Design Holding debuts in Milan
(Italy) - Leading interior brands announce joint participation at Salone del Mobile
Flos, Louis Poulsen and B&B Italia will participate at the 58th edition of Salone del Mobile in Milan as Design Holding. Recently created by Investindustrial and The Carlyle Group, Design Holding is a new global high-end interior design group that brings together the three iconic companies.
The three brands will showcase their collections in three distinctive areas of an all-encompassing booth designed by Calvi Branbilla, located in the new S.Project pavilion (Halls 22-24) - a cross-cutting exhibition format making its debut this year.
The booth is conceived to reflect the philosophy of Design Holding, by putting on stage the common narration of three strong individual identities boasting extraordinary design histories, along with their unique ability of exploring new talents and releasing new iconic designs. All companies will demonstrate how their connection to history is still vivid, by visually relating cult pieces to stunning novelties by contemporary design masters.
Flos will launch the re-edition of one of its cult designs from the 60s, the lamp Chiara by Mario Bellini, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, and will also release the first edition of an extraordinary 1957 design by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, the Bulbo lamp.
Flos will also present innovative designs and original lighting systems created by Michael Anastassiades, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Antonio Citterio, Formafantasma, Piero Lissoni, Nendo, Philippe Starck and Patricia Urquiola, to enrich its Home, Architectural and Outdoor lighting catalogues.
Louis Poulsen will highlight some of its renowned masterpieces born from the long-lasting collaborations with Danish design legends like Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen and Verner Panton followed by welcoming back icons from Vilhelm Lauritzen, continuing with Christian Flindt, Øivind Slaatto and more recently with the duo GamFratesi. The grounded connection between past and present is once again made clear with a new big creative challenge: at the Milan fair Louis Poulsen will debut its first collaboration with the great Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, introducing the extraordinary OE Quasi.
Design Holding’s first exhibition at the most important and influential design fair in the world represents an ideal, noteworthy starting point for its goal to establish a leadership in high-end global design.
Piero Gandini, Chairman of Design Holding and CEO of Flos, commented: “The idea behind Design Holding is to bring together companies that make excellence in design their founding value. If we look at Flos, B&B Italia and Louis Poulsen, in fact, we note that, despite being different in so many respects (furniture and lamps, the 'Made in Italy' concept and Danish design), they have always shared strong values such as cultural commitment and the great quality of their products.
"For many decades, the history of industrial design has been marked by the extraordinary icons generated by these companies through partnerships with legendary designers. I believe that this shared premise of passion and research is the ideal strategic foundation for the development of Design Holding.
"This year’s great product innovations, created together with the best that the creative minds of design have to offer, are a clear testimony to this. We decided to present the three companies individually but in a single space at the Salone del Mobile precisely to show what they have in common in their past and also in their future.
"It is the first step in a project that aims to bring together businesses, each with its own strong, unique nature, under a unanimous banner of international growth based on shared values and visions.
"Presiding over Design Holding gives me great motivation to continue pursuing synergic programs of business development and design research at their best expression.”
About Design Holding.
Design Holding is the largest global high-end design group with a European heritage.
Founded in December 2018 and jointly controlled by companies of the two leading investment groups Investindustrial and The Carlyle Group, Design Holding aims to further grow globally through acquisitions as well.
www.flos.com / www.louispoulsen.com
Hilton Imperial, Croatia
Goddard Littlefair completes restoration of Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, re-injecting life and soul into one of Europe’s most beautiful hotels to appeal to today’s cosmopolitan, sophisticated traveller.
London-based interior design studio Goddard Littlefair recently restored the Hilton Imperial hotel in Dubrovnik, injecting golden-age glamour into one of Europe’s most beautiful and historic venues.
Originally built in 1890, the hotel sits just above Dubrovnik’s old town and hosted a wealth of success in the early 20th century, serving the great Mediterranean cruise liners docking in the city. Then called The Grand Hotel Imperial, it had a French Riviera feel and the glamorous cachet of an international clientele. The hotel was a roaring success for many decades before it was shelled during the Yugoslav war and then used to house refugees. It was brought back to life in 2005, however costly building works meant that the interior wasn’t the main priority at the time.
Goddard Littlefair pitched and won the commission to restore the hotel towards the end of 2016 for a phased set of redesign works. The completed areas include the reception and lobby, lobby lounge, Imperial Bar, Executive Lounge, all connecting and guest-room corridors and all of the hotel’s 149 standard and executive rooms and nine suites. A refurbishment of the hotel’s existing restaurant Porat on the lower ground floor will follow in the next few years.
Goddard Littlefair interior designer Jana Novakovic, tells darc: “Our initial brief was to unlock the true potential of the four-storey hotel’s spectacular location, architecture, reputation and history. Two phases were completed over the course of eighteen months with a third phase including the restaurant on the lower ground floor set to complete in 2020.
“We were very fortunate on this project that the client’s aspirations and ours were in sync from the outset. The brief and concept stayed true and pure throughout. The building and location have a very strong pre-existing character and our aspirations were to reference this throughout the entirety of the project.”
Novakovic continues: “The main challenge was how to respect the hotel’s incredible history, both alluding to and recreating its glamorous heritage whilst ensuring it had a thoroughly contemporary sophistication.”
The team’s inspiration lay in bringing back the romance of the hotel’s former glories and layering glamour into each individual space by means of a Riviera palette, soft detailing, a 1920s yachting influence and subtle evocation of the hotel’s original elegance, all balanced with clean and contemporary lines.
“Our concept referenced the glamour of the 1950s and 60s travel lifestyle,” says Novakovic. “Mediterranean cruises and tours; the grand hotels and iconic summer scenes of convertible cars, sunglasses and flowing dresses.”
Goddard Littlefair worked with dpa lighting consultants to oversee the scheme as he felt that lighting was a crucial way to bring their vision for the hotel to life.
Novakovic tells darc: “Glass is always a major element in our lighting designs because of the extra magic it can bring, whether that’s natural light shining through it in the day time, creating a sense of grandeur or arrival in key spaces or dimming the lights to suit the mood for cocktails at night.”
The team channelled the architectural elements of the building to inspire the lighting designs and ensure they were always in keeping with the overall 1950s glamour sensibility.
Guests enter into the double height reception to find a series of eleven bespoke lanterns hung amidst tall arched windows and cool ceramic flooring. Designed by Goddard Littlefair and produced by Croatian lighting company Dekor, these chandeliers are repeated down the corridor, linking the spaces back to the reception. All of these details give the grand entrance a medieval feeling that is very appropriate to Dubrovnik’s history.
“The lanterns make up a spectacular eleven-part central chandelier made up of sculptural globe-shaped and antiqued brass pendant lights, hanging from chains in rows of three on antiqued brass rods,” continues Novakovic. “Each individual pendant light within the chandelier houses seven ribbed glass tubes concealing light sources. The ribbed glass matches seven bespoke vertical wall lights in the reception’s waiting area.”
The medieval history inspired the team to continue those chandeliers down through the corridor that leads from the reception to the lounge and bar areas. They hung a further seven sculptural and antiqued brass lights identical to the ones used in the reception’s lighting feature.
Moving through to the lobby lounge, Imagin produced the area’s bespoke chandelier, which was inspired by 1950s flowering swimming caps. It features cascading opaque glass petal shapes set on a brass framework and some are even detailed with a gold perimeter. Wall lights in the space are identical to those in the reception waiting area, featuring ribbed, cylindrical glass surrounds.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Bar is scattered with decorative lighting details that capture its pronounced Deco feel, inspired by the arched windows and hotel surroundings. Firstly, the room features a bespoke, six-armed chandelier in brass with spherical opal glass shades designed by Goddard Littlefair and manufactured by Dekor as well.
“Here the lighting was pared back in order to bring attention to the bar, which really comes to life through back-lit ribbed panels on the back bar and a soft spotlight on the bespoke mosaic bar front,” continues Novakovic.
Elsewhere in the Imperial Bar, there’s an illuminated surround screen featuring brass shelving and fretwork panels set within its side arches and across its top section, where LED lights are also concealed. There’s a glass lightbox along the rear bar wall as well, featuring backlit ribbed glass, set within a brass framework that brings a decorative background illumination to the space.
Beyond the Imperial Bar is the Executive Lounge, a quiet breakaway zone for the hotel’s executive guests with a more spare and contemporary feel. The major lighting feature of this space is a bespoke four-part brass ring chandelier with crystal elements and inset LED lights, also designed by Goddard Littlefair and made by British manufacturer Northern Lights. The LED strip emphasises the many small crystal elements circling each ring.
The linking corridors between the various suites, executive and standard rooms also feature bespoke wall lights, again designed by Goddard Littlefair and produced by Dekor. They feature a brass finish with layered bronze plates to announce each room via a cut out number in the front plate.
The look and feel of each guest room is light and fresh with bedside lights fixed to panels featuring a geometric leaf print on linen with antique brass, also made by Dekor. The bespoke floor lights have metal bases finished in bronze with softly-curved geometric shades in ivory linen. Some rooms also feature a fully metal, slightly shorter floor light with a hemispherical rounded head and the hotel bathrooms feature bespoke wall lights as well.
Taking a closer look at the suite guest rooms, they feature bespoke four-armed chandeliers suspended on a chain with a linen shade. They also have table lamps with faux-leather wrapped brown bases, linen shades and a contrast trim along the bottom in dark brown.
Despite the complexity of the various decorative lighting elements, the hotel’s structure worked in Goddard Littlefair’s favour, helping the team to achieve the decorative lighting scheme they wanted. Novakovic continues: “We were lucky to have the ceiling reinforced with a strong pattress, which was capable of holding the full weight of the lobby lounge chandelier. In terms of the LED drivers, we integrated these into the light fittings as much as possible.”
The hotel also has an abundance of natural light flooding in through the large windows, which rendered it a bright and airy space from the outset.
“This was especially important in this design because of the proximity to the sea and the need for a relaxed, refreshing summer atmosphere,” says Novakovic. “The lighting scheme was designed to complement and enhance this, but also to create the right evening atmosphere in each space.”
The final result evoking the long hot summer of twentieth century Croatia is as true to the original scheme as the Goddard Littlefair team could have hoped for.
Novakovic tells darc: “We are very happy to say that the feedback on this project has been overwhelmingly positive, which is how we felt as a team as soon as we saw the space coming together. It’s very gratifying to see the original intent come to life quite so perfectly!”
This project was particularly special for Novakovic, as she continues: “I have family from Croatia and speak the language. I was able to communicate with the local team in Croatian, using technical vocabulary related to design, which was a first for me! The team on this project was great. Everyone’s effort was noticeable from the beginning and clearly paid off.”
The Grand Hotel Imperial was Dubrovnik’s first modern hotel and the first to have electric lighting. Now with its restored interior and fresh lighting scheme, made possible thanks to a fruitful collaboration between Goddard Littlefair and dpa lighting consultants, its history has been restored in all its glory. From antique chandeliers to 1950s swimming cap references, the hotel’s story is now embedded in its design for all future visitors to get a golden-age taste of one of Europe’s most historic hotels.
www.goddardlittlefair.com / www.dpalighting.com
Felix Warley, UK
DesignLSM and Into Lighting turn a previously disjointed, uninspired building into a subaquatic styled intimate dining space.
Felix Warley in Brentwood, Essex, is the latest seafood grill restaurant from chef Stephen Li. Having worked with the DesignLSM team on the first Felix location in Billericay, Essex, in 2015, Li was keen to work with the design studio once more for this next venture. With an ambition to be the best in Essex, the client put his complete trust in them.
The site, formerly known as ‘Headley Spice’, was a tired, disjointed, uninspired building full of frustrating quirks and inadequate services. The brief given to the Design LSM team was to turn this ‘sows ear’ into the proverbial illusive silk purse! Sally Williams, DesignLSM’s Associate Director and Lead Designer on Felix Warley, talks darc through the lighting scheme employed at the project: “Decorative lighting always brings life to any project. We worked closely with Into Lighting to find a family of fittings for each of the three main areas, which includes the entrance atrium, the ground floor restaurant and the first floor lounge. Each area needed its own identity but to flow seamlessly into the next.”
The entrance to the restaurant has been relocated into a new, double height, glazed atrium and the building’s exterior has been enveloped in traditional black shiplap cladding.
Dining is experienced on the ground floor amongst a gentle palette of marine green, blues and stunning textures, the dark ceiling is clad with playful waved fins that alter the customers’ perception as their journey unfolds. Brass nets drop through the waves to enclose three round booth seats.
A sculptural helical staircase crowned with a beautiful chandelier, takes the customer to the first floor where breakfast and brunch is served in the daytime. Light from the windows floods through, illuminating the enormous copper clad oval bar and gantry.
In the evening this space is transformed with moody lighting into a sumptuous relaxed bar offering speciality spirits, Sake and cocktails; these coupled with the ‘dusk sky’ ceiling, rich materials and beautiful art installations make for an intoxicating experience.
The biggest challenge of the project was the site itself, as Williams explains: “As the layers of the building peeled back, more and more structural works were required and for a long time it was difficult to see the new form of the building. Most of the build time was allocated to structural works ripping the guts of the building out, which required a huge amount of propping. Until the props came down it was difficult to know if the design would work as we hoped.
“On the first floor the main ceiling came down, creating a huge vaulted space with steel bisecting the void. It wasn’t really possible to design this space until it was uncovered and as such, detailing was ongoing throughout the latter stages of the project.
“One of the dominant design interventions was to create a subaquatic feel to the ground floor and atrium. The two styles of glass pendants above the booth seating have bioluminescent jelly qualities, while the spikey walnut pendants in the brass fishnet booths are more akin to urchins. In the atrium there is a sculptural installation reminiscent of a jellyfish fluther, the forms are knitted from Zinc wire, which bounces the light out giving them an ethereal luminescence. These were a bespoke commission by Brighton-based artists Steven and Amanda Follen.
“We have been so pleased with the outcome of Felix Warley. Both design and execution were of the highest standard. The team were all so excited about this project and there was a huge sense of pride at handover.
“The stand out feature for me was the relationship between the client and design team. Having worked with Stephen previously, we knew he would ultimately be supportive of our design proposals – but the trust and partnership we enjoyed was so important. It took a huge leap of faith to sign up to our vision and our intentions were never questioned. I have so many ‘favourites’ at Felix, but for me, the zinc wire chandelier is really a stand out piece and beautiful.”
Darren Orrow of Into Lighting adds: “With Felix being a large restaurant and bar venue spread across two floors, the client and DesignLSM understood the need to integrate and layer the architectural lighting throughout the interior scheme to help create theatre and intimacy. The focus was to ensure the spaces were well lit for daytime dining and had a magical moody ambience post dusk. The architectural lighting complements and acts as a back drop to the decorative lighting selection, highlighting the beautiful finishes and textures DesignLSM has specified throughout the venue.”
www.designlsm.com / www.into.co.uk
Annabel's, UK
Martin Brudnizki Design Studio looks to a flora and fauna narrative for the revamped private members' club Annabel's, making use of bespoke lighting pieces throughout.
This year, iconic members’ club Annabel’s opened the doors to its much anticipated new home – a Grade I listed Georgian mansion house at 46 Berkeley Square in London. With this move came a complete overhaul of the interiors and Annabel’s brand. Now covering four floors and 26,000sqft, Annabel’s offers an all-day and all-night experience and includes an outdoor terrace, nightclub, four restaurants, six bars and two private dining rooms.
Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS) was tasked with creating a club that would take members from breakfast through to the early hours, all while providing a place to work, dine, imbibe and relax. Having already worked with Annabel’s for a number of years, the interior design team fully understood what they wanted to create with the new space and how it would in turn benefit the business.
Annabel’s has a world famous reputation; opened in 1963 the original space was designed by Nina Campbell. Its interiors became a fundamental aspect of the club, which was loved by all. When MBDS took on the project, the team was highly conscious of this and initially created a basement nightclub floor with interiors inspired by Campbell’s work. However, over time, while they designed the concept for the other floors, it soon became apparent that their narrative of flora and fauna had a stronger effect than what had initially been created in the basement. With guidance from the client, the team went back to the basement plans and redesigned the entire space so that it would communicate flawlessly with the rest of the club.
In terms of the lighting, for MBDS it always plays a pivotal role in any of its projects, but especially at Annabel’s. The majority of lighting was bespoke made – designed by And Objects and MBDS; with each floor having a different use, it was paramount that the interior design team created an appropriate atmosphere. As such, down in the basement where there is the nightclub and bar, they wanted to create soft, seductive ambience that would enhance the convivial mood.
The nightclub and adjoining Jungle Bar pay homage to the exotic. Wall coverings, fabrics and furnishings feature animal prints, vast jungle foliage, colourful rare birds and iridescent lizards that come to life within hand-painted mirrored glass walls. In terms of lighting, bespoke foliage lighting from Art et Floritude is used alongside Villaverde wall lights. Glass and brass sprung palm trees vibrate to the music and cluster around a hydraulic dance floor that can sink to a lower level or be raised to a stage for intimate performances. Everything comes together to create a decadent paradise in which to entertain and be entertained inside the club.
The Rose Room on the ground floor is the ultimate space in which to drink and dine, surrounded by hand-painted gold and silver leaf trompe l’oeil, bespoke handmade Murano glass tulip and iris chandeliers and a breathtaking pink onyx, backlit bar. Perfectly enhancing the English garden aesthetic, table lamps are accompanied by floor lamps and wall lights and the overall effect is a place that is perfectly lit, adapting to the mood of the day.
The beating heart of Annabel's is a stunning, spectacular, secluded garden, covered by a masterpiece in engineering, a one-of-a-kind retractable glass roof by steel architects, Waagner Biro. Members can dine out under the sun and stars all year round, seven days a week, for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night drinks. For the garden terrace lighting, the Needles wall lights by And Objects for Urban Electric was used. Moving up the staircase, there are Durley wall lights by And Objects.
With a bar menu of Asian-inspired small plates and an Eastern-inspired drinks list, The Elephant Room is the ideal setting in which to while away the hours until the early morning. Whether it be mid-morning, early afternoon or late-night, Members and their guests can relax, surrounded by exotic fabrics, soft furnishings and hand-painted wall coverings featuring imagined classical landscapes, striking architecture, far-away forests, horsemen and of course, elephants.
The Mexican, situated on the club’s second floor, has been designed to give members an informal and relaxed environment in which to meet and work from during the day. In the evening, the room comes alive, the lights are dimmed, the music is turned up, the DJ arrives and the party starts.
Overall, Annabel’s is a wholly unique project and the MBDS team describe it as a “wonderful project to work on, having learnt a lot along the way.” While the design differs from what they originally had in mind, looking back they tell darc they could never have predicted it would turn out the way it has – a feast for the eyes!
The light perfectly sets the mood of each space within Annabel’s. From morning to night, the lighting levels can be adjusted from one central control board according to the time of day. Bright, natural light is utilised in the morning but come nightfall, a darker, more seductive and moody light is used.
“Annabel’s has been a once in a lifetime project,” the MBDS design team said. “It’s been incredibly complex, with thousands of materials and finishes used, hundreds of drawings and the introduction of world class artwork.
“The time frame of just eighteen months also made this a particularly demanding project; the amount of work completed in such a short time frame is a real achievement. There are so many stand out features it’s very hard to single any one out… However, the different crafts that have been implemented at Annabel’s is particularly interesting. From hand painted eglomise detailing and the restoration of various listed architectural elements, to the creation of a life-size Pegasus that is suspended from the ceiling of the stairwell and the exquisite hand-painted mural, which spans the entire length of the Rose Room.
“We wouldn’t change a thing about this project – if anything, we might have gone a bit bolder if we could do it all again!”
Intra Lighting selected for Red Dot Award
(Slovenia) - Intra Lighting selected by Red Dot for third time with Dawn luminaire.
Dawn, designed by Italian lighting designer Lorenzo Truant, is one of a kind as it is made of one complete piece, hiding the light source underneath its edge and making the cable a design element also. The Red Dot is the third consecutive award recognition for Dawn in the short span of just six months.
Biba has also been selected by Red Dot, one of the world’s largest design competitions honouring products with the wow factor in both good design and innovation.
While the elegant, minimalistic Biba created in collaboration with industrial designer Nina Mihovec of Wilsonic Design, surprises by not only being sophisticated in looks, it also weighs an unexpected amount due to its full body, which in turn serves as a heat-sink and provides a solution to weigh down its cable.
www.intra-lighting.com
Side by Side - Astro Lighting
A simple yet effective lighting design for bedside illumination, Side by Side offers one product with three uses; the functionality of two individually switched light sources, a shade to create a warming, ambient glow and a Micro LED for a low-glare pinpoint reading light.
Taking a no compromise approach with exceptional attention to detail, Astro invested in die-cast aluminium rather than press steel parts to ensure the crispest of linear edge to marry perfectly with radiused corners.
A single loop in/out push wire terminal block ensures a quick and secure installation, while two size options of the shade with top diffuser achieves perfect visual comfort.
Wolford Store, Netherlands
Legendary hosiery brand Wolford was always going to be one step ahead when it came to reinventing its store identity. This luxury bodywear company, specialising in tights, bodysuits and underwear, recently approached Studio Modijefsky to produce a brand-new luxurious retail concept for its shops worldwide. Wolford’s latest flagship store, located on P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, Netherlands, brings together its exquisite craftsmanship and outstanding attention to body and skin to produce a unique and luxurious interior design experience.
As you approach the P.C. Hooftstraat store from street level, a sleek wall of legs immediately draws you inside. This floor-to-ceiling feature is more of an art installation than a typical product display, proudly showcasing Wolford’s world-famous hosiery. Inside the store, the hardness of powder coated fixtures is complemented by the rich, tactile layering of natural stone, sheer fabric and subdued lighting of handblown glass. A subtle palette of muted white hues graduates from pure white metal, through creamy travertine and ribbed leather to fleshy, more feminine shades of purple and orange.
Inspired by the brand’s industrial heritage and craftsmanship, the interior is elegant and rough at the same time. Colour and material palettes replicate the dreamy feel of Wolford’s Austrian factory, where heavy machinery is always covered with soft fine netting to prevent the snagging of tights. Rails and spool-like light fixtures bear a strong resemblance to the knitting machines, with ubiquitous powder coated steel finishes taken straight from the factory floor. The walls are raw or covered with unexpected building materials, such as acoustic wool or combed plaster with linear texture, which contrasts sharply with the refined and delicate garments on display.
Perhaps the most recognisable elements of the interior are the bespoke lights. Created in collaboration with Fiction Factory, continuous LED lines with L-shaped metal covers drop down into low arches, their curves softening the otherwise industrial interior. Handmade blown glass spools replicate the design and shape of the original factory thread spools and act as a reference to the skill, innovation and craft that is all part of Wolford’s heritage. The lights attach to vertical and horizontal rails, emitting a warm inviting glow that draws the visitor to explore further.
Throughout the open-plan interior there is a constant tension between the feeling of being backstage, and the glamorous feeling of being in the limelight. The spatial concept of the store was influenced by Wolford’s most natural habitat: stage, where its products are worn by celebrities and performers worldwide. Bulky and rough display elements balance out the glossy, chic entrance filled with metal and glass. Fitting rooms are placed on an elevated stage at the back of the store – a tall metal structure surrounding each cabin is interlaced with soft contemporary fabric, once again combining industrial edge with tactility. Integrated vertical lights create a luxurious atmosphere designed to celebrate and empower customers.
In order to display a wide range of ongoing legwear types, Studio Modijefsky designed handmade cabinets with integrated drawers to showcase the newly designed product boxes. Different depths of the boxes form sculptural pieces of furniture throughout the interior of the store. Samples of fabric, typically hidden and only presented to clients on request, are this time proudly displayed in a central totemic structure. Customers are encouraged to find their own shade of nude, experiment and feel the fabric against their skin. The shape of the fixture is then repeated in the design of the cash desk. This minimal, high-end travertine element has a special inlay for wrapping paper, turning the transactional moment of payment into a special ritual connecting customers with the brand.
Since both tights and lingerie are closest to one’s skin, a deeper layer of ‘human touch’ was added to the design. The window display ‘blushes’, subtly changing colour, just like human skin. Traditional presentation of legs has been replaced by lightboxes, screens and editorial pictures, presenting a multitude of products on real models, rather than artificial skin shades and textures. A messy hand-drawn illustration of a woman’s body by Amsterdam-based Emmy-Koos Meijer is embroidered on a sheer curtain at the back of the store. Poufs resembling cropped feminine thighs hide in fitting rooms. The store is full of playful references to the human interaction, surprising customers and allowing them to experience the brand on many levels.
In the lavish surroundings of Amsterdam’s P.C. Hooftstraat, Studio Modijefsky has created a soothing, monochromatic interior, allowing Wolford’s outstanding products to take centre stage. The modern, distinct concept will be instantly recognisable in many stores to come, from Paris to Los Angeles.
Haberdashery wins Best of the Best Red Dot
(UK) - Lighting design studio wins big with its Dawn to Dusk lamp at this year's Red Dot Awards.
The range evokes the memory of the sun through the intense transition from deep, rich reds, to vibrant oranges, subtle peach hues to the white light of the midday, tapping into a language of light that influences our body's circadian rhythms and the natural environment around us.
Haberdashery is an award-winning London based design agency fascinated by the perpetual appeal of light, expressed through large scale sculptures, limited edition collectables and lighting products built upon poetic narratives told through the language of light.
Dawn to dusk will be on display as part of the Light exhibition at Fabric, during this year's Clerkenwell Design Week taking place May 21-23.
Notic - Oblure
Notic is a homage to classical architectural elements. The graphic metal shade embraces the complex geometry of the glass and spreads the light in a hypnotic way. The lamp uses focused down light combined with a gentle illumination through the shade.
Trace - Northern
Trace is essential for those who have a sense of adventure, ready to scout out dark spaces on their own.
The light unit is positioned vertically on the handle, making it easy to direct the beam. Designed with three different light intensities, the brightness of the LED beam can be adjusted at the click of a button. The rechargeable battery connects to a power source via a USB cable, providing a long lasting charge. Trace is lightweight, rechargeable and robust.
Archiproducts Milan 2019 - New Design Experience
(Italy) - Over 50 partner brands in fifteen rooms take part in this year's Milan Design event, where the keyword is eclectic.
Now in its fourth edition, The Design Experience has become a fundamental rendezvous for anyone in Milan during design week. The Archiproducts Milano space prepares once again to play host to the 50,000 professionals that flock to Via Tortona - this year with a new layout and design set.
Turning the space into a visionary project that speaks its truth through eclecticism, the fifteen rooms become individual worlds where daring stylistic and sensorial explorations reflect personalities, moods and tendancies. Hundreds of feather-light aluminium chains will dress the building's facade, jamming to the graphic beat of artwork by Turin-based studio Truly Design in collaboration with Kriskadecor.
Desalto andSP01 are confirmed this year as Archiproducts Milano partners, contributing to the location’s decoration alongside Dooq, Freifrau, JANUA, L’Ottocento, Novamobili, Objets Architecturaux, Wagner.
The workplace takes on new forms in room 11:BuzziSpace designs a flexible and functional set-up, with innovative solutions for sound absorption and furniture accessories that redefine traditional working practices.
The partnership with Japanese brands soil and+d continues, with their designs to grab on the go in the ground-floor pop-up shop.The outdoor space is entrusted to Extremis and Garda Furniture, the Serbian brand that this year contributes to the Archiproducts Salone del Mobile stand installation(Corso Italia, HALLITL S40),together with Framery. The staircase takes visitors through an evocative journey channeled through Coordonné, whose captivating wall paper tonalities make the Spanish brand’s products instantly recognisable.
Ceramica Vogue, Florim Ceramiche and CEDIT-Ceramiche D’Italia add their own personal touch to the space’s interiors. Thedécor elements include products by 101 Copenhagen, Paola Paronetto, Mutaforma and Hobby Flower.The floors showcase the delicate patterns of Toulemonde Bochart rugs, while ONE Mario Sirtorifabrics return to enrich the building’s rooms through their chromatic juxtapositions and strong hues. The entire set is lit up by the luminary creations of Flos, Vibia, Astro Lighting, ANDlight, Veronese, Zero and Vetreria Vistosi.
Moving up to the venue’s first floor, visitors are welcomed into the BTicino home: Living Now Apartment, designed by the Marcante Testa studio. The interior arrangement here dialogues fluidly with technology, in a perfect symbiosis between innovation and design.
Living Now Apartment offers a living experience with all the comforts intrinsic to the domotics of a smart home, in a sophisticated and progressive interior design project. The understated discretion of BTicino technology allows for the domotics system to be perceived through the Living Now devices. This smooth technology is capable of blending in and inserting itself seamlessly into the lifestyle dynamics of a domestic habitat.
The concept behind Living Now is interpreted through Marcante Testa’s design vision: two rooms that symbolise two distinct home environments in terms of language and colour accents. The project features environments that are functionally connected and integrated through a basic need for serene and accessible living.
BIID Hosts successful 2019 CPD Showcase
(UK) - Fifth annual CPD Providers Showcase provides seminars, practical advice and networking opportunities.
Hosted on 21 March at The Chesterfield Hotel Mayfair, London, six BIID-accredited CPD seminars were on offer to 64 attendees including BIID Members, design professionals, and industry suppliers.
Gilly Craft, BIID President comments: “This year’s BIID CPD Providers Showcase provided members and industry professionals with a wealth of knowledge and practical advice that they can apply to their projects. As well as gaining valuable CPD points, it was fantastic to see attendees, both well-established professionals and those new to the industry, networking and sharing their experiences between sessions. I hope that the programme on offer allowed attendees to leave enlightened and inspired.”
Following a short welcome from Claire Tull, BIID CPD Committee Chair, the day continued with six 45-minute seminars on a diverse range of subjects, designed to expand designers’ industry knowledge and allow them to stay up-to-date with the latest developments.
The programme began with an insightful seminar from Crestron on ‘Transforming Design with Light,’ which introduced attendees to smart home technology, specifically lighting, and how it can empower the interior designer to meet the client’s needs.
Throughout the day, members had the opportunity to network with their peers and industry professionals, as well as talk individually with the CPD providers. BIID Registered Interior Designers received six CPD hours of structured learning for attending the event, forming part of their BIID annual CPD hours total.
Claire Tull, BIID CPD Committee Chair commented: “The buzz in the room after the presentations was fantastic, and the fact that people stayed and networked at the end of the day is testament to how brilliant the event was. There was a thread running through the CPD presentations about sustainability and the benefits to clients, which is extremely relevant today. I think it has been the best CPD Showcase that we’ve had so far.”
BIID Member Caroline Milns of Zulufish Interiors attended the CPD Providers Showcase and commented: “The day was great opportunity to immerse yourself into learning more about suppliers’ capabilities. A varied six-fold supplier itinerary filled with a mix of technical knowledge and super useful tips.
To find out more about the BIID and how to gain BIID CPD Accreditation, visit www.biid.org.uk
