog will be familiar with the Serpentine Gallery's annual pavilion project, which this year saw a temporary structure by Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor take residence in Kensington Gardens over the summer months. Providing a 'garden of tranquillity' for frazzled Londoners, Zumthors structure has been one of the must-see events of the summer, but pavilions aren't just for a metropolitan elite, as the structure pictured above in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, shows.
2nd National Wool Week
By Anshu Pandit
Celebrate the 'beauty, quality, and diversity' of wool during the 2nd national Wool Week at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour starting 5 September. Wool Week, developed by The Campaign for Wool, is designed to educate consumers about the vast uses of wool in interior design.
Beijing Design Week celebrates world design and Chinese creativity
By Kim Heinz
With more than 2,000 works of design, over 30 countries involved, more than 130 projects and 100 design landmarks open to the public, the eight-day Beijing Design Week will be the largest and most significant yet in the Chinese capital for the promotion of design.
The event from 26 September to 3 October promises to be a platform and meeting point for the international design community and is aimed at shifting international attention from 'Made in China' to 'Designed in China'.
The Design Week programme builds on this objective, asserting the role of design as a crucial one for China's growth and progress. It has commissioned landmark design installations from renowned international and local architects and designers across the city, from the industrial district of 751 to the ultra-modern Sanlitun area and the 'old Beijing' alleyways near Tiananmen Square.
An international design forum to discuss the establishment of a 'design cities' network will include the founder of the London Design Week Sir John Sorrell.
Jointly held with BJDW, the inaugural Beijing International Design Triennial will be one of the festival's core events. Held at the recently reopened National Museum of China, the Triennial will take the form of a thematic exhibition.
For this year's debut, the general theme will be 'Good Design'. Five exhibitions of individual sub-themes will be held in the five exhibition halls of the museum, for a showcase of design that will cover 6000 sq m in total.
Centred on the theme 'Design and City Development', the Beijing Design Forum will put design dialogue on centre stage, where a panel of key figures from the design industry will address the possibility of building an international design network of 'design cities'. The panel will include London Design Festival chief executive and chairman Sir John Sorrell, founder and director of Helsinki Design Week Kari Korkman, and architect and editor-in-chief of international magazine Abitare Stefano Boeri,
The Beijing Design Forum will take place in the Golden Hall on 28 September and aims to foster the sustainable development of China's design industries while helping to identify and create new opportunities for international cooperation.
Many international exhibitions are expected to enrich Beijing Design Week as part of this programme, with participation from countries including Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Australia, marking the cosmopolitan character of this year's edition.
Contributions by a mass of design-related organisations and individuals will be focused on different districts, each celebrating their own particular contribution to the world of design in Beijing.
For more information see the website www.bjdw.org/en/
Transformer no.V579
September 14, 2011
Controversial Russian Artist Andrei Molodkin returns to the UK with his new site specific installation Transformer no.V579 at the Art Sensus Gallery in London.
Dyson Award could be 'rolled-out' across the NHS
By Kim Heinz
Michael Korn, a former student at the Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing is the UK winner of the James Dyson Award, an international design competition run across 18 countries.
He won the award and a prize of £1,000 for his product KwickScreen, a portable room divider, designed principally for use in hospitals to isolate infected patients, as well as give them more dignity and privacy.
The screens enable hospitals to make more effective use of their accommodation as infected patients do not need to be moved into a private room. 'In hospitals, there is a huge opportunity to optimise bedstock use and overall productivity while also improving the patient care environment," says Korn.
The 2m-high, flexible screens can be pulled out to anything up to 3.5m wide and retract into a compact vertical compartment. They use a technology, the RolaTube, invented with NASA for use in space.
Korn now has exclusive rights to the use the technology for the production of screens and has a patent on the KwickScreen.
James Dyson will announce the global winner on 8 November. The International James Dyson Award winner will receive £10,000 for the student or the team and further £10,000 for the winner's university department.
All of this year's entries can be seen on the website here .
Art project Flow soon to alight on Northamptonshire's waterways
September 13, 2011
By Kim Heinz
A spectacular set of site specific artworks are soon to alight on Northamptonshire's scenic waterways. Entitled Flow and commissioned from Britain's leading artists, it forms part of the East Midlands Igniting Ambition Festival and the UK's Cultural Olympiad, with the first striking commission by environmental artist Steve Messam.
Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the modern history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the largest outdoor installation in the UK. Flow aims to raise the profile of the ancient county, to draw attention to the importance of Northamptonshire's waterways and to inspire all those who witness the extraordinary artworks.
Echoing Northamptonshire county's renown for spire architecture, renowned artist Steve Messam will create a series of spire forms, to be located in a mile-long trail on England's most picturesque waterways: in August on the Oxford Canal, and in September on the River Nene outside the historic market town of Oundle.
The spires will create new vistas down the canal and river, working with the shapes and textures of the surrounding landscape. The materials used to create these structures will reflect both the traditions of narrow boat building and the county's long-standing connection with leather.
Using a combination of LED lighting, digital film projection and high powered lasers, Jo Fairfax will create an installation to illuminate and animate Northamptonshire's iconic water towers. The work will also pay homage to an arcane national landmark located within the county.
Flow will take place across several key locations in the county, from the Grand Union and Oxford Canals, which connect London to Birmingham and Oxford to Coventry respectively, to the gentle River Nene, now celebrating its 250th year of being navigable.
For more information on current and forthcoming FLOW events and installations visit www.flow-northamptonshire.com
David Adjaye named Design Miami Designer of the Year 2011
September 12, 2011
Jenny Brewer idfx
Design Miami has announced David Adjaye OBE as this year's Designer of the Year. He is the seventh recipient of the prize, with previous winners including Marc Newson, Tokujin Yoshioka and the Campana Brothers. As part of the event, Adjaye will create a specially commissioned site-specific installation at the fair's temporary structure on Miami Beach, entitled Genesis.
Balta Group presents innovations at Domotex Middle East
By Kim Heinz
Balta Group, a world leader in interior decoration and floor coverings, is present at the 6th edition of the Middle East's largest trade fair 'Domotex Middle East' in Dubai, the only dedicated floor coverings and carpet exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, taking place from 12 to 14 September 2011.
Four business units of Balta Group, Balta Rugs, Balta Broadloom, ITC and Domo Floorcoverings, will present their new collections 2012 like a wide range of newly developed, stainsafe twists with unique multicoloured textures or a new generation woven wilton with a wide variety of traditional refined patterns in subtle colours.
'Heartbreaker', a luxurious range of shag piles is jut one of many innovations that will be displayed at the fair, which combines the benefits of a woven actionbag and a soft felt backing.
An innovative product portfolio with ITC, a specialist for contract and domestic carpet made from polyamide will also be presented, with the option to add any individual design produced with the latest Chromojet technology. This computer controller printing system results in the deepest colour penetration and excellent print definition.
Domo Floorcoverings introduces its new luxurious trendy collections with nine new collections in different product lines. Highline for example is the new member of the saxony family, with a pile weight of more than 1100g/m² combining luxurious feeling with a great colour line.
Balta Rugs also presents its new collection for 2012, focusing on product innovation and fashion. The shaggy range, a series of high pile and extremely comfortable rugs, remains popular with two new variations, the comfort shaggy which is a four cm ultra-soft and dense shaggy in natural tones, as well as the Sapphiere Shaggy which is a luxury, six cm high pile with very soft, dense and shiny harmonic designs.
All these new collections feature the latest trends in interior design of rich products with a subtle twist and the Domotex Dubai show will probably again demonstrate Domo Floorcoverings' pole position in up-to-date designs and colours.
A Chair Affair
September 9, 2011
The Sound Chair by Italian design giants, Natuzzi is an iconic piece of furniture, often used as inspiration for young designers. To celebrate this, Natuzzi has invited creatives from across the UK to offer a re-design of the iconoic chair, all to be exhibited at the London Design Festival. Each of the talented up-and-coming designers, or design collectives, will offer their alternative designs by painting, embellishing, reupholstering and in some cases completely remodeling the chairs for the Chair Affair exhibition.
Hitch Mylius celebrates 40th anniversary at London Design Festival
Kenneth Grange sitting in the Edith chair
By Kim Heinz
The London-based manufacturer Hitch Mylius, founded by designers Tristram and Hazel Mylius in 1971, will be celebrating their 40th anniversary with a programme of events during the London Design Festival, including the exhibition of classic and bestselling pieces from their contemporary upholstery range.
Hitch Mylius produces contemporary upholstered furniture for today's offices, hotels, universities and airports and their show will bring together leading UK, as well as international furniture and lighting brands.
For the first event, taking place from 17-25 September, the anteroom in the V&A's Sackler Centre in South Kensington will be transformed into a VIP and press lounge, where a conversation corner installation will showcase the hm63 sofa system, which have been specifically designed to encourage conversations.
The second event, taking place on 22 September will be a debate about designing for an ageing population, chaired by architectural critic Hugh Pearman. Speakers will include designer and British icon Kenneth Grange, photographer and design journalist Barbara Chandler, design advisor for Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, as well as John Cooper from John Cooper Architecture. Besides this, Edith chair, a new seating collection designed specifically for health care use and the needs of the elderly will be displayed.
Between 19-25 September, architect Nigel Coates will be reinterpreting the hm63 sofa system at architect Will Alsop's venue, The Testbed, in Battersea, Parkgate Road. The special version of the hm63 will feature the five pebble-like modules that have been transformed by architect Nigel Coates using paint, the oldest of decorating materials.
This will define a 'lounge' area within the venture's rough and ready interior and is destined to be a 'must visit' installation within the design festival, which also coincides with the opening of Alsop's Doodle Bar and Street Kitchen. Besides this, designs by Vivienne Westwood, FAT and AOC will be displayed.
Scott Brownrigg announces alliance with russian architecture practice UNK Project
September 8, 2011
By Kim Heinz
International design company Scott Brownrigg has formed an alliance with the Russian architecture practice UNK project to create and deliver projects for the Russian market.
The new alliance has already created new business opportunities for both companies, including the master planning of a new 3,500-unit residential community, invitations to limited competitions and the interiors for L'Oreal's new office and hair studio in Moscow.
Chief executive of Scott Brownrigg Darren Comber said: 'The alliance is beneficial to both practices and we are delighted to have UNK as our base in Moscow, providing access to opportunities, local contacts and the UNK team's experience in delivering exceptional projects.'
UNK Project is one of the leading design practices in Moscow and specialises in workplace design, high-end residential, hotels, retail and restaurant design. It has won the 2011 Grand Prix Award for office design for the Walt Disney Sony Pictures releasing HQ in Moscow, and has a number of leading multinational clients, including Google, Microsoft, L'Oreal, Samsung and HP.
Scott Brownrigg is an international design practice providing architecture, interior design and planning. The company has existing international offices in Cyprus and Croatia and a license to work in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. The practice won the 2011 BCO [British Council for Offices] Regional Award for HR Wallingford's HQ in Oxfordshire Kestrel House, and its Cardiff office was named the AJ100 Practice of the Year for Wales. Current multinational clients include Google. CISCI, Baker & McKenzie, Bain & Co, Chatis AIG and Thomson Reuters.
Ken Giannini, director of Scott Brownrigg Interior Design, said: 'A number of our multinational workplace clients are planning to expand into Russia and we can now support them with their workplace fit-out projects. Our expertise in the design, delivery of large-scale architectural schemes and our reputation for sustainable design, combined with UNK's skills, creates a valuable offer to the local developer and fund market.'
Whiteout in London
September 7, 2011
By Tim Wallace
For the first time, the Cabinetmakers' Autumn Exhibition is taking an entire exhibition to the UK to show its special take on Danish furniture design. London Design Festival will provide the framework for Whiteout, an exhibition consisting of 38 new chairs centred on a white colour theme.
Brintons bought out of administration by The Carlyle Group
Carpet design by Brintons Carpets
By Kim Heinz
New company Brintons Carpets Limited, set up by The Carlyle Group, has bought woven carpet specialist Brintons Limited out of administration.
Brintons has received a significant cash investment from Carlyle as part of the transaction, aimed at stabilising the business and allowing management to reposition Brintons for a return to profit and future growth.
Jonathan Young, Brintons CEO Americas, said: 'This investment from Carlyle is great news for Brintons as it ensures the continuation of the business and survival of a renowned British brand. The company was impacted by the unprecedented challenges faced by carpet manufacturers during the economic downturn, which disrupted our plans for the business.'
Carlyle's investment will enable Brintons to extend its international expansion and will support the company's commitment to technological innovation, including the development of Brintons' new proprietary High Definition Weave technology.
Ian Jackson, director at Carlyle, said: 'We are delighted to invest in Brintons, a global brand with a long heritage that is recognised for its quality, design and unique technology.
'Carlyle has a strong track record of managing and investing in companies in this position and we look forward to supporting Brintons' management team to facilitate international expansion and enable the company to reach its full potential.'
The recent portfolio of the 228-year-old business - the world's largest manufacturer of Axminster carpets - includes the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, the Queen Mary 2, Las Vegas casinos and the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London. Brintons has plant facilities in the UK, India and Portugal and its product portfolio includes premium woven Axminster, Wilton broadloom carpets, Axminster carpet tiles and handtufted rugs.
Home from home
September 6, 2011
Tramshed by name, tramshed by nature, but only just. Launched last year at... the Tramshed in Shoreditch, the new design event looked like it was going to have to trolley off to a new venue despite its moniker. But they've had a reprieve and are back in their ideal home. This year will see work from the likes of Autoban (Pill Lamp Above), Mathew Hilton, De Vorm, Benjamin Hubert and Miranda Watkins Design on show and its worth a visit for the venue alone.
Moooi UK presents Mermaids by Marcel Wanders at the London Design Festival 2011
Crochet chair by Marcel Wanders
By Kim Heinz
Designer Marcel Wanders will present his recent art project Mermaids in The White Building, Mooois's London showroom during the London Design Festival. Alongside the debut exhibition of the Mermaids photographic artworks, the gallery space will be transformed and 'sunk to the bottom of the ocean'.
Power of Making
September 5, 2011
Alphabet by Dalton Ghetti (image: Sloan T. Howard Photography)
Jenny Brewer idfx
How a product is made can be the fine line between a beautiful object and just another thing. In the same way, a truly talented maker can fulfil the potential of raw materials by not only imagining an incredible piece, but also bringing that creation to life through skillful production. In honour of this, the V&A and the Crafts Council's new Power of Making exhibition celebrates the well-made by displaying an immensely diverse selection of expertly executed designs.
Hidden Art to close after 22 years
September 1, 2011
Hidden Art's founder and chief executive Dieneke Ferguson
After 22 years providing much-needed funding for struggling designers, east London-based design organisation Hidden Art is to close at the end of this month because of cuts to its funding.
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