That's right, we're back at Clerkenwell Design Week!
With the 2nd CDW underway since the pandemic eased up, the new additions to the 3e1 team were ready for their first dive into the interiors experience in Farringdon. We were inspired by the innovation and fresh ideas on show last year, so we set out looking for more solutions that we can bring into our projects.
This year we divided and conquered, seeking out the designers and manufacturers that we still had yet to learn more about, as well as attending events that could help us better our understanding of the industry and its direction. With over 300 brands on display, we had our work cut out for us. Below you'll find our highlights from Clerkenwell Design Week 2023.
Interior Elements
When it comes to announcing new furniture, CDW sets the stage for manufacturers from all around the world, so we got to see some very special pieces that can really shake up the industry, and as you all know, we're not afraid of a little bit of colour. Dowsing & Reynolds looks like they can help achieve this with their beautiful light switches and power sockets. Their colour block products carry a playful look-&-feel that we love, and in our recent projects we see an increasing request to pay extra attention to the details.
Keeping up the playful theme is House of lighting, they displayed their carbon neutral offerings during CDW in contrasting colour ranges. Their extremely efficient manufacturing and material processes ensure they have minimal energy to offset in the long run.
Now with all the sun and the upcoming heatwaves, it's going to start feeling like we won't need to fly abroad to be on holiday, so why not bring in that summery beach-feel to your spaces with Recork's rugs that are made with Portuguese Cork. These tactile elements can really pull a space from feeling bland to being exciting and ready to Fiesta!
Finishes
What really stood out to us this year was the new levels of innovation with acoustic materials. They're such versatile solutions and can completely change the atmosphere in a space!
We loved the soft look-&-feel of Impact Acoustic's new cotton-based blocks that can be arranged like a mosaic on most surfaces. Keep an eye out for their upcoming release of a recycled PET frame for the blocks.
Another great implementation we discovered were Texaa's ceiling grid panels. Now we can transform existing ceilings into highly functional assets without the need to strip everything out and start from scratch! We'll be looking at how we can really play with this idea and bring a new viable refresh to your space.
While the name Graphenstone has been in our minds since coming across them back in February, we were held back by the lack of accessible sample swatches to bring to clients and we are sure that we're not the only ones that need to 'see it to believe it'. It seems that they've listened to the industry as they're now building a stock of hand-painted swatch cards! We're so excited to use these extremely environmentally conscious paints as they carry the lowest VOCs in the market and can even absorb carbon while drying. Expect to see their colours on our moodboards soon.
Furniture
We couldn't help but notice a lack of environmentally unfriendly furniture, and what a relief! We love to see the effort being put in by the industry to improve our planet whether that's by reducing manufacturing emissions, looking to new materials, or designing for disassembly. Pearson Lloyd introduced us to their design methods to celebrate the launch of Pattio's Libro shelving system. They looked back on their first products and compared them to today's standards of 'quality' as well as showcasing some of their most experimental materials used in their pieces. They're striving to bring Collaboration between manufacturers and designers to better improve the world we live in.
Speaking of experimental materials, Keramik has done just that, and now they can offer you 3D printed ceramic stools, vases, lamps, table legs, and more. If you don't find what you're looking for in their standard range, you can create a bespoke piece as there isn't any pre-made tooling in the process. The team brought their architectural backgrounds into the mix as inspiration for many of their pieces, and by keeping the colours natural they're reducing chemical usage. There is still much to explore but what an exciting time to be involved!
Time to move forward
As designers in the industry, we play a crucial role in promoting sustainable practices to our clients through material and furniture selections. This year we've seen many amazing sustainable products, however, we would love to see manufactureres show off what happens behind the scenes as this is still quite a mystery and could really help everyone understand what it means to be sustainable and it's true impact. Perhaps next year's event can take place with a clearer focus on how manufacturers are stepping up their game and leading innovation to a better future. We believe that showcasing the manufacturing processes or material sourcing in the exhibits would have a strong impact on attendees and help communicate all the effort that's already going on behind the scenes.
Now that we've had time to recover from the hot days and the long nights, we're excited to bring our replenished reserves of ideas to every project that comes our way. Hopefully we'll see you next year!
In the meantime, try and catch us at 3daysofdesign Copenhagen.
