Arguably the most fun part of being an interiors journalist is going to events. Few things are better than having a little look around at what’s coming up. I also love speaking to people about their smart, creative ideas.
As part of London Design Festival, Design London has pitched up at Magazine London in Greenwich. As the name suggests, it’s filled with the latest launches, new innovations, and beautiful installations – plenty of them, actually.
I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s my idea of a good day out.
And there was plenty to see. The first thing I spotted was a green wall. It’s like a living wall, only made from artificial foliage that looked so good my first question was whether it’s real.
I can’t share everything I saw, sadly. For one thing, not everything is available to buy – some showcased designs were only concepts for now. And the internet may be able to handle an unlimited word count, but that doesn’t mean I have to test the limits.
So, let’s make it short and sweet: here are some of my favourite things I spotted.
Lighting at Design London
Known for their custom brass pendants, Spark & Bell showcased a few products made from recycled plastic. At first, they used plastic from their workshop – but the brand now collects waste plastics from local businesses and households, too, as well as their suppliers. The result? A pretty marbled wall light, from £159, that not only looks good but feels nice to touch, too.
Believe me – I tried.
Lighting company Artemide brought a lot of pretty things to Design London. Stellar Nebula, for example, is a beautiful collection of clear glass lamps intended to interpret and enhance artisanal glass blowing. But there was more to catch your attention. The Gople range of lighting, for example. Drawing the eye with its beautiful ombré finishes, the metallic effects are a new addition to an existing collection.
Born from a large-scale installation at Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the Thames, Jonathan Coles presented the Ampere lighting collection at Design London. The wall fittings’ glass shape creates a beautiful optical effect when switched on – almost like waves on the shore. It is made from mouth blown recycled glass with natural brass detailing, it looks striking all on its own or when grouped together.
Furniture spots
Who said shelving has to be made of straight planks? That’s right, nobody. And Shelf Studio is here to make this design feature into a fun eyecatcher. Founded by creative duo Sam and Sophia in 2020, the concept is simple: turn your open storage into a design feature. The pieces are made by hand an to order, so you can get a bespoke option, too. The baby blue Rainbow Light design (at the top, featuring a little plant) immediately caught my eye at Design London.
Look at these chairs – what do you think they’re made of? If you answered ‘household plastic waste’, you’re correct. Alongside its existing offering of outdoor and indoor furniture, Danish brand Houe showcased something new at Design London. Falk – together with the Nami and Reclips designs – forms the MyTrash collection. Circularity is the keyword here. Made from recycled household plastic waste and an aluminium frame, you can recycle the chairs at their end of life, too. So it all starts anew.
Thai brand Eggwhite’s piece not only look good, they are also functional and sustainably made. Not to mention they’re plenty clever. The Capsule table (front left), for example, has a hidden compartment – ideal to keep TV time essentials (or to hide snacks). Plus, one of the wooden lid pieces can be used as a lap desk. Clever – and ideal for my unfortunate habit to play around on my laptop while watching TV.
Design London: the piece I love too much to leave out
Okay, listen. I’ll be upfront. I was looking for a way to include this piece in this article, purely because I find it so beautiful It has to go in, because I love it that much, so it gets an honourable mention. Korean furniture platform Iamhere (which is run by designers – and it shows) brought this stunning high-end design to the show. Handmade by Woorim Kang, the Organic Relation chaise longue is crafted from kelobra wood and lacquer. It was accompanied by a matching side table, too.
Featured image: Artist and designer Joseph Ellwood at Six Dots Design creates laser-cut aluminium furniture. The Contemporary Vanity collection presented at Design London consists of a mirror, chair, table, hanging rail, and modesty screen. Price on application.
Loved our round-up of the hottest pieces at Design London? Then you’ll enjoy our edit from design show Top Drawer too.
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