Hospitality Interiors June 2013

FEATURES

Lobby and reception | Guest room Fabric and wallcoverings | Lighting | Tiling | Seating

PROJECTS

Great Northern Hotel | Mainport Rotterdam Sheraton Bangalore | River Cottage Canteen

PROFILES

Leisure Plan | YellowKorner | Draks Omaha Bicycle Company | Avocado Sweets

H O T E L , R E S T A U R A N T, B A R & C L U B I N T E R I O R S

Issue 47 | May- June 2013

Slim Line by Dedon Designer: Jean-Marie Massaud Distributor: Leisure Plan HI47_pages.indd 1

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Comment Hello, and welcome to this issue of Hospitality Interiors.

I had the pleasure of joining the Hospitality Interiors editorial team a year and a half ago, and in that time, I have learned about an industry that is as inspiring as it is influential. Last month’s HA Week – in which industry professionals utilised their creativity to raise over £10,000 for Hospitality Action – is just one example of how the sector utilises its passion and drive to move forward in times of difficulty.

Inspiration was also abundant at last month’s May Design Series and Clerkenwell Design Week, two events that took centre stage in the capital to highlight some of the best new products on offer. Both shows took on a design-oriented focus, with many exhibitors – both up-and-coming and established – expressing enthusiasm for the opportunity to show their bespoke capabilities to a new generation of interior designers.

It is imperative that the industry utilises its current creative momentum to support and nurture new talent. Creativepool’s Create Britain campaign is a recently-launched initiative that aims to champion the UK’s creative industries, calling on the Government to ensure that art and design continues to be financially supported and remains a fundamental part of the education system. Campaigns such as this are crucial to safeguarding the design industry’s longevity. Readers can support the initiative by signing the Create Britain Charter online at www.epetitions.direct.gov.uk.

As ever, the hospitality industry continues to innovate, and our email inboxes have been inundated with news of hotel builds, restaurant renovations, product launches and showroom openings – so much so, that we are struggling to keep up! We will, however, continue to keep you updated, and you can see our pick of industry news and insights in the pages that follow.

Our new website is also up and running, and continues to grow every day with up-to-date industry news, projects, products, event reviews, expert columns and interviews. We are looking for more editorial contributions, so please do get in touch if you have an article idea in mind.

John and I are always keen to hear from you, whether there is something that you would like to feature, you have feedback on the magazine, or just for a chat. You can also get in touch via Twitter – @KatieSherryHI or @extralegg – and our Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram pages will be live in due course.

I hope you enjoy the issue, and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Katie Sherry, deputy editor

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Email: elaine@gearingmediagroup.com

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INTERVIEW 35

Sweet success Although relatively new to the hospitality scene, Camden-based interior design studio, Avocado Sweets, has already made a name for itself with an impressive portfolio of high-end residential and commercial projects.

The firm’s creative director, Evros Agathou, speaks with Hospitality Interiors’ Katie Sherry about celebrating at the SBID International Design Awards, the importance of putting clients’ needs first, and travelling back to the 1940s for his latest project.

Avocado Sweets was founded in 2010 by Evros Agathou and his wife, Susie, the company’s business development director. The firm has since impressed the industry with its original designs and business-focused approach, having been named a finalist in the Innovation category at the prestigious SBID International Design Awards 2012 – no mean feat for a design studio only three years in the making.

Avocado Sweets owes this accolade to its humorous transformation of Insurance by LittleNLarge.com’s headquarters in Southgate, London. “This was our entry into commercial projects,” Evros explains. “We use our creativity to meet the clients’ needs – in this case, interiors have been used as a marketing tool. The offices are now used for commercial meetings, which saves the

company time and money on travel as clients want to spend time there.”

Although Evros cites luck as a factor for Avocado Sweets’ success – “each job has come along at the right time” – it is clear that an established knowledge of construction projects has played a prominent part. Evros’ experience in managing large projects for the Civil Service gives him an understanding of how to balance the construction and aesthetics of a project.

This skillset has been useful for the implementation of both residential and commercial projects, as Evros explains: “The skills required are not so different,” he says. “In both instances we need to meet the client’s needs and make the user feel positive. I truly believe that we shape our homes and they shape us, and it is not so different

in the hospitality business.

“However, for commercial projects – more so than residential – it always has to go back to investing in the product or brand, so that the client can generate more income. In short, the project has got to be financially viable.”

For the team at Avocado Sweets, utilising the client’s knowledge of, and passion for, what they do, is an imperative part of the design process.

“The idea of having a personal relationship with the client is quite often underrated,” Evros says, “but you need to feel comfortable with someone in order to generate ideas. Our role is to make the client look good, and to meet the needs of the client’s client – ie the customer. In order to achieve this, there needs to be an evolution of ideas.”

Avocado Sweets’ collaborative approach ›

Poppies, Camden

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