Vision Residential Rules!
Decorex unravelled Love at Longpoint Illuminating John Pawson
As soon as the calendar hits September, we know it’s going to be a very busy period for Interior Designers, Manufacturers and Producers up and down the country as we prepare to showcase and visit numerous design shows through the Autumn months. The highlight of the Autumn design show calendar centres around the London Design Festival where Decorex International, 100% Design, the Design Museum and The London Design Festival at the V&A all take centre stage in the Capital to showcase the latest trends and unique products available within the Interiors industry. We were no exception to the rule here at the NDA where we spread ourselves up and down the country to visit some of the most respected and lesser known design festivals to gain an insight into new trends and expectations to come. Our highs and lows of some of the shows we have visited recently appear throughout this edition of VISION.
17 - 25 September 2011
This month’s student of the month is one of our BA students
Juan Carlos Mayor-Carvajal We chose Juan's exhibition design module due to the strong attention to detail within his technical drawings and also this ability to create a sense of ambience/mood within his visuals.
Well done Juan!
The London Design Festival is a nine-day celebration of design in the world’s creative capital, with Decorex being one of the many major attractions that draws interior design professionals to its doors from every corner of the globe. This year’s show would prove to be a good indicator of how the interiors industry has recovered from the recent downturn in the past couple of years, with a vast increase in exhibitor and visitor numbers being distinctly apparent. From the outset, it was clear that the organisers of Decorex 2010 had the intention of making this year’s exhibition the biggest and most influential possible, with the world-renowned designer Nina Campbell being invited to design the Sloane Square entrance to the show. In the words of Decorex, “Nina's display…fused together an eclectic mix of exquisite products for domestic, retail and commercial environments.”. With the theme of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ used as a design brief it would prove interesting to see the specially commissioned products on show following on from Nina’s lead. One company who fully embraced the theme were Spanish duo Herme y Monica who were commissioned by ICEX (the Spanish institute for foreign trade) to create a stand that was inventive and cutting-edge in order to promote Spain’s reputation as a world-class producer of furniture, lighting and textiles. The resulting stand, entitled ‘Spain Through the Looking Glass’ (inspired by the Lewis Carroll novel) offered an unexpected viewing experience where everything was not as it appeared. A combination of colour-changing accessories, to a secret room that revealed a myriad of optical illusions were just some of the intriguing elements to this imaginative exhibition space. Take a look at the ‘Spain Through the Looking Glass’ website for more information on this inventive slice of illusion. http://www.spainthroughthelookingglass.com/
Boca Do Lobo have been a fixture on the Decorex exhibitor list for the past few years and still continue to produce some sensational pieces of furniture. This year, their ‘Crochet’ chest evokes the company’s ethic of passionate design and exclusivity. The chest consists of seven drawers finished with a darkened gold leaf that ensures a mystery and an elegance which contrasts with the vibrant jewel toned purple of the handles.
www.diffuse.co.uk
Diffuse, design and manufacture elegant lighting features using porcelain as the integral material in their bespoke products. With prestigious clients such as St. Pancras Station (Eurostar Premier Business Departure Lounge), The Natural History Museum (London), Marriott Hotel (Champs Elysees, Paris), to name but a few, it is clear their sophisticated designs can grace any interior from the classic to the contemporary.
pick of the products
www.bocadolobo.com
“Tracey Kendall creates new and innovative wallpapers using hand techniques and modern technology to expand the vocabulary of possibility for wall coverings. The wallpapers are all starting points, often from elements already within a room or space, and convey a strong design concept, one which interacts with an interior’s identity, but without dominating it”.
pick of the products
www.tracykendall.com
John Pawson Plain Space
John Pawson… not so plain after all Think of John Pawson and what images come to mind? Stark, white spaces? Sharp lines? The word I detest the most…minimalism? If they are, then I’m afraid to say that they are not words to associate with said designer. My visit to the Design Museum’s major exhibition of all things John Pawson opened my eyes to a world of invisible colour and profound respect for a man who has been a leading light in astonishing architecture and design for longer than my (relatively) youthful mind can comprehend. John Pawson’s work is so graceful and cleverly masterminded that in reality, it can be difficult to understand how these spaces can have such an intense affect on your emotions if you cannot fully immerse yourself within them. Luckily, the Design Museum has taken the audacious step in installing a site-specific 1:1, full-sized installation that offers a direct experience of his work. This experience was something that I had never encountered before, or at least, had never had such an emotional response to a piece of design. Stepping into John Pawson’s world became almost an out-of-body experience. The gentle arched ceiling, seamlessly flowing into pin-straight walls, and finally concluding with a soft, angelic glow oozing from the light oak benches. This space was clever. The lack of definition from start to end, where individual components became one, left you floating in the endless environment. Truly astonishing. The rest of the exhibition followed suit. From concept models to correspondence from Pawson’s many clients (including the Cistercian monks from Pawson’s celebrated Novy Dvur monastery, and a very difficult to please Karl Lagerfeld), every wall and pedestal illuminated a level of attention to detail that is rare within the design industry, and Pawson certainly is the master of it. Humour was also another element to the exhibition that was in full force. From the group of visiting Cistercian monks who were not overly impressed with the Pawson House, to the aforementioned Karl Lagerfeld who declared his hatred of “everything that is round” led to Pawson having never successfully implemented a concept for the famed fashion designer. A comforting thought that sometimes, even John Pawson doesn’t get it right.
Vicky
The Long point exhibition was introduced to us as follows “Long Point is a registered mark for the exhibition that is run by the Long Eaton Guild, and showcases the best of furniture made in the UK, including the ranges of the Guild members themselves. Run through the permanent showroom spaces of Guild members within Long Eaton, this Trade only show is a must for retailers, Interior Designers and Press to get involved in the activities of the leading brands in the marketplace”. (Long Eaton Guild 2010)
Our account Having accidently found ourselves at the Artistic Upholstery factory and the surrounding industrial area, our initial thoughts were that there was a distinct lack of visitor information, welcome banners and signage. It seemed immediately that the noted furniture manufactures and suppliers seemed less than willing to accommodate our intrigue. However, Andrew Mitchell from Artistic Upholstery couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about showing off the latest furniture ranges and also taking us behind the scenes on a factory tour to see the traditional furniture making processes in action. It was truly fascinating to see such delicate and detailed craftsmanship still in full working order, and it is testament to the quality of products manufactured within this space. However, Artistic Upholstery aside, when we ventured further into the main body and hub of activity of the exhibition, the quality and individuality of the products available was less and less obvious. Row after row of repetitive and generic furniture produced for the mass market filled each and every showroom that we visited.
On the whole, the exhibition was not one to inspire. Even the most contemporary of pieces showed no inventive spirit, and relied heavily on past styles and cheap production methods. However, don’t take our word for it. There may be pieces in the show that you enjoy and are inspired by, but maybe look through the website to begin with.
Artistic Upholstery factory tour
rationale
My recent visit to the John Pawson: Plain Space exhibition has led me to experiment with whether a particular brand is able to cross design styles and still be relevant within a contemporary setting. John Pawson’s work crossed cultures, geographical aspects and design boundaries and within every setting, his work still exuded a vibrancy and sense of drama. So could the same be said for Laura Ashley? Part of the reason why I enjoy the development stage of designing is the experimentation within a space. Perhaps the end result may not be a successful one, but the process of finding out whether a design is feasible and the processes you go through to reach this conclusion, can sometimes be more rewarding than being sure of a positive solution.
Concept The Laura Ashley brand is synonymous with its mix of County Cottage and Victoriana style which runs seamlessly through the home and fashion services offered by the company. By using the products available from the Laura Ashley website, I wanted to experiment to see if these products would sit in a more modern setting, using a kitchen as a concept base. The resulting mood board demonstrates my interest in why experimentation can throw up some interesting dilemmas; not every design concept is always possible. Tirelessly searching for hours on end to find products that would be suitable to fit the space was a lengthy task, and although I would not consider this to be a resounding success, at least the experimentation has proved a point; not all designs and styles can be sympathetic to a variety of surroundings.
Keep your eyes peeled for our special ‘Christmas Edition’ of VISION…coming to a VLS near you!