THE FINAL INSTALLMENT FROM THE LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2013

SIMONA KAUNAITE - LONDON

This ceramic and jewellery designer impressed me mostly for her original ideas brought to life through pottery.  There were alot of beautiful and classical and timeless ceramics at the festival but Simona's work stood out to me for not only the simplicity of her pieces but the playful nature of the design.

Based at the studio A Chair and a Table in Hackney, Simona holds a Masters in Ceramic Arts from the Vilnius Academy of Arts.  Recent projects include making work for coffee roasters Crooked Nose and Coffee Stories in downtown Vilnius, Lithuania.   Her brief was to design three coffee cups for differently made coffee; espresso, black and black. The porcelain cups reflect the artisan roaster's simple aesthetic with colour, decoration and shape.

 

CATHERINE AITKEN - LONDON

Scottish designer Catherine Aitken designs furniture and interior products by playing with pattern and combinations of wood, textile and ceramics . With a fascination of pattern, fade, change and flux, Catherines design process results in pieces that frequently leave space for arranging and rearranging.  She produces quietly beautiful products that encourage interaction and establish a poetic relationship with their surrounding environment.  Her Fade Stool below is the piece that caught my eye at the festival.  Made from cotton cord,  plywood and powder-coated steel it reveals a gradual change in intensity through increasing and decreasing levels of colour and at the same time altering the presence of a particular material, whether that be cotton, wood or steel.

                                            Fade Stool

BENJAMIN BOYCE - LONDON

Benjamin Boyce is a carpenter who trained at the Building Craft College in London between 2008-2011 and now works from his East London design studio, specialising in the craft of fine furniture.  The philosophy of William Morris to 'have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful' guides the style of his contemporary fitted and free standing pieces.

Benjamin's work was recognised at the New Design Britain Awards in 2011 where he won the 'Best Furniture' category.  I saw the' Lean to Shelf'  below in the flesh and had to squeal quietly behind my hand.  Made from a mixed of recycled and reponsibly sourced oak and veneered mdf. The shelf leans against any wall and has small recycled glass lab wear that can be used for the vases. 

                                                          Lean to shelf

Another design that incorporates Benjamin's signature playful spirit with his exacting carpentry standards is the light and bowl table.  Made from American white oak with American black walnut wedges, the legs and bowl of the table have been hand turned. A simple but elegant little coffee table with a bowl for bits and space for a light.  Terrific!

                                            Light and Bowl table

LOVELY PIGEON - SCOTLAND

Of the smaller exhibitors at the festival I was drawn to a stall by Kirsty of Lovely Pigeon.  Lovely Pigeon is based in Cellardyke, a fishing village on the East coast of Scotland.  Kirsty is a printmaker, illustrator and jeweller.  I was stopped in my tracks by her collection of 'Metals' stationary - handmade notebooks and cards with copper foiled covers.  Watch this space!

This festival had alot of great spark, innovation and providence coming from young design studios (especially those of East London) but I can't finish my round up of some of the best that the festival had to offer (in my humble opinion) without a mention of two of Britain's time honoured and favourite studios... Branksome and Ercol.

 BRANKSOME - STOKE ON TRENT

Established in 1945, founder Ernest Baggaley recognised the cost implications of gas-fired kiln production in post-war England.  He knew his wares would have to be distinctive enough in quality and design to justify their price.  Branksome China was shown at the British Industries Fair  in 1947 and quickly became one of the country's most desirable tableware brands.  Bought and used by Queen Mary, by 1955 Branksome was exported all over the Commonwealth.  A particularly popular design was Graceline, a range of twin-tone pastel tableware made in sixteen colourways.  Though production has been large, this tableware has always been hand painted and hand finished.  Graceline is now much sought-after by Branksome collectors, 1950s enthusiasts and me. 

Therefore, I was stoked (excuse the pun), when I discovered at the design festival that Branksome are re-issuing their instantly recognisable two tone designs.  While production has moved to Stoke-on-Trent, Branksome's collectable shapes and colour palette remain unchanged for over 60 years.  I still prefer the vintage wares more than the new wares, their is a slightly different feel - maybe that is due to the many hands that have held them over the years.   It is nice however to know that production of this classic stuff is to continue!

                                                         Ernest baggaley directing

                                           Branksome new and old

 ERCOL - BUCKINGHAMSHIRE


Most people interested in Bristish design and it's history will be familiar with ercol.   ercol was founded in 1920 by a young Italian immigrant, Lucian Ercolani, whose simple goal was to make furniture that was well designed and made in a good working environment by craftsmen who really took pride in their jobs. He started his own business in High Wycombe, the chairmaking capital of England. Here he perfected the technique of steam-bending wood in large quantities to form the famous Windsor Bow, and discovered how to 'tame' elm; a beautifully grained hardwood other furniture makers considered impossible to work with. 

                                                        The first workshop

Design for comfort, function and beauty has always been at the heart of ercol.  The design has evolved over time to reflect the way we are living but it continues to reference the history of ercol and their high standards of innovation, quality craftsmanship and practicality.  Caring for the environment from which the materials are sourced comes naturally to the family owned private company, with their purpose-built energy efficient factory housing a biomass boiler fuelled by their wood waste, their avoidance of solvent based finishes in favour of more environmentally friendly water based finishes, and of course in their use of sustainable timber to make their furniture.  At the festival I was made aware of a re-issue of the famous ercol Loveseat which is an extension of the traditional Windsor chair making skills.

                                                                The ercol Windsor Chair

 

                                        The vintage ercol Loveseat

                                           The contemporary ercol Loveseat

                                             The re-issued Loveseat I spied at the festival

                                            The Butterfly Chair

                                                    

                                                         The Holland Park Chair

ercol make more than just seating but it is their chairs that they are famous for and it seems their chairs are as popular as ever as they are being used in more and more UK eateries.

Most recently, the ercol Holland Park Chair has been selected for both Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen in Bristol and The Perkin Reveller, a new restaurant located at Tower Wharf outside the Tower of London.

                                                                 ercol’s Holland Park Chair at The Perkin Reveller, London

I recently bought my first ercol chair after being tipped off by a friend, it is an elderly Windsor which I have had lovingly restored and re-upholstered and I have to say it is already deeply loved.  Cheers ercol.

MORE DESIGN FROM THE LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2013


NOBLE AND WOOD - England

                                      The Cloud console, Domino stool and Saddle magazine rack

Paul Blease founded Noble and Wood because of a love of well made products.  Inspired by great explorers Noble and Wood endeavours to manufacture timeless and elegant furniture and accessories.  Their philosophy of crafted modernism is achieved through combining combining rich materials and exploring modern manufacturing processes alongside traditional techniques.  Their 2013 collection showcases Black American walnut, Italian leather,  Carrera marble and Woolen felt.  Honest design + refined materials = magic as far as we are concerned, we love the cloud console that just floats off the wall.

SEP VERBOOM - Germany

The product designer Sep Verboom travelled from Berlin to the Phillipines to initiate a community based design process that used upcycled waste materials from Cebu City where waste is a huge problem.  FANTASIZED lampshades are made out of recycled electric fan guards, waste strips of plastic and crafted mahogany stands.  The waste is bought from local scrap merchants and the plastic from a woven plastic chair company.  Formally destined for the landfill, these materials are now crafted by locals into the hanging and standing lampshades pictured below.

This project simultaneously supports the local developing economy and helps to eliminate some of the vast mountains of local waste whilst creating awareness about sustainability and for this was placed second at the OVAM Ecodesign Awards for sustainable innovation.

GALVIN BROTHERS - England

The Galvin brothers make contemporary handcrafted furniture from their workshops in East Yorkshire. 

                                      The Imperfect stool

The business was formed as a partnership between Matthew Galvin (designer) and Andrew Galvin (joiner) in March 2012 building on their Father’s 61 years of joinery and cabinet making experience.

 

Their designs celebrate the uniquely wonderful properties of English Oak and other solid woods, placing traditional joinery techniques at the centre of contemporary forms — functional objects with a twist.

  

                                       Pippy Oak bench

They also make nifty notebooks.

JiB DESIGN STUDIO - England

JiB design studio has a design approach deeply rooted in the discourse of architecture, form and function.  Je-Uk Kim studied Master of Architecture at the University of Michigan. Since graduating he has worked at architectural practices in New York, Copenhagen and London on projects of varying scales, subsequently founding JiB design studio in 2012.  From their studio in London JiB work on a broad range of projects ranging from architecture to furniture and homewares.  Their focus on form and function is perfectly exemplified by the Console O and Credenza O which combine beautifully crafted furniture with inbuilt ceramic pots that serve as storage, decoration or plant pots. Yum!

                                            The Console O

                                           The Credenza O

                                                                     The Lovebird Sofa

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2013
 
I've been home from the massive London Design Festival for one week and now that the experience has been fully absorbed I am capable of downloading my brain.
For me,  interior, object and product design have always been roughly divided into two camps.  In one camp there are designers who are concerned with cutting-edge technology, modern man-made materials and designs that promote showmanship, with the result often referred to as 'the statement piece'.  These loud and 'funky' pieces are very on trend for one season or two if you are lucky.  In the other camp are those designers who are concerned with preserving cultural heritage and traditional skills.  Their design process is directed by the raw materials available on hand rather than highly processed materials being sourced from far and wide and forced into shape to serve a complicated design.   When it is successful, this way of working encourages design that is thoughtful, simple, functional and respectful, and the resulting objects are timeless.
Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of innovation and technology, but for me the magic in design occurs when innovation intersects with traditional technique, and when design grounded in materiality and integrity is made possible through the use of technology.

 

                                                            Cup and Saucer from the Stall by The Cold Press

                                       Desk by Benjamin Boyce

 With this in my mind, it was with great delight that I discovered a festival with a renewed emphasis on craftsmanship, functional solutions, longevity and highly considered yet subtle design.  The British love their crafts and respect their heritage so this was no surprise coming from their extremely strong stable of designers, but these concerns were also evident in the work I saw coming out of South America, Taiwan, Scandinavia, France and the USA.  Our world is chaotic so simple design and natural materials offer us a modicum of peace.  Furthermore, our environment is suffering so those of us involved in the design and consumer industries have a responsibility to embrace sustainable solutions.

                                                         Mushroom Vessels by JIB Studio

Here is a selection of some of the design that got under my skin, there will be more following in the weeks to come.


RACE - England

Established in post war Britain by Ernest Race, the furniture design and manufacture company Race specialises in time honoured methods of production and traditional quality English manufacturing.  Today they are reproducing the finest furniture from Ernest Race's original designs and tweaking them to take advantage of modern technology and to fulfill our current commercial and domestic requirements.  By using the original drawings the company retains the integrity of construction and material first developed out of a post war need.

                                                                   Race Rocker 1948

RUSKASA - Taiwan

Ruskasa are concerned with preserving disappearing Taiwanese carving skills and traditional handcrafts, and each of their pieces are made by hand in Taiwan using sustainably grown and harvested timber, demonstrating a meticulous attention to detail.

                                                  Ruskasa RU-DS009 Chair

                                               Ruskasa RU-DS011 Chair

BRAVO - Chile

Those in the design and manufacturing company Bravo understand how precious raw materials are and they pride themselves on a respectful production of these materials into elegant solutions for day to day activities. Their use of locally sourced raw materials embue their products with a natural beauty and a sense of the specific identity of place - Santiago, Chile.

                                                Base Container by Bravo

 

                                          Base Container by Bravo

THORODY - England

Throrody is a design and print studio based in London that produces small runs of fabric for interior projects. The fabrics are traditionally screen printed by hand using water-based pigments on linen that has been woven in Burnley, England. Their hand drawn designs "reflect their love of modernism infused with a hint of South East London, but steer away from retro pastiche".

                                                         Thorody Fabric

 TURNER AND HARPER - England

Turner and Harper embrace their fascination with quiet, everyday objects by creating goods that are authentic and useful. While based in North Yorkshire their bespoke design process employs artisans from all over England, producing accessories for the home that embody quality and subtlety in equal measure.

                                      Dustpan and Brush by Turner and Harper

 ANOTHER COUNTRY - England

Another Country is a London based design and manufacture company making waves in the UK and beyond with their contemporary craft furniture and accessories. Their methods are based on design archetypes influenced by traditional British country, Shaker, Scandinavian and Japanese woodwork. Their pieces are familiar and unpretentious while also being exciting and fresh. Their designs are built with longevity, sustainability and quality at a fair price as defining aims. The brand is characterised by what I would call contemporary campfire chic. All timber is sourced from responsible suppliers in the UK and their upholstery is made from organic materials.

 

                                                              Another Chair by Another Country

PUPPY POWER!

If you're anything like my darling Emma, the mere utterance of the word puppy will reduce you to a soppy, mushy, dribbling pool of goo on the floor. She frequently shows me - with a big dumb grin on her face - cutesy photos from the internet of baby bunnies cuddling up to puppies on sheepskins, and other things similarly warm fuzzy inducing. The founders of Brooklyn NY business Found My Animal also seem to be gaga about dogs, which I guess is part of the reason why Emma wanted to stock their wares at the shop.

 

 

                                                This is a collapsable water bowl.

                                                I know dogs don't skip.

The hard facts: Found my animal make accessories for dogs and their humans such as leashes and collars. The rope and hardware are marine grade and will age gracefully and pretty much last forever. The materials and labour are all from within the US, and Found My Animal are also a B-corp, which means they are certified to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Orange rope has become somewhat of a trademark of Found My Animal products. Not only will orange ensure you are rescued if swept away by the ocean when walking Rex on the beach, but it's also the color of animal protection awareness. Founders Bethany and Anna are born animal nuts and have been into their welfare most of their lives. They've combined this passion with their design backgrounds to create a brand focused on rescuing animals. They are strong promoters of animal adoption, spray and neuter programs and donation to, and volunteering at animal shelters. 

                                FMA Founder Bethany Obrecht.

Shameless celeb plug: Jessica Biel, Drew Barrymore, Bradley Cooper, Martha Stewart, Amanda Seyfried, Erykah Badu amongst others all own animals that wear Found My Animal.

Come and visit us at The Flock, or look online if you want to give yourself and your dog the ultimate bonding gift that will last for life.