100% Design London 2009
As the new Arts & Design Contributor for Pippa Jameson Interiors, I will be reviewing the leading design shows and reporting my findings on the blog. My first review was for 100% Design London, the contemporary interiors and architectural event which showcases and celebrates the best of British and international design at Earls Court each year. 100% Design London exhibits new products from UK based manufacturers, as well as British designers collaborating with international brands, and is the biggest event during the London Design Festival.
So what interior trends did we see at the fair this year?
The key trend dominating the fair was sustainability, and the use of natural, raw materials. Although sustainability is now a perennial theme, this year there was a clear focus on smarter, more sophisticated, sustainable products and materials. A move towards contemporary products with a handcrafted feel, and a rejection of harsh minimalist or industrial finishes and forms.
In furniture and lighting design, there was a focus on unusual combinations of traditional materials. Gritty terracotta was used with glossy glazed ceramic, concrete used with timber, cork with painted aluminum, leather with hessian, glass with cotton. The eclectic mix of materials created an exciting and tactile result. This was best illustrated by Benjamin Hubert’s Chimney pendent lights, and his concrete and plywood Heavy Desk lights.
Image 1, Heavy Desk lights by Benjamin Hubert; Image 2, Benjamin Hubert’s Float pendent lights for Unique Copenhagen; Image 3, Bizcoche lights by OBJ Studio; Image 4, Sabado and Domingo cork and concrete side tables by OBJ Studio
Materials were used in their purest forms. Natural materials creating warmth, and metallic or glass finishes adding an occasional touch of opulence. Demonstrated here by these hand blown glass pendent lights by Rothschild & Bickers.
Above Image, Rothschild & Bickers pendent light
With such a heavy focus on craftsmanship and materials, the overall structure and design of furniture exhibited was not especially innovative or new. Instead designs were clean, safe and familiar, with many brands borrowing from the past.
Above image, Dare Studio collection (photo: Peter J Morgan)
On interior surfaces, the decorative trend continued, with textured and patterned detail applied to everything from wallpaper to CaesarStone bench tops. Award winning designer, Erika Wakerly showed some beautiful and innovative wallpaper designs.
The busiest stands at the fair included the online lifestyle store Charles and Marie, British duo Thelermont Hupton, the Blueprint Awards stand, and the Eyes on Spanish Design stand, which focused on emerging Spanish designers.
With an impressive 3 day program of seminars and over 500 stands spanning four shows,100% Design London is gaining in both size and popularity. Although it is many years from being serious competition to other European interior design fairs (such as the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan and Maison&Objet in Paris), 100% Design London is building momentum and credibility, mirroring the growth of the design industry in the UK.
Feature by Keinton Butler, Arts & Design Contributor for Pippa Jameson Interiors
