Design Festival 2013

Design Junction

Walking through Design Junction is like exploring independent showrooms on the hidden streets of London – yet we are spoilt by three floors of original design and talent, and surrounded by a wonderful crowd of people, ending up at one of the few pop up bars along the way.

Design Junction launched ‘lightjunction’ this year. This new venture is London’s first trade fair dedicated to high-end decorative lighting.

 

To celebrate the launch, Willow Lamp (willowlamp.com) brought one of their Mandala Chandelier Collection along. Tucked in the dark corner of their floor space, this Mandala impressed the passers-by. The founder of Willow Lamp is Adam Hoets who is an architect graduated from the University of Cape Town. He created glamourous chandeliers and lamps using a simple method of attaching ball-chain to laser-cut steel frames. A tiny notch in the metal frame is the key to creating a fastener-free chain curtain system, which unleashes endless design possibilities.

 

 

Another edgy and innovative lighting company is Brokis (brokis.cz) who works with award-winning young designers, such as Lucie Koldova (Czech Designer of the year and Elle Decoration Talent), They adapt organic forms for their lamps which transpire elegance when the lamps are illuminated.

 

 

Our highlight was the collection by &Tradition – their sultry, classic and cool furniture pieces including the ‘Mayor Sofa AJ5’ designed in 1939 in blush pink and walnut.

We also met many artesian designers who are very passionate about their creations, keeping the design’s fresh and ever evolving.

Design Junction was definitely the place to hang out during the London Design Festival. We love the products and the spirit of the makers.

 

100% Design

 

 

As we walked into the pavilion area of 100% Design, we were greeted by the lighting installation by Thomas Matthews named the Gateway. It’s an array sea of rainbow coloured LED lights installed on the roof as you walking down a dark alley leading to the pavilions. Lights in the sky, lights at the end of the tunnel.

 

The new management seemed to improve the image of the 100% Design brand this year, as new creations and designs were distinctly spotted by us, the Designers.

There were plenty of new creations and designs that were presented by emerging designers, as well as by established studios.

 

 

Exhibitors from Portugal were especially the pandora boxes. Their creations are bold, provoking almost and full with emotions. Boca Do Lobo (bocadolobo.com) is one of those Portuguese whom we describe its furniture as artworks.

 

 

Closer to home, the British designers are also shining like the summer sky. New comer MENG (meng.co.uk) presented their luxurious silk products in the form of kimonos and cushion covers. Their prints on the silk fabrics are mesmerising and avant-garde.

 

 

We also fell in love with Bolon’s (bolon.com) woven vinyl flooring. Their durability, texture and colours. Great alternative to carpets, tiles and concrete resin.

 

 

Refin Ceramiche has been one of our most reliable suppliers. At the 100% Design, they launched their new tile collection, FRAME. The aim is to take the interiors back to the era Emilia Romagna using traditional patterns and original colour palette. First impression is “bellissima!” watch this space as these will be featured in one of our current projects we are working on.

Definitely for us, it had been a worthwhile visit to 100% Design.

 

Molteni C & Dada

 

 

 

Our highlight evening event this year goes to Molteni C & Dada for hosting a talk with artist Ron Gilad and Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic.

Ron Gilad let us into his imaginative mind and told of his journey working on the Grado collection for Molteni C, through to his future plans including an architectural venture. Ron, whose work is minimal, yet playful and mysterious, spoke with Deyan about the relationship of art and design. Well put by Deyan “Perhaps the thing that makes design not art, is utility”. However, the Grado collection for Molteni C certainly challenges this theory – pieces that are beautiful in their own right, as installations and perhaps need no use in the home, but to just leave the owner in awe of it’s subtlety and elegance.

As well as a fantastic talk, the atmosphere was great and we caught up with some fellow designers and journalists.

We look forward to the next.

The Studio

 

 

 

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