100% Design review - part 3 Brand round up

Focusing on Brands

I must start with a confession: Whilst there was an interesting selection from the International Pavilions including notable stands for Czech lighting company Lasvit, an out-of-place but nevertheless interesting stand with Mercedes new Concept Style Coupé based on the c-class car and a strong Eastern section including this intriguing Zen chair which caught my eye and is apparently "not for pleasure but for meditation whilst the body and heart bears pain"!

However I wandered around with quite a focused commercial head on and this report probably reflects this. I say this because there was a strength of emerging talent that showed great potential however I had plans and little time to give them my full attention (which often happens at exhibitions).




I am pleased to say that on her first trip to the UK as an exhibitor we were most impressed with Luísa Peixoto Design. We adored all the range on display lending an extravagant corner of high-quality to the 100% Interiors section. Lots of gloss and aged metallic finishes with a hand built craftsmen's love. 

Our wonderful friends at British hand built lighting company Ochre were unveiling their new Sleep Cloud lights: a collection of droplet-like glass 'buds' each with an LED and a stem of sculptured-esque bronze.

Other notable inclusions were the Coco mirror and the new format Drizzle Chandelier in a spiral

  

Another new and exciting find for us was the Austrian bespoke joinery brothers Bernd and Johann Radaschitz from INTERIOR-iD. Their phenominal stand featuring a bespoke kitchen which looked like the angular answer to Zaha Hadid's furtive and flowing creations. Stunningly executed in it's finish incorporating all electronics and a fantastic wooden breakfast bar at one end. I noted that they have achieved exceptional standards of finish with previous work like TV Unit in high gloss with  bronze inlays and complementing mirror for the likes of Candy and Candy. A sharp looking flip top bench designed by Thomas Telser also on display showed all the hallmarks of a passion for challenging design with no compromise on craftsmanship.

I would say the overriding theme in the exhibition pushed towards a Scandinavian feel. Maybe in this economic climate there's something clean and honest about the look which was heavily on show gravitating towards a fabulous collection from Swedese.








Our beloved Philip Watts were present with their rock 'n roll themed door furniture, featuring wings that I swear were inspired by our UBER logo (!) glittering skulls, a revolver long handle and a rose... you guessed it: guns 'n roses.

 

Vitra were showcasing some of the classics in new finishes and colours: I was particularly taken with the classic Eames lounge chair and ottoman in a taupe-mushroom (must find out what colour that was!). And the new Grand Repos by Antonio Citterio a handy position-locking recliner... very comfy.

The below lights from Danish company Vita were wonderfully good value and the white feather versions very chic... a sure hit.

Loving the cross-legged Ribbon stool by Nick Rawcliffe from Deadgood.

So does the new format work?

As a showcase for British interior related products the format works, and it’s a great showcase for emerging talent – as is reinforced by other LDF events like Tent and designjunction also going on around the capital at the same time. It was simple to navigate, but is sadly seems to lack the show of hand from existing brands that other shows around the globe like Maison Objet , ISalone and IMM have in abundance. Come on manufacturers we need to see more of your presence.

Maybe it’s just too close to Decorex timings and budgets in this climate mean one or the other… we’ll see next week.