London Design Festival 2013

The London Design Festival celebrated its eleventh birthday September 14-22nd with over 300 different shows and events over nine days. It was impossible for BlogTour London to cover it all but we managed to cover a fair amount of ground.

DAY 1: designJunction

This year designjunction returned to the 1960s Postal Sorting Office in Central London where a cutting-edge line-up of renowned international brands and emerging design talent were presented across three floors of the impressive 120,000 sq ft venue. New for 2013 was lightjunction, London’s first trade fair dedicated to very best in decorative lighting.

We began the show with an introduction to the much anticipated UK debut of Kartell by Laufen. I may have to give them their own post later just to discuss their revolutionary SaphirKeramik.

I think this quote from the award-winning designers Ludovica+Roberto Palomba sums up the collection best.

“An architectural project, which speaks a new language. Innovative, rich in emotion,
transparency and colour. The Kartell by Laufen bathroom is the synthesis of the work
we have done in recent years in the world of the bathroom and represents an important
step forward in this sector”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuGDdLFbPEY

After exploring the show we met up again for Dinner hosted by Laufen at Jamie Oliver’s pop-up restaurant Barbecoa in partnership with Modus furniture. Barbecoa is renowned for its flame inspired cooking and widely praised for their original and smoked flavored dishes. I found out the menu was specifically created for the show – their first-ever pop-up venture. We dined on signature favorites of pit-smoked pulled pork sandwiches, smoked short ribs with chipotle tomato salsa, loaded BLT sandwiches with home smoked porchetta and a delicious chicken cobb salad. There were also the most incredible desserts shared around the table.

During our dinner we met some of the members from the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection, designjunction’s main sponsor. The Visa Luxury Hotel Collection is a premium travel program enabling Visa Premium cardholders to find, book and enjoy exclusive benefits at more than 900 prestigious properties around the world — from boutique to celebrated designer hotels.

Little did I realize at the time, but designjunction established a lighting theme for me during the Festival.

More Highlights

September 28, 2013

55 Downing Street

Lamps Plus is one of America’s largest lighting retailers and a sponsor of the BlogTour London Trip I recently went on. For more than 30 years they have been building their business to offer nationwide customers the largest collection of function and decorative lighting fixtures, accessories, furniture and home decor. The Lamps Plus collection of websites includes Lighting Luxury Style, Builders Discount Lighting, Lamps Plus Open Box and 55 Downing Street.

If you are unfamiliar with 55 Downing Street, it launched in May 2012 in the flash sales arena.

“Over the last year, we’ve discovered what designs truly excite our customers most. So we
now scour all corners of the globe to source the latest styles,” says Manja Swanson, Chief
Creative Officer for 55 Downing Street and Lamps Plus. “From handmade Indian rugs
and pillows to furniture produced right here in California, each design on 55 Downing
Street has been hand selected on the basis of quality, value and, of course, style.”

Starting early next year, 55 Downing Street will launch the first of three exclusive house brands. The brands – Dahlia Studios, Chateau Lux and Cinnabar Road – will feature artisan soft lines, continental inspired furniture, and globally-inspired imported furnishings, respectively.

The new brand offering will coincide with a re-launch of 55DowningStreet.com. The new site will feature a new blog team and contributors to offer readers a fresh voice and insights into the latest design trends.

I’ve paired items from the Lamps Plus website and 55 Downing Street with images from the London Design Festival to demonstrate how trendy their product selection actually is.

Cox London at Decorex | Irondale Helena Reclaimed Bookcase

Brokis Pendants at Design Junction | Possini Euro Engels

Paris Wakefield Additions at Tent London | Annabelle Modern Flame Chair and Flame Zig Zag lamp

Foldability at DesignJunction | Possini Euro White Cloud Pendant

Tony Miles Designs at DesignJunction | Telestar Lamp

(Lamps Plus is a sponsor for BlogTour London 2013, but the views and opinions expressed on this blog are mine, and I will be honest in what I share.)

September 7, 2013

Spitalfields Saturday Style Market

I have to say I was pretty pleased when I spotted Spitalfields Saturday Style Market as a possible stop for BlogTour London.

Spitalfields Market is a great London institution – in a huge old Victorian building with a metal and glass roof, surrounded by cool shops and restaurants – the center of the building is filled with traditional market stalls and 100′s of eclectic independent traders selling their finest wares.

Aside from the market stalls, there are some great independent retailers too like OneDeko; a contemporary furniture store and Elemental; a vintage/retro lighting and furniture store.

Just outside Spitalfields is The Lollipop Shoppe , offering international furniture classics, lighting and home decor. Major Brands such as Vitra, Knoll, Artek, Cassina, and Fritz Hansen are featured with an eclectic collection of accessories.

With such a tight schedule I hardly know where to start. Leave comments on your favorite places at Spitalfields.

Spitalfields takes its name from the hospital and priory, St. Mary’s Spittel that was founded in 1197. Lying in the heart of the East End, it is an area known for its spirit and strong sense of community. It was in a field next to the priory where the now famous market first started in the thirteenth century.

From its small beginnings in the 17th Century, Spitalfields Market blossomed. Traders working from a collection of sheds and stalls did their best to meet the needs of London’s rapidly growing population and their appetite for fresh fruit and vegetables. Their success made Spitalfields Market a major center for the sale of fresh produce, trading six days a week.

In 1920 the City of London acquired direct control of the market, extending the original buildings eight years later. For the next 60 years, Spitalfields’ nationwide reputation grew, as did the traffic congestion in the narrow streets around it. With no room for the expansion it so badly needed, the market was forced to move and in May 1991 it opened its doors at its new location in Leyton, east London.

At the end of 2005, the Spitalfields completed an 18-year regeneration program. This resulted in the creation of two new public spaces, Bishops Square and Crispin Place, a public art program, an events program, the restoration of several historic streets in E1 and a selection of carefully selected independent retailers and restaurants.

July 21, 2013

1945 Beverage Cooler

The Northstar collection from Elmira Stove Works has a new member – the 1945 Beverage Refrigerator.

The appliance combines iconic 1945 styling with the amenities of a modern appliance. In addition to chilling up to 120 cans, the 3.3-cu.-ft. beverage fridge can accommodate wine and other bottled drinks.

With four adjustable wire shelves, the 34-in. x 18-in. x 20-in. unit comes with a variable temperature control, interior lighting and a retro porthole window.

The Northstar beverage refrigerator retails at $1,195 and is available in nine standard colors, with custom options available.

If you combine this with the Northstar Keg Refrigerator in textured black, you could create a Man Cave with a throw back feel. If you prefer the candy red, a hot rod themed party room could become the center attraction of a home.

Some History:

Elmira’s connection to antique appliances dates back three generations. Founder Tom Hendrick’s father supplied wood burning cookstove parts to local Mennonites from his hardware store in Elmira, Ontario. In 1975, Tom saw an opportunity to supply not just parts, but complete cookstoves, to the local market and, potentially, all of North America. He acquired the rights for the Findlay Oval cookstove, and began manufacturing in what had been a chicken barn on the outskirts of the small town of Elmira.

In 2001 Elmira added 1950′s-styled fridges to its 1890′s-styled appliances. The fresh colors – Candy Red, Robin’s Egg Blue, Buttercup Yellow, Flamingo Pink, Mint Green; along with more subtle Black, Bisque , White and Quicksilver– smooth curved lines and bright chrome accents, were an immediate hit.

Drawn by the trend to reminiscent styling, a younger group of consumers quickly adopted Elmira’s Northstar line as its own answer to throwback “antique” styling. Over the next twelve years, the Northstar line expanded to include refrigerators, keg fridges, ranges, range hoods, splashbacks, microwaves and dishwasher panels.