Category: Latest Products
Cabinet of Curiosities
Nobilis' new panoramic wallcoverings celebrate pure escapism, observing trompe l'oeil effects with a playful eye.
A Tailored Approach
Celebrating its dual heritage in the worlds of both tailoring fabrics and interiors, Holland & Sherry’s 9-10 Savile Row collection is named after the esteemed address where the company still operates its apparel atelier.
A Bigger Splash
Artistic expression writ large, this ‘Splash’ wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries features exuberant, freeform brushstrokes on a dramatic scale.
High-Tech Hide
Digital printing is bringing unimaginable levels of detail to design products, and not just for fabrics and wallcoverings. Moore & Giles has teamed up with Bill Amberg for a collection of patterned hides that employ specialist digital printing technology.
Earning its Stripes
De Le Cuona's 'Rugby' fabric is the winner of London Design Week 2020's esteemed Showstopper award from The World of Interiors. Part of the Maverick collection, the striped Italian linen is inspired by the classic rugby shirt.
Asleep on a Cloud
Savoir Beds is known for its exciting collaborations with designers from all over the globe, but it looked closer to home for its latest initiative, collaborating with Tom Faulkner on the 'Cloud' bed.
Elizabethan Garden
James Hare’s Gardyne collection, available from Marvic Textiles, takes its inspiration from late 16th- and early 17th-century textiles, and has a botanical feel, showing that bringing the outside in is nothing new in interiors.
Industrial Evolution
Perrin & Rowe has released 'Armstrong', its first new tap design in four years, which "combines an industrial aesthetic with a designer’s eye for balance and proportion".
Moments of Clarity
Designer Karin Sajo launched a new fabric collection at Houlès during London Design Week 2020. Inspired by the glassmaking traditions of northern France – and in particular, its heyday in the early 20th century – she has managed to translate the colour and luminosity of glass into textiles.
The Wild Things
There’s an air of surrealism and fantasy to some of spring’s collections, with mythical creatures, motifs from nature recoloured in edgier shades and unusual juxtapositions of form. Clarke & Clarke’s Wilderie collection, available from Harlequin, satisfies anyone with a taste for this particular breed of maximalism.
Hail Cesar
Espresso Design has installed a new kitchen in its showroom that explores the beauty of timber. With its distinctive cross-direction veneers, ‘Intarsio’ takes its inspiration from traditional marquetry.
The Spirit of Wanderlust
Michelle Nussbaumer’s debut collection for Clarence House, available at Turnell & Gigon, epitomises the interior designer’s passion for discovering new places and cultures. From the deserts of Morocco to her family’s hacienda in Mexico, Nussbaumer has taken in numerous compass points, in a collection that has been in the making since the mid-1970s when she first started collecting textiles.
Nature Under the Microscope
New-York-based lighting designer Bec Brittain has turned her hand to rug design thanks to a collaboration with Edward Fields. The Taxonomy collection, available from Tai Ping, reflects Brittain’s love of scientific fields such as entomology and geology.
Working in Synergy
Design collaborations are proof that originality flourishes when collective minds come together – and nobody does them better than the Italian design industry, which has decades of experience of working in synergy. Serial collaborations often take place over years, or even decades, meaning that products become ever more ambitious and refined as designers gain intimate knowledge of production techniques, and …
The Personal Touch
With more than international 600 brands across 120 showrooms to explore, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by choice at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. Thankfully, a friendly personal shopping service is the ideal way to help narrow down what's in the showrooms, and pinpoint just what's required. Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour's personal shopper Gabrielle Grubanovich (pictured above, holding fabric) led three special …
In the Making
Focus/19's aim is to bring people closer than ever to the heart of a design story – and live demonstrations of artisan skills are the perfect way to deepen understanding and knowledge. The new Morris & Co showroom hosted block-printing sessions all week, with anyone invited to take part and create their own wallpaper (pictured top); decorative artists from …
Born to Perform
Outdoor spaces are following indoor design cues, with furniture reaching new heights in performance, durability, comfort and elegance. Notable examples include US brand oomph, available at Nina Campbell, launching a debut collection of outdoor furniture (pictured top) that has the same playful look and gorgeous colours as its indoor lacquered pieces, but in powder-coated aluminium. Interior design and architecture studio …
Fringe Theatre
The power of passementerie was in full effect at the FT How to Spend It Restaurant at Focus/19. Rising above the bright, airy space was a magnificent tiered tower of Houlès’ 'Ebony' cut fringe. Beneath this installation, distressed metallics and deeply textured fabrics brought a sense of urban glamour, with CTO Lighting’s alabaster and bronze ‘Lucid’ lights (from Fox Linton) …
The Nature Cure
Direct access to a green space has been proven to soothe the body and boost the immune system – but it's even claimed that looking at an image of nature can help. The next best thing to the great outdoors might be this panoramic 'Amami' wallcovering, part of Villa Nova's Ostara collection at Romo. Bold brushstrokes have been scaled up …
Tour de Force
If you see groups of people strolling through Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour with glasses of champagne in hand, they’re probably taking part in one of Focus/19’s twice-daily Design Discovery tours. Setting off from different locations each day at 11am and 2pm, the tours take in half a dozen showrooms, offering key highlights such as the latest collections, design exclusives and …
Delicate Details
Traditional passementerie may be firmly in the ascendant, but decorating brands want to evolve their offering, too. Colefax and Fowler's Theodore trimmings are described as "an updated take on a classic story," with delicate details and a refined palette that includes faded pink and blue and punchier tomato red. A range of hand-made tassel tie-backs complements the braid, rope and …
Strokes of Genius
Pierre Frey maintains its daring approach to design with an exciting collaboration with French artist Christian Astuguevieille. Known for his furniture and sculptures wrapped in rope and cord, he has brought his dynamic energy to the Coquecigrues collection of bold fabrics and wallpapers. Many designs feature Astuguevieille's free-flowing ink brushstrokes – his "imaginary writing" – augmenting archive designs. 'Fontaine at Animaux …
Look to the Skies
Filling the Centre Dome with its creative use of the latest fabrics, Focus/19’s Sky Garden aerial installation asserts how important greenery and nature have become to interiors. ‘Biophilia’ – love of nature – is the buzzword, and these suspended lanterns in the freshest new-season fabrics, with trailing fronds emulating seedpods spinning to the ground, strived to encapsulate the trend The …
Rock Solid
Geology, time and the elements inspired Alexander Lamont’s Peninsula range, which has an emphasis on finishes that require meticulous workmanship, including parchment and straw marquetry. This ‘Aurora’ cabinet’s black lacquer and intricate eggshell surface (pictured top) looks like fractured earth close-up, while at a distance it has a striking ombré effect. It’s available at Miles x Bookshop. Rocks and minerals are …
Refined Style
Otti, Vincent Van Duysen’s second outdoor collection for Sutherland Furniture, is typical of the Belgian architect’s artfully reserved aesthetic. It's named after Bauhaus textile designer Otti Berger, whose way with weaving is paid tribute to with the collection's rope detailing – the high-performance rope itself is from Sutherland's sister company Perennials. The 11 pieces include an aluminium sofa and lounge …
A Tailored Approach
Davidson has launched a sister brand for built-in furniture, complementing the freestanding pieces that it has been designing and making for 30 years. From a single bookcase to an entire library, Davidson Fitted takes the company’s existing technical ability and design expertise and applies it to this new sector. The launch is symbolic of increased demand for bespoke, tailored elements …
Whatever the Weather
Flexform is launching its first outdoor collection, which includes high-performance versions of enduring classics, such as the curvy ‘Thomas’ chair, first designed by Antonio Citterio in 2000. It is made from iroko, with water-repellent upholstery. Flexform, Ground Floor, South Dome
Much More
Focus/19 guest pop-ups are proving fertile ground for discovering new products. Pictured top to bottom are: Blithfield's Brookfield collection, which includes 'Fern', based on a design by early-20th-century artist and designer Peggy Angus; Alternative Flooring's Stair Art patterned runners, which harness the talents of designers including Ella Doran and Margo Selby; Riviere's collaboration with O&A London, …
A Landmark Project
SA Baxter Design Studio & Foundry and Taylor Howes have collaborated on the Churchill collection – a suite of hardware with a unique slice of history as its source of inspiration. Located in the heart of Whitehall, the Old War Office is a grade-II* listed Edwardian building where Winston Churchill and many other luminaries once plotted, now being transformed in …
An Archive Reinvented
Cole & Son has returned to its roots with its Pearwood collection, a rich homage to 19th-century British design. The portfolio of 10 wallpaper designs draws on the company's block print archive, while incorporating contemporary design and bold colour palettes. The name is inspired by the fruit wood used by Cole & Son founder John Perry to make the original …
At Ease
Cossetting comfort is on the design agenda, and the ‘Gentleman’ armchair By Poliform is just right for creating a sense of ease. Its designer, Marcel Wanders, is known for introducing a little humour to his work, and in this case the chair’s exaggeratedly high back offers a new take on a more traditional style. Poliform, Ground Floor, South Dome
Perk of the Show
Ground Coffee Society is serving complimentary coffee throughout Focus/19. Launched in 2008 by former professional drummer Dave Dickinson, the roaster and distributor - which has a flagship cafe in Putney - has now launched a range of compostable coffee capsules as well as subscription packages for customers to brew their favourite coffee at home. Visitors to the show can enjoy …
Creative Expression
Curated spaces with the showrooms are some of the highlights of Focus/19: they show off the new season's collections, seen through the eyes of leading interior designers. For example, Hill House Interiors has created a space within Arteriors' showroom (pictured top) as part of the US brand's ongoing Designer Interpretations series. Styled as a glamorous bar area with a tented …
Wild Success
A vision of refreshing greenery complements Focus/19's themes of growth and nature, courtesy of florist John Carter. Naturalistic woodland planting with various species of fern, cushioned by moss, line the steps up to the entrance, while the Centre Dome's concierge desk features oversized vases that effervesce with grasses such as setaria and fluffy wild clematis. The specially designed food and drink …
Right Here, Right Now with Fredericke Winkler
Hodsall McKenzie's design director on why she only uses natural fabrics, and how Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is "a very important inspiration for me as a designer".
Sculptural Showstoppers
Italian artist Viola Lanari is one of the most exciting talents in her field, earning world acclaim for her sculptures in plaster. Her collaboration with Porta Romana captures the best of her work, marrying the simplicity of raw white plaster with organic and sculptural shapes. Recast in composite, and finished in plaster white, Lanari’s designs for Porta Romana’s Bohème collection …
Nurturing Talent
Porada is supporting the next generation of designers with its own international award. The 2018 winner, Milan-based student Niccolò Devetag, has now seen his creation, this elegant ‘Ninfea’ writing desk in walnut and leather, go into production. Porada, First Floor, South Dome
Making Themselves at Home
Adding to the potent mix of brands at Focus/19, there are a raft of guest pop-ups augmenting the home-grown talent. Companies of international standing, many of which can't be seen anywhere else during the London Design Festival, are exhibiting a breadth of products, from lighting to furniture, fabrics and paint. Based in the North Dome, Christopher Farr (pictured top) teamed up …
A Cosy Classic
It had a revival on the fashion catwalk, and now corduroy is set to make a comeback in interiors, too. George Spencer Designs' Clarence collection adds a twist to this supersoft fabric in the form of a diamond trellis pattern. In 100% cotton, it is suitable for all upholstery and is available in nine colours. George Spencer Designs, Third Floor, Design …
Well Rounded
At home in the most luxurious of bathrooms, ‘Taizu’ is new from Victoria + Albert Baths. This striking 1500mm-diameter bath is the result of a new collaboration with Steve Leung, the acclaimed Hong Kong-based architect, interior and product designer. Victoria + Albert Baths, Third Floor, North Dome
A Leafy Retreat
Following Focus/19's themes of nature and growth, Bar Botanical in the North Dome is a verdant space to spend some down-time. Terrariums full of greenery sit on top of the brass-clad bar, while an overhead installation of 'Zamiifolia' fabric, a printed sheer with a palm-leaf print by Villa Nova (from Romo), evokes a leafy canopy. The scheme also includes 'Cap …
A Little Shimmer
This ‘Money Plant’ rug is the result of Topfloor by Esti's recent collaborative work with French artist Nicolas Galtier. His abstract paintings use mixed media, with shimmering metallic leaf alongside paint and pigment – opulence that has translated beautifully into art for the floor. Topfloor by Esti, Second Floor, South Dome
Well Camouflaged
Go wild with Arte's ‘Grant’ wallcovering, which features a dazzle of zebras tessellated amid black-and-white stripes. It’s part of the Wildwood collection, where a menagerie of other animal- and nature-themed designs can be discovered, in a variety of unusual materials, from woven paper to hand-cut cork inlaid with foil. Arte, Second Floor, Design Centre East
Find Balance
CTO Lighting’s poised ‘Trevi 3’ is named after the Piazza di Trevi, ancient Rome’s junction of three roads – better known for its Baroque fountain. It demonstrates a feat of balance, with its trio of slender arms, each one a different length, terminating in an opal glass globe. Find it at Fox Linton. Fox Linton, Second Floor, North Dome
Raise the Bar
Chinoisierie is chic: this handpainted ‘Zhao’ bar cabinet by Oficina Inglesa is a statement piece worthy of the most opulent room. Shown in cherry wood with a black finish, it can be customised to suit. Oficina Inglesa, Third Floor, Design Centre East
New Viewpoints for Velvet
Soft, tactile and colourful, velvet has ascended to the top of the textile trend list – perhaps because in our 24/7 frantic world, we are craving an inviting and nurturing retreat. Combine with high sides and rounded edges in furniture and soft carpets underfoot to create a cocoon of cosiness. Brands are responding to the demand for velvet by coming up …
A Polished Portfolio
There’s an east-west collaboration behind the ‘Melting Light’ sideboard. Chinese designer Frank Jiang of architecture studio J&A created the piece for Italian brand Turri, as part of a family of products with the same sleek appearance. Its walnut finish contrasts with a sand-coloured high-gloss hinged top and brushed metal detailing. Turri's showroom is new to the South Dome, and has been …
Collective Energy
A new arrival to the South Dome, Collier Webb makes luxury, handcrafted lighting, furniture, mirrors and hardware, such as this ‘Cep’ table lamp in a dark bronze finish. It is made at the firm’s British foundry, where the body, stem and shade are spun by hand from thick sheets of brass. The new showroom sits adjacent to sister companies Gainsborough and …
Please Be Seated
Still thriving after 30 years in business, David Seyfried Ltd is an indelible listing for upholstered furniture in every interior designer’s little black book. New pieces include this inviting ‘Fireside’ stool with its plump cushion, one of two just-launched seating designs created by ongoing collaborators Salvesen Graham. It's shown upholstered in Schumacher's 'Sunara Ikat'. David Seyfried Ltd, First Floor, Centre Dome
A Force for Good
San Patrignano is an Italian craft workshop with a difference, rehabilitating young people with addiction problems and teaching them traditional skills, from weaving to leatherwork and carpentry. The not-for-profit's magnificent wallcoverings are a notable success story, and Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam Ltd is bringing them to the UK, including this ‘Boiserie Quercia’ design, which has been digitally printed from …
