Design-Nation News and Events

Vessels and jewellery to treasure

admin — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:20:37 +0000

For those looking for innovative, bespoke or one of a kind works of silver and jewellery, the annual Goldsmith’s Fair in London is an absolute gem. Opening on Monday 26th September, the Fair is the place to find that perfect gift to celebrate or commemorate your special occaision as it is an opportunity to shop, commission and meet cutting edge designer-makers just bursting with talent, originality and inspiration.

Goldsmith’s Fair takes place over two weeks, each week offering a different range of exhibitors. Design-Nation is thrilled to introduce five members exhibiting in Week I:

	Louise O’Neill (stand 18): Louise works in high carat golds and often utilises precious and semi precious stones. The formal simplicity of her work is complimented by the sensitive implementation of a carefully considered colour palate. Louise enjoys designing and making one off pieces of jewellery and working to commission. A beautiful collection of Louise’s works is available to view on her website and is featured at Studio Fusion Gallery.
	Catherine Mannheim (Stand 26): Catherine Mannheim makes a small collection of production wedding/engagement rings in 18ct gold and precious stones, as well as one-off necklaces, earrings and brooches handmade and constructed of gold; some stones are cut to her design. A selection of Catherine’s gently elegant pieces are available to purchase from Electrum Gallery.
	Mary Ann Simmons (stand 45): Mary Ann Simmons specialises in creating personalised and decorative silverware bowls, boxes, platters, beakers and vessels to commission. Through her work, Mary explores the framing of enclosed space, the importance of the tangible object – sometimes holding a personal reference – and the changing the perceptions of interior space. You can view her gallery and information on commissions on her website.
	An Alleweireldt (stand 62): An Alleweireldt’s jewellery often combines objects/materials from daily life with precious metals and diamonds. Because “precious” is traditionally equated to “rare”, we tend to underestimate the beauty of outwardly humble or common objects. Her pieces involve a game between two and three dimensions and the stories they tell go beyond appearances. An’s works are available to buy and view through her website, exhibitions and galleries in the UK and Belgium.
	Andrew Lamb Jewellery (stand 71): Andrew Lamb creates elegant pieces of jewellery which are strongly influenced by illusion and patterns abundant in nature and textiles. He uses fine lengths of silver and gold wire combined with precious gem stones to craft delicate and refined three-dimensional forms. His award-winning jewellery comes to life through rippling textures and delightful colour changes. A list of stockists and extensive gallery is available to view on Andrew’s website.

We’d love to see you at the Goldsmiths’ Fair,
Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN
Week One: 26 Sep – 2 Oct
Week Two: 4 - 9 Oct
Entrance : £12 for both weeks / £7 for one week

6 reasons to visit Decorex

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:00:13 +0000

Interior designers, retail buyers and hotel and contract specifiers can be found sourcing designs from over 300 exhibitors at Decorex International (22-25 Sep). There’s everything from timeless porcelain lighting and painterly rugs to some of the brightest craft makers in the UK – and design-savvy consumers are welcome to browse the latest trends on the special consumer afternoon (Tue 27). Don’t forget to drop by the Design-Nation stand E165, but in the meantime here are our highlights:

	Boatswain Lighting (J207) designs and manufactures elegant porcelain lighting features which are timeless in their appearance and equally appropriate in both classic and contemporary environments. Jason Boatswain and his team work closely with architects, interior designers and private clients to create bespoke lighting features renowned for their unique candle-like cast of light.
	Helen Yardley (C107) Studio designs and produces exclusive rugs, carpets and wall hangings for a worldwide client base. Helen’s designs are essentially paintings, with layers of meaning, inspired either by visual or sensory stimulation or in direct response to a physical space.

Crafted (E161) is a mentoring programme which matches craft makers with leaders from the luxury sector. Now entering its third year, Crafted’s main ambition is to increase sustainability and stimulate business growth amongst craft entrepreneurs by providing them with vital mentoring and business advice, while connecting luxury businesses with a new generation of skilled craftsmen. These four members of Design-Nation are part of Crafted and have their work showcased at Decorex:

	Alex Ramsay designs and makes an award-winning range of contemporary silver tableware – including bowls, milk jugs, vessels, candlesticks and spoons. She specialises in combining silver with other materials, particularly glass and felt. Her use of textured, hand-blown glass and silver to explore themes of positive and negative image and pattern is unique and striking.
	Gareth Neal Ltd designs and produces contemporary furniture. He specialises in one-off pieces, limited edition designs and site specific commissions for private and commercial clients. These unique pieces appeal to the collector, interior designers and clients looking for individuality within their home or for their businesses.
	Margo Selby is an award-winning British textile designer with a bold approach to creating high-quality woven fabric. Her work is recognisable for its three-dimensional structure, striking colour and geometric pattern. Margo Selby develops her fabrics on a handloom in a London studio; they are then woven to her requirements by silk mills in the UK. She also offers a bespoke service for unique textile artworks, bedspreads and themed cushion collections in luxury fibres.
	Wayne Meeten is a highly regarded British master goldsmith/silversmith and designer. He has consistently won major awards and prizes from organisations such as the Crafts Council and Goldsmiths Company as well as many scholarships. His work incorporates traditional Japanese metalwork techniques of mokume gane (fused layers of metal) and shibori (hand-raised sculptural pieces, shown left).

Decorex International 25-28 Sept 2011
Royal Hospital, Chelsea
Entry £25
Sun 25 Sep 10.00am – 6.00pm
Mon 26 Sep 10.00am – 7.00pm
Tue 27 Sep 10.00am – 7.00pm (Consumer Afternoon)
Wed 28 Sep 10.00am – 5.00pm

Original Craft – a celebration of making

jonlaury — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:00:37 +0000

Integrated into the London Design Festival for the first time last year, this year sees the return of the long-running Origin event. Under the soubriquet ‘The Contemporary Craft Fair’ Origin offers visitors the chance to see and buy a diverse range of high quality, original craft from over 200 makers. Not only does this feature a great septuplet of Design-Nation talent, but it is also located in Spitalfields market, a hop, skip and jump away from Design-Nation’s headquarters! Here’s the lowdown on who’ll be there.

	Amy Cushing’s bespoke glass installations are driven by colour sequence. Specialising in kiln-formed glass each piece goes through multiple firing processes and cold work. Installations can be wall fixed or thread and suspended. Amy is commissioned privately and by art consultants, architects, interior designers and galleries.
	With over 24 years experience as a professional rug weaver, Jason Collingwood has produced thousands of rugs for corporate and individual clients the world over. In addition to weaving custom made rugs Jason offers a comprehensive range of rug weaving classes, either at his workshop in the UK, or in numerous worldwide locations.
	Lesley Strickland designs and makes jewellery from cellulose acetate and sterling silver. With a focus on elegant simplicity, the collection is both tactile and wearable and can be seen in galleries in the UK, Europe and the USA.
	Margo Selby is an award winning woven textile designer with a bold approach to creating high quality woven fabrics. Her work, developed on a handloom in a London studio then woven to her requirements by silk mills in the UK, is recognisable for its three-dimensional structure, striking colour and geometric pattern. A selection is available here.
	Sally Weatherill designs and produces woven fabrics that are distinctive in their texture and rich colour. She is fascinated by the complexities of texture, optical imagery and weave construction, yet her fabrics look effortlessly simple due to their harmonious balance. Sally’s fabrics are woven in the UK in limited editions.
	With over 24 years experience as a professional rug weaver, Jason Collingwood has produced thousands of rugs for corporate and individual clients the world over. In addition to weaving custom made rugs Jason offers a comprehensive range of rug weaving classes, either at his workshop in the UK, or in numerous worldwide locations.
	Wallace Sewell designs innovative woven fabric products, including scarves, throws and cushions, for wholesale and retail. It exploits industrial techniques and its designs are distinguished by a positive and confident use of colour and texture.

Origin: The Contemporary Craft Fair is on from the 22nd – 28th of September at Old Spitalfields Market. Check here for timings and ticket prices.

East is Best!

jonlaury — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:33:34 +0000

During this year’s London Design Festival there is one area in particular that will be brimming with designers, buyers, press and anyone with a design-conscious bone in their body: East London. Home to a vibrant and varied artistic community, it has outdone itself with events and expos, featuring the work of Design-Nation’s finest at three key events: Tent, Designersblock and Tramshed. These events are on from the 22nd to the 25th of September, please check their websites for opening times.

Tent: Located at the Old Truman Brewery, E1. There will be over 200 international exhibitors, more than 19,000 visitors and the very latest in contemporary interior products.

Alison Milner uses photographic and computer manipulated imagery to create decoration with a strong graphic quality and a modern sensibility. She designs usable objects with sustainability and longevity in mind. She will be exhibiting her Stoobles prototypes, pictured, this year at Tent. A selection of her products are available at www.notonthehighstreet.com

Lizzie Mary Cullen was named one of the Hot 50 People Making a Difference in Design by Design Week magazine because of the way she has developed her own work and used it to promote design in new and interesting ways. All jobs and commissions, please email her agent directly at info@phosphorart.com

Designersblock will be holding their 14^th annual show at the Farmiloe Building, EC1M

REALISE is a new furniture design consultancy based in Edinburgh committed to creating innovative, low environmental-impact designs that are distinctive, elegant and built to last. REALISE are also exhibiting at Decorex 2011. All work is available direct from the designer and can be tailored to suit specific projects.

Tramshed (32 Rivington Street, EC2A) will be making its 2^nd appearance, seeking to be a departure from conventional trade exhibitions. Tramshed 2011 will celebrate the diversity of the industry in the broadest sense.

Charlene Mullen creates unique embroidered textiles mixing traditional techniques with modern design. Since the launch of the studio in September 2008 she has won international acclaim having work shown in London, Paris, Milan and New York as well as being featured in leading interior design publications worldwide. A great selection of her designs are available from her website.

5 reasons to visit 100% Design

admin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:35:01 +0000

Over the last weekend of the London Design Festival, 100% Design open it’s doors. Whether you’re a professional designer, architect or retailer, or personally interested in seeing cutting-edge contemporary design for yourself, this is the trade show event to visit! Entry is free to trade and press visitors if you register on their website by the 16th, so don’t delay. Plus, the event is open to students and the general public on Sunday the 25th. This is also a perfect opportunity to check out specially selected pieces by some of our Design-Nation members at our own stand, as well as meeting the artists behind them. Our 5 unmissable exhibitors are:

Bob Crooks: First Glass (above, stand B61): Bob Crooks: First Glass is a small but dynamic established glassmaking company in the UK. The work is designed and hand-blown by Bob Crooks, known internationally for his lighting, production and one-off ranges. Whether it is simplicity or intricacy, it can be found within his work, or through bespoke service.

Claire Coles (stand A52): Claire Coles offers a bespoke wallpaper service. Patterns, colours and dimensions can all be specified to fit the client’s vision. Through stitching vintage wallpapers of various textures and patterns together, she creates one-off intricate and ethereal wallpaper designs with an unusual, original approach. In addition, she also produces a collection of inlaid and stitched ceramics. A good selection of her products are available to buy from her website.

Dare Studio (stand C18): Dare Studio design and produce innovative, contemporary furniture and lighting products. The company, founded by Sean Dare, champions the skills of local craftsmen and sets a benchmark for the very best in contemporary British design and manufacture. Dare Studio also offers design and production services to the industry as well as to the individual. Stockists include Liberty.

Penelope Batley (stand E28): Penelope Batley’s playful and humorous approach to sculpture and design sees her launch an innovative series of ‘Light Jewellery’. To date she has been commissioned by interior designers, bringing grandeur and surprise to both public and domestic spaces. The ‘Light Series’ builds on the fairytale, surreal and overlooked. Enormous over-scaled glass and ceramic beads adorn the space and captivate the imagination. Penelope’s garden sculpture’s are available to buy from The Garden Gallery.

Steve Robinson Glass Ltd (stand D106): Winner of the Gold Prize for Glass in 2010 Craft & Design Magazine Awards, Steve Robinson works in fused glass with enamels. He is known for his vibrant and textured pieces, specialising in architectural panels, glazing and splashbacks. Bespoke commissions are welcome and stock designs are available. You can order directly from Steve’s website, or view a list of his stockists.

100% Design 2011
22-25 September
Earls Court, London

Design-Nation is at stand A26 with Kate Maestri, Kathleen Hills, Kay+Stemmer, Loophouse

100% Design-Nation

Lydia Palmese — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:11:14 +0000

September sees the return of London’s Design Festival , 100% Design, and Design-Nation’s 10^th anniversary appearance at the UK’s leading contemporary design event. We have hand picked 4 talented designers each a confident expression of their different disciplines serving the architectural and interior design sectors, to exemplify the best of British design. These members come together in an exciting display of new furniture, ceramic lighting installation, richly hued and textured rugs and vibrant glass wallpanels – inspired designs for commercial, domestic and hotel projects.

Kate Maestri, an architectural glass artist, specialises in innovative uses of contemporary stained glass. The hallmark of her commissioned, site-specific works are clean lines, glowing colours and minimal designs.

Kay + Stemmer design bespoke furniture and interiors and have produced collections for SCP, Heal’s, Mark and Benchmark among others. Their work is intelligently resolved and shows a real appreciation of how it will be used.

Kathleen Hills creates lighting and tabletop items, infusing vintage and quintessential Englishness with a contemporary wit in her designs. She works mainly in bone china, although she also designs in a variety of materials including earthenware, glass and Perspex.

Loophouse is a contemporary design studio, specialising in quality handmade rugs and related products including wallpaper and accessories. Their high-impact pieces are available as a commission service from inception to installation and have been featured in many high-end venues, including the Guggenheim Museums in Venice and New York.

All work is available direct from the designer and can be tailored to suit specific projects – register to visit and come and be inspired!

Design-Nation at 100% Design 2011
22-25 September
Stand A26
Kate Maestri, Kay + Stemmer, Kathleen Hills, Loophouse

Rugged Beauty: The Jewellery of Elizabeth Humble

jonlaury — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:26:37 +0000

Joining Neil Conley as winner of the prestigious One Year On Award held annually at New Designers, it is a pleasure to introduce jewellery designer Elizabeth Humble.

Originally from Argyll, it is still the west coast of Scotland that influences her collections. Elizabeth uses the rugged beauty of her surroundings to inspire her creations, crafting “work that explores the land in an abstract and challenging way, unearthing details, and exploring natural rock formations hidden beneath the surface.” Starting by making sketches of her favourite landscapes and formations, she then translates them into precious metal, creating intricate structures by layering silver wires together. The ever-changing nature of the coast is highlighted by the names of her collections: ‘Fragments’ and ‘Fragile Landscapes’.

The judges at New Designers 2011 were impressed not only by the quality of her work, but also by the “clarity of her brand”, and they haven’t been the only ones: in 2010 Elizabeth won both the Goldsmiths’ Company Award for Jewellery and The Tayberry Gallery Award.

You might have seen her work featured recently in the Telegraph’s ‘Stella’ magazine, and she is also garnering interest from overseas – her debut collection was featured in ‘The Jewelry Magazine’ in Korea.

Elizabeth’s jewellery can be found at Astley Clarke and Alchemia Studio Gallery.

You can see more of Elizabeth’s work on her Design-Nation profile and on her own website.

Escaping into Another World

jonlaury — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:43:30 +0000

News full of worrying pictures and videos, 24 hours a day? Yup.

The Great British Summer proved once again to be grey and lifeless? Yup.

Almost at the end of my Mad Men box set? Yup.

In short, life is depressing.

Is it any wonder then, that cinemas are chock-full of superheroes, sci-fi films and fantastical worlds? How better to get away from our day-to-day worries and fears than by immersing ourselves in otherworldly treats? These days you don’t even have to go and see Cowboys and Aliens or read Harry Potter to enter a fantasy world – you can start living one! Even Pantone are highlighting the importance of ‘Wonder’ in upcoming seasonal trends.

Here’s just a tiny selection of stuff that really gets my imagination going, opens a window on another world and pushes me screaming (joyfully) through it.

Is this ring forged from the fires of Mount Doom? Or is it an accessory for The Fantastic Four’s Everlovin’ Blue-eyed Thing?

Imogen Belfield

Awesome fantastical hat. Perfect post-apocalypse chic, I reckon.Jools Elphick

Great wallpaper, maybe a gateway into other worlds…

Timorous Beasties

This has an almost steampunk aesthetic… Who wouldn’t want a steampunk table, I ask you?Fred Baier

Sinister or beautiful? Nature creeping out of a sleek table…

Susan Bradley

Some of this stuff is readily available, some is made to order, check the links for more info on each piece and designer. While you’re at it, check out all the other brilliant British designers at Design-Nation and see what stokes your imagination!

Design-Nation pops up at Decorex 2011 to launch REALISE

admin — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:10:14 +0000

For the 9th year in a row, with support from Decorex, Design-Nation presents 4 talented members chosen to bring inspiring British design to the show – and launches latest member REALISE. Each year the interior design community descends on the Royal Hospital in Chelsea to source trend setting product and explore the latest themes. Our stand contributes to the visitor’s voyage of discovery by showcasing bespoke and to commission furniture, knitted textiles and ceramic wall art each piece full of integrity, made in the UK and a cherishable delight.

Dare Studio is an award winning British design company producing contemporary furniture and lighting products and exhibits a capsule collection suitable for the lounge or bar.

Regina Heinz has established a national and international reputation for her innovative use of ceramics to bring a sensual and distinct character to her interior installations.

Karina Thomas specialises in knitted textiles for the interior, her work is 3-Dimensional, large scale and sculptural ‘Totems’ suitable both for window treatments and for defining interior spaces.

REALISE is a new furniture design consultancy based in Edinburgh committed to creating innovative, low environmental-impact designs that are distinctive, elegant and built to last. REALISE launches at Decorex with MMX table for a writer and tripod stool.

All work is available direct from the designer and can be tailored to suit specific projects.

Design-Nation at Decorex International
25-28 Sep 2011
E165
Dare Studio, Karina Thomas, Regina Heinz and introducing REALISE

Rise of the Plants

jonlaury — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:38:35 +0000

Don’t worry, it’s not a Triffid style invasion, it’s the floral trend that has been growing exponentially for the last couple of years and is still showing no sign of wilting (really sorry about the puns – I have a quota to fulfil, honest).

Everywhere from the high street to high fashion the floral trend is taking over, but my personal favourites are all the great floral cups, plates, bowls and tea sets (or twee sets, if you will). My cupboard is groaning from examples, and here’s a selection of great floral ceramics and tableware from our members:

Andrew Tanner

Alison Milner / Christiane Kersten

Check out all the other great floral (and non-floral) stuff our members make, everything from textiles to sculpture, on the Design-Nation website.