London Design Week 2015

Stepping into the Design Centre this morning to attend London Design Week 2015 I couldn’t ignore that Spring is very definintely in the air. The crisp bright morning was mirrored by the bright green and white colour scheme that was present throughout the North, South and Central domes. Oversized moss filled jars, pots of Hyacinths, and vases full of white Antirrhinum and Delphiniums were in abundance.

I was fortunate enough to be able to set some time aside to attend London Design Week, an event primarily aimed at design professionals and visionaries, but also open to the general public. It is a great opportunity to visit the showrooms of your choice in a very relaxed and informal atmosphere. Pop-up refreshment hubs offer a variety of of hot and cold beverages and tasty eats but more important than those are the series of seminars hosted and presented by leading industry figures throughout the week.
In conversation this morning were Simon Leadsford of Condé Nast Traveller talking to Timo Gürnert, managing director of the Oetker Collection. They chatted happily and openly about the family-owned luxury hotel group with particular emphasis on the interior design philosophy. It was concluded that the key elements of Oetker’s particular brand of uber-luxury are are focus, rarity, heritage and craftsmanship.
This afternoon Rita Konig, style writer and interior designer, was hosted by House & Garden magazine. Her topic of conversation examined how H&G’s archive of vintage interiors has a bearing on today’s design. With images dating from the 1940’s her presentation covered post-war abandonment through to today’s more reserved, pared down attitude to design.
At lunchtime I dropped into Victoria + Albert Baths Ltd. to listen to Amira Hashish, leading lifestyle journalist for the Evening Standard and The Independent, discuss the newest developments in the bathroom industry. On display in the showroom were the company’s new range of bathroom furniture. A collection of beautifully crafted vanity units with super deep storage drawers and matching mirrors. Visit www.vandabaths.com

V+A vanity unit — Victoria + Albert Mandello vanity unity

My final stop was to my favourite showroom Cole & Son. Here I fell in love with their Whimsical range of wallpapers. Described as “a nostalgic and enchanting selection of magical wallpapers, inspired by classic childhood stories and fairy tales of our youth”. All designs offer a compendium of true conversation pieces, whilst bringing the charm of children’s theatre, pageantry and literature to life. Look out for the two mischievous cats and an elusive mouse hiding atop a regency style block moulding in Cole & Son’s Paddy & Louis Border. Just a word of warning though I have seen this particular border for sale on various websites ranging from £78 to £250! Visit www.cole-and-son.com to see their full range of wallpapers.