Design Events – More Than Just A Day Out, Part 1 – Focus/23

A crucial part of the designer’s year

Attending design events is a crucial component of any designer’s year.  Even with a busy work schedule, taking the time to attend such events is important for various reasons…

• Keeping up-to-date with the latest ideas.  Design is an ever-evolving industry.  There are always new ways of looking at things; every year will bring something new and unexpected.  Which, of course, leads on to…

• Inspiration.  The new ideas and approaches on display will feed your creativity.  I always walk away from these events with my mind full of ideas on how to put some of what I have seen to practical use.

• Exchanging ideas and making connections.  You’ll meet up with other designers, get the chance to compare notes, make new friends and extend your network within the industry.

• Having valuable face-to-face time with your suppliers, thereby strengthening your existing bond and having the chance to discuss their progress and new lines.

• Establishing relationships with new suppliers, discovering what they have to offer and how you might be able to work with them.

• Discovering new artisans and makers – the creatives who can provide bespoke items for clients searching for something unique.

• Expanding your knowledge base, discovering where items are sourced, the manufacturing process involved and the sustainability issues connected.

• CPD – learning what is new in this area and how it might affect your choice of suppliers.

This autumn, I chose to visit three major design events in London: Focus/23, at the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, the Decorative Arts Fair at Battersea, and Decorex at Olympia.  In the first of three blogs covering these, we’re going to focus on my impressions at Focus/23…

Focus/23

An annual five-day event held at Chelsea Harbour’s Design Centre, featuring the best in interior design and decoration.  The Focus show has been described as the ‘voice of authority for interior design’ and has probably become one of the most important design shows on the calendar.

130 showrooms showcased the work of some of the leading lights in the design world in fabric, lighting, furniture design and supply.  The following are some of the designers/suppliers I connected with there…

Tigermoth Lighting:  With a workshop deep in the heart of the English countryside and a new showroom right here at Chelsea Harbour, Tigermoth was proud to display its award-winning designs.  The team’s passion shone through in the delivery of a series of fascinating talks on their range of products.

Élitis:  This is a French fabric house, which I have recently connected with but have yet to use.  An almost ‘anything goes’ approach has led to the three new collections, Ephemere, Acosta and Escondido, being a wildly creative exuberance of wall coverings in 3D, embroideries, paper collages, compositions in wood and varied uses of colours, textures and stripes.

I’m looking forward to using Élitis, as I believe their amazing aesthetics will work brilliantly with my designs.

Samuel & Sons:  Two new collections of trimmings from this company were on display at the show.  Aspen is a plush, high-quality trimming woven from acrylic yarns, equally suitable for indoor or outdoor use.  Bouquet, created in collaboration with American product designer Lori Weitzner is more florally inspired, incorporating the artisanal techniques of hand-beading, rouching and pleating.  Catherine Lightbody, an old colleague from Laura Ashley now working for Samuel and Sons, is seen in one of the pictures below.

Rapture and Wright, with Amy Kent:  One of my ‘go to’ British textile designers, based in Moreton-in Marsh and founded by Rebecca and Peter.  They experiment with pattern and colour, and their products match entirely my aesthetic. Their collaboration with Amy Kent Rugs is a new addition to their collection.

Molly Mahon:  A locally-based block-printing business from Forest Row in Sussex, whose work is all about colour, texture and pattern.  Their workshop is well worth a visit, where you’ll be encouraged get hands-on and experiment with block-printing.

Brimming with fresh ideas

Visiting these big annual design events always leaves me brimming with fresh ideas, eager to find a way to use my new contacts and incorporate some of their work into my designs.  In my next blog, I’ll be discussing some of the most impressive stalls I visited at another of my favourite design fairs, the annual Decorative Arts Fair at Battersea.

Read about my experiences at the Decorative Arts Fair at Battersea here and Decorex at Olympia here

I love providing interior design direction for family homes, considering colour, furnishings,  flooring and lighting, along with family living, with an element of indulgence, a little bit of drama and plenty of personality.

If you would like a hand creating your dream home or want a second opinion, give me a call,  07773 372 158, or send me an email via nicky@nickypercival.co.uk 

I look forward to hearing from you.

Nicky