London Design Week 2023 Highlights
London Design Week is the jewel in the event calendar for both residential and commercial interior designers looking for the latest textile, lighting and bathroom product launches. The event has grown to include an extensive talks programme which assisted in drawing the crowds despite tube and rail strikes. Here our Editor, Alys Bryan, shares her highlights from the event.
Human Touch
It is a pleasure to see the process of how a product is produced within the design itself, it’s a wonderful way for the viewer to relate to the creator of the product. GP & J Baker’s new wallpaper Print Club is an example of how seeing the printing process within the surface pattern design drawers you in, sparking a bond between you and the product.
Exuberant Partnerships
Romo and Temperley take no prisoners with their maximalist collaborative collection and it’s exciting to see these two forces come together with such impact.
Cleverly each unique design within the collection can be incorporated into a wide array of schemes, having the choice to transform the boldest of design into a subtle detail.
Creativity of Expression
Hyde House creatively express themselves through their playful approach to form, selecting unique furniture form for conventional furniture parts such as chair legs.
Knots Rugs share their creativity through their informal surface patterns, a strong contrast to popular floral motifs.
Precision
Stunning florals by Sanderson, Arboretum and Pineturn, showcase their extraordinary level of precision and attention to detail, creating a feeling of order and serenity for the viewer through the flowing flora and fauna, as well as beautifully selected colour palette.
Rebellion
When I set off to London Design Week I had a hope that I might find products with a rebellious streak, and I found it with Arte.
Their Desert dreams concept for the Kharga collection is strong, romantic and challenging, the sand dunes are brought to life in the Zerzura design and the nights sky sparkles in the Gobi design.
But Arte rebelled, pushed the rules of wallcoverings, through the huge breadth of techniques they use including lazer cut patterns for their Barkhan design, and layering jute threads with Japanese paper for their Tenere design. But perhaps my favourite rebellious design is Atacama, an alpaca boucle wallcovering!
Warm Welcome
On arrival we were greeted by a heart-lifting floral display and a warm welcome from the Design Centre team. But being welcome is not limited to a guest’s arrival, it is also important for events to consider how they might widen their scope and be able to welcome brands outside of the showroom settings.
The Design Avenue atrium allowed for many exciting brands to be welcomed into Design Week including Misia, Barbara Osorio Fabrics and Haberdashery with their Sand & Sea installation.
We enjoyed discovering many new products on our visit to London Design Week 2023, here is a selection!
Lelievre introduced visitors to many new designs including decorative Les Songes, Les Reveries and Alize, alongside Alula and Kyrielle.
Zimmer + Rhode have invested in their commercial upholstery offer with the launch of several designs including Comfy Boucle, Relax and Rhythm. Their Etamine brand launched a much-requested outdoor sheer, Saint-Tropez.
Lincrusta showcased their Trellis collection which was recently launched at Paris Deco Home 2023.
Chase Erwin showcased their new Foret collection which includes the Iris design which is inherently FR, wide roll width and 90% light blocking.
Warwick’s stand focused on the launch of 4 key commercial collections, Crib 5 Plains 1, FR Wide 1, Indienne and Cornucopia. We were excited to see a preview of their upcoming Eco Velvet and Oxford collections due to launch in coming months.
Abraham Moon unveiled their new Eccentric collection, inspired by eclectic and clashing interiors and featuring an array of stripes, check, geometrics and abstract prints.
Lighting specialists Vaughan showed their understanding of light and form with the launch of their Thentom, Maxton and Shoreham designs, as well as their attention to detail with the launch of their Verdigris finish on the Axford and Hawley Lanterns.
Villeroy & Boch celebrated 275 years of creating homes ‘Creating a home is about transforming personal visions and lifestyles into reality and creating a feeling of comfort and well-being at home.’
Arteriors took this event as an opportunity to introduce their visitors to their extendable Springer dining table, which complements many of the dining chairs in their portfolio. Their focus on natural materials was showcased through their round table, Redford, which utilises production timber offcuts.