Tent London 2012: Design to make your heart flutter
Fine bone china dinner plates entitled I could just go to the shops, from a series of 12 plates by UK’s Studio Patrick Laing. Clockwise from top left: Dip Glazing, Stock Smoke, Screenprinting, and Sponging Transfers.
Tent London 2012 is set to thrill and amaze with a dizzying array of sizzling design talent. With 40 global design brands and over 200 established independents and undiscovered talents; alongside spectacular feature installations, inspirational talks and seminars, Tent London is by far and above THE design event of the year. Beyond excited and filled with longing to beam myself back to my former stomping ground in London’s hip east end, it is with great delight that I bring you a view through the keyhole into this glorious four day design event. First up is multifaceted design talent Patrick Laing. This series of 12 fine bone china dinner plates entitled I could just go to the shops, celebrate the desire to create rather than the desire to shop by depicting a range of plate making methods. Described by the UK’s Craft Council as “utterly charming and beautifully executed”. I couldn’t agree more. To purchase, visit Studio Patrick Laing to join the pre-order list.
The Royal Family Collection by Vibeke Skar (top), Light Jars by Kristine Five Melvær (middle left), Copper by Strek Collective (middle right), and Studio Locker by Magnus Pettersen.
Showcasing 25 Norwegian designers, 100% Norway marks its ninth year as part of the London Design Festival with a new home at the Dray Walk Gallery. Curated by Wallpaper’s* Editor at Large, Henrietta Thompson, and Benedicte Sunde from the Norwegian Design Council, a dynamic range of design products represent both established and fresh new talent. I’m particularly enamoured with Vibeke Skar‘s glass Royal Family Collection which reminds me of a restrained version of Jaime Hayon’s Crystal Candy collection for Baccarat, featured at the Milan Fair earlier in the year (featured here). Designed to be displayed singularly or as a group, I simply can’t imagine having one without the other two! Light Jars by Kristine Five Melvær conjure the notion of capturing a beautiful butterfly under glass to observe at close range. Designed to display treasures and trinkets within under a spot light, they become as personal as their owners. The Studio Locker collection is a range of storage units taking you from lounge to boudoir. Made from blackened ash and anodised aluminium for the feet and perforated drawers and doors, they seem to radiate a golden glow, surpassing their mundane locker origins.
Distinctively modernist wallpaper and textiles from Mini Moderns.
Snapped up by London department store giant Heal’s and the high street stationary chain Paperchase, London interiors brand Mini Moderns, even have representation at the bottom of the world here in New Zealand with wallpaper company Netti & Gee. It’s hardly surprising this design duo have enjoyed such success given their bold graphics which are at once elegant and utterly modern. Teaming up with iconic London institutions like the London Transport Museum to create their Hold Tight wallpaper (pictured bottom right in British Lichen) inspired by their personal vintage bus ticket collection, their brand not only has mass appeal but is grounded in integrity. Nominated for an Elle Decoration British Design Award earlier in the year for their Backgammon wallpaper design, among my favourites are Camberwell Beauty (pictured bottom right in Midnight), the first design from their 2012 collection The Buddha of Suburbia, whose delicate wings are fashioned from the flourishing cursive script reading ‘Camberwell Beauty’.
Jail Make Four Day Chairs and The Plantable, an earlier design which brings the outdoors in.
Jail Make is a South London design studio committed to the process of both designing and making. Multi faceted and multi talented, these guys have done it all; large scale installations, sculpture, interactive exhibition pieces, bespoke furniture and interiors, as well as pieces of engineering, mechanics and electronics. With the Milan Fair fast approaching they made the ultimate challenge for themselves; to design AND make four different solid oak chairs in four days. The notion came about by exploring the different ways we use seating throughout any given day, hereby creating four different chairs to accommodate the user morning, noon, afternoon and night. First seen at the Milan Fair earlier this year, Londoners will have their opportunity to see them at Tent London this weekend.
Versatile modular spun aluminium lampshades from International Studio
Recent Three Dimensional Design graduates, Marc Bell & Robin Grasby founded their design studio International, shortly after in 2011. Already on the radars of the world’s most revered design blogs like Dezeen and design publications from Britain to Italy to Japan, these two lads scooped Wallpaper*’s esteemed Housekeeping Award this year for Maintenance, a modular cleaning system. We love modular and their latest endeavour really brings out the fun in functional. With a choice of ten different anodised aluminium shades to play with, layering each shade not only alters the aesthetic, but the level and direction of light emitted.
Hand drawn wallpapers from her 2012 collection by Abigail Edwards
With a background in fine arts, Abigail Edwards found her true passion for interiors whilst working as an intern in the galleries of New York. Her career now runs the gamut from interior styling for editorial and commercial clients including the likes of Living Etc, Harrods, and Liberty Furnishings, as well as designing residential interior schemes and creative workspaces. Abigail’s latest string she’s added to her bow is a stunning collection of illustrated wallpapers. I’m in good company with my favourite pick of the collection, Seascape (pictured bottom left), which Tent’s partner, Elle Decoration, has named in their top 10 products of this year’s event.
Commencing today (Thursday 20 September) Tent London runs until Sunday and is located in the Truman Brewery off Brick Lane.
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