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Featuring thousands of leading makers, Paris’s Maison et Objet fair is a global showcase that inspires all areas of design.

Yousef Mansuri, Director of Design at premium bathroom retailer C.P. Hart, visits this year’s event to uncover the five leading design concepts for the year ahead. From new, sought-after shades to travertine tiling, read on for the current trends influencing contemporary interiors.

Peach Fuzz

Pantone’s Colour of the Year, ‘Peach Fuzz’ is a fresh and youthful shade nestled between pink and orange, exuding quiet sophistication with vintage charm.

This versatile hue lends itself to various surfaces across the bathroom, from painted walls to lacquered furniture and glazed tiles. Ideal for brightening dull spaces, Peach Fuzz effortlessly harmonises with a range of colours and tones, including warm neutrals, sage greens, and greys.

Irregular Shapes

Organic, curvy, and free-flowing irregular shapes have come to the fore. Reminiscent of fluid ripples, puddles, lakes, and rivers, these non-geometric shapes and asymmetrical patterns break away from rigid lines and uniformity – a perfect counterbalance to the often-found harsh lines in bathrooms.

This trend celebrates the allure of imperfection, infusing spaces with dynamic movement, excitement, and a playful edge. Mirrors, tables, basins, baths, and rugs, this organic trend is anticipated to cascade further into 2024.

Caramel Latte

Caramel Latte is a soothing amalgamation of neutral tones, with a base of off-white, chalk, and milky cream, complemented by warming accents of beige, brown, honey, and caramel. A calming, peaceful palette, Caramel Latte is at home in both traditional and contemporary settings, emerging as the new ‘modern-day neutral.’

When incorporating Caramel Latte into the bathroom, begin with the softer, lighter hues and introduce accents of toasted caramel – particularly effective with softer shapes. Think lacquered basins and vanity units, tonal soft furnishings, light fittings, and rugs.

Woven Appeal

Texture remains a principal element in modern-day interiors, lending surfaces depth and a tactile quality reminiscent of the natural world.

Artisanal and handcrafted items, shaped from natural fibres through weaving, knotting, and intertwining, are a celebration of traditional craftsmanship and ingenious techniques, seamlessly integrating into contemporary design while embracing sustainability.

Rattan, cane, wicca, and straw – sourced from various palm species in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and Africa – are at the fore of this trend, with designers championing these materials through their choice of lamps, furniture, chairs, tableware, rugs, and art.

Travertine

Travertine, a variation of porous limestone, is formed when mineral-rich water passes through sedimentary rocks, leaving deposits that gradually harden over time. This chemical process gives travertine its distinctive pitted texture and wavy pattern, rendering each piece unique.

Robust and hard-wearing, despite its porous nature, travertine is sought-after in contemporary design, used for tables, worktops, tiles, and bowls. Displaying varying tones and patterns, travertine sings when paired with natural wood and woven accessories.

About C.P. Hart

C.P. Hart are an established bathroom supplier with over 80 years’ experience of specifying and sourcing the world’s most innovative and durable premium bathroom products. A successful Contracts division works for architects, interior designers and builders, often on major commercial property developments and hotels. While a highly qualified in-house design team works with individual and private clients, ensuring that each of these bespoke bathrooms is unique.

If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. 

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Scribble Stone Inspire is a highly-skilled, time-served team specialising in public realm and art projects, producing the highest level of detail and craftsmanship. Working in collaboration with artists, architects and city planners we can create the most unique architectural installations and public realm spaces, using innovative techniques the materials shown below can be manipulated to accentuate the character of each material.

Voice of the City
Voice of the City

Working with Broadbent Studios, we helped create this iconic landmark which sits in the town of Peterborough. The Voice of the City sculpture stands near the site of Henry Penn’s foundry (1685-1729), where bells were cast for Peterborough Cathedral and other churches. In this sculpture, the casting of molten metal into a stone mould represents the unstructured sounds being funnelled into a single note, symbolised further by the Chladni inlayed sound wave patterns.

Voice of the City
Voice of the City

This public realm scheme was constructed with Scoutmoor Yorkstone and Kilkenny limestone. The high performance and technical abilities of these natural stones have made them a valuable material for centuries.

Voice of the City
Voice of the City

Scoutmoor Yorkstone was water-jet cut and inlaid with brass to emulate sound wave-like patterns. To maintain the polished look of the lettering, we sandblasted the plinth and boarders of Kilkenny limestone.

About Scribble Stone Inspire Surfaces

Inspire Surface is a new in-house production that allows us to specialise in bespoke solid surface projects, collaborating with amazing artists to create art installations, exhibitions or interiors. Inspire starts with the concept and design development stage through to manufacturing, installation and completion. We combine traditional stonemasonry skills and expert carving with modern design technology and innovative engineering ensuring we create the best quality for our clients.

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Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited British luxury electrical accessories manufacturer Focus SB on Wednesday 22nd November 2023 where she formally presented the managing director Gary Stevens with The King’s Award for Enterprise crystal trophy for the company’s achievement in the international trade category.

Credit: Alex Lloyd, Zoom Photography Ltd

The Princess Royal arrived at Focus SB’s main factory in St Leonards on Sea on 22nd November and was welcomed by Mr Graham Peters, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex who presented her to distinguished guests Mr Richard Bickersteth, High Sheriff of East Sussex; Councillor Peter Pragnell, Chairman of East Sussex County Council and Councillor Margi O’Callaghan, Mayor of Hastings before Mr Gary Stevens MD welcomed Her Royal Highness and invited her into the building where he presented The Princess Royal to some of Focus SB’s senior management team: Mr Roger Kemp, recently retired company chairman and owner; guest Mrs Suzi Baker, PR and social media consultant; Mr Mark Curtis, technical manager; Mr Duncan Ray, head of strategic partnerships; guest Mrs Andrea Randall-Smith, CEO of Little Gate Supported Employment and Mr Chris Turner, general manager Focus SB.

Credit: Alex Lloyd, Zoom Photography Ltd

The Princess Royal was then invited on a tour of the factory by Mr Chris Turner, flanked by Mr Gary Stevens, during which she was given electrical accessories product manufacturing process demonstrations by each departmental group, introduced by Mrs Jo Cloute, HR and customer aftercare manager; Mrs Val Chandler, assembly manager; Mr Andrew Lanworn, finance manager and company secretary; Mr Steve Moss, sales and marketing Manager; Mr Rob Little, operations support manager and Mrs Terri Hoey, sales office manager. Demonstrations included both traditional and robot technology, hand finishing including spray painting and component hand assembly. Her Royal Highness greeted employees from each department, including apprentices and trainees from Little Gate Supported Employment, after which she proceeded to one end of the factory where all staff were assembled for a formal presentation of the King’s Award for Enterprise trophy to Mr Gary Stevens introduced by Mr Andrew Blackman, Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex.

Credit: Alex Lloyd, Zoom Photography Ltd

The Lord-Lieutenant welcomed the attending guests and invited The Princess Royal to give a short speech of congratulations and present The King’s Award for Enterprise engraved crystal winner trophy to Mr Gary Stevens, who accepted the award on behalf of Focus SB, giving a short speech of thanks. He then invited Mrs Terri Hoey, sales office manager, to present Her Royal Highness with gifts comprising a Sussex Trug containing a beautiful floral arrangement of locally grown flowers from Sussex Cutting Garden, part of the Flowers from the Farm organisation which champions British flowers (growers in the group supplied cut flowers to the florist chosen for The King’s coronation) presented with honey from a beehive sponsored by Focus SB at SW Honey Farms and a wreath of flowers grown and handmade by the trainees at Little Gate Farm. Sussex Cutting Garden also provided an attractive floral arrangement to decorate the company’s reception area for the occasion.

Credit: Alex Lloyd, Zoom Photography Ltd

Gary Stevens then invited The Princess Royal back to Focus SB’s reception to unveil a commemorative plaque manufactured in-house by the company to mark her visit. Design industry guests joining Focus SB to share in this prestigious moment for the company included Mr Grant Pierrus, Interior Style Hunter and Mrs Sophie Harper, Editor Hospitality Interiors magazine who delighted in joining Mr Stevens and Focus SB employees in celebrating this very special occasion.

Credit: Alex Lloyd, Zoom Photography Ltd

Mr Stevens commented: “It was an absolute honour to host HRH The Princess Royal at our factory in Hastings yesterday and to receive our King’s Award from her. I think she spoke to virtually every member of staff and was very knowledgeable. What a year for Focus SB and me personally, getting to meet The King, a Princess and a Duchess!”

Credit: Alex Lloyd, Zoom Photography Ltd

Gary Stevens continues: “We were delighted to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to Focus SB to present us with our King’s Awards for Enterprise for International Trade trophy in person. This visit rounds off one of the most exciting years in the company’s history.”

Credit: Alex Lloyd, Zoom Photography Ltd

“It’s a huge honour for an SME based in Hastings to have the recognition of The King’s Awards, one of the most prestigious awards a company can be bestowed, but in addition to that, meeting The King at Buckingham Palace and then to have a visit from The Princess Royal is a huge boost and reward for every single employee at Focus SB, without whom, none of this would have been possible. I have been in manufacturing of electrical products all of my career and I started off as a 16-year-old technical apprentice and have worked my way through various businesses from technical to marketing, sales and general management and I have been an MD of two manufacturing companies, including currently with Focus SB.”

Credit: Alex Lloyd, Zoom Photography Ltd

Mr Stevens concludes: “I am passionate about manufacturing and introducing more young people into manufacturing and encouraging them to take up apprenticeships, I would like to think that we are doing our bit here at Focus SB by working with local educational establishments, employment agencies and local charities to fulfil that goal, and that my own journey can act as a beacon for those young people who may be thinking about a career in manufacturing and what can be achieved. After all, manufacturing accounts for 2.6 million jobs in the UK and we are the 8th largest manufacturing country in the world!”

About Focus SB

Established for over 40 years in East Sussex, Focus SB’s award winning in-house manufacturing and metal finishing expertise presents designers with a comprehensive collection of switches, sockets and components complemented by bespoke project services. Quality faceplate styles made from the finest solid brass and durable stainless steel offer striking solutions for high-end hospitality, prime residential, heritage and commercial interiors. Working closely with design consultants, control system companies and fire and security specialists, Focus SB’s unrivalled ability to match metal finishes across its collection, coupled with custom finish options, sees the company’s products specified for world class projects internationally.

If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. 

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Global surface manufacturer Cosentino opens the doors of its new London City Centre showroom at 1 Hatton Gardens.

Cosentino

A dynamic space for designers and architects to meet, be inspired and create, the new City Centre boasts three floors and over 420 sqm of design inspiration. London’s newest creative hub for co-working, exchanging ideas and inspiring events that connect likeminded industry professionals, visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the area’s luxury design legacy.

Cosentino

An iconic address seeped in history, Cosentino City London is the perfect setting to showcase the impressive portfolio of materials from its brands Silestone, Dekton and Sensa.

Cosentino

A showroom designed to inspire, it is equipped with a fully working Atelier Lab that exists to serve architects and designers, helping specifiers with interior and exterior projects. A place of learning, the Cosentino team will be on hand to help educate on the different materials available for a vast array of applications for every project, including countertops, flooring, cladding, furniture and facades.

Cosentino
Cosentino

With a fully stocked sample library, interactive digital display boards and desk or meeting spaces for hire, teams can touch, experiment and experience the beauty of Cosentino firsthand, seeing projects come to life before their eyes.

Cosentino

Cosentino City London will also be the brand’s UK event hub. An impressive schedule of events is in place including exhibitions, roundtables, supper clubs, CPDs, industry parties and more.

Click here for more information or to book an appointment.

About Cosentino

Cosentino Group is a global, Spanish, family-owned company that produces and distributes high value innovative surfaces for the world of design and architecture. It works together with its clients and partners to provide with solutions that offer design and value, and inspire the life of many people. This objective is possible thanks to pioneering and leading brands in their respective segments such as Silestone®, Dekton® or Sensa by Cosentino®. Technologically advanced surfaces that allow the creation of unique environments and designs for the home and public spaces.

If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. 

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Alongside functionality and performance, attention to made-in-Italy design is one of Technogym’s constitutive values as a brand, which succeeded in incorporating it into the wellness & fitness sector.

Technogym stands out as the only brand of the international sport & fitness world that is also an integral part in the design industry. A story that goes back a long way: in 1986 – in a sector dominated by the body-building stereotype – Nerio Alessandri designed Unica, the first design home fitness product. No other brand in the fitness sector pays this much attention to the aesthetics of its solutions, making it a defining feature alongside performance, technology, innovation and functionality.

Bike Personal Blue

Over the years, Technogym has been a recurring participant in international design events, and been deemed worthy of a long list of international design awards, including 3 Compasso d’Oro Awards, 19 ADI Awards, 14 Red Dot Design Awards, 3 International Design Excellence Awards, 6 iF Awards, 11 Good Design Awards, 2 German Design Awards, 1 German Innovation Award.

Philippines, Design Studio Co. Calatagan Gym Villa, Photography: Ed Simon

The firm actively collaborates with world-renowned architects and designers, with a notable partnership with international starchitect Antonio Citterio, who designed the Technogym Village over 20 years ago, as well as the Personal Line.

Italy, Giammetta Architects, Perugia House, Photography: Luigi Filetici

The Technogym Village evolved from the entrepreneurial vision of Nerio and Pierluigi Alessandri and the design of ACPV ARCHITECTS – the architecture and interior design studio that works internationally across industries – founded by Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel in 2000.

Gym in a Box - Malibu 1

The complex covers an area of over 150,000 m2, of which 60,000 indoors, in a place where innovation, sustainability, quality, design and productivity are brought together. The mark of ACPV ARCHITECTS on the Technogym Village is clear in the modernity of the working and communal spaces and in their management, in the external contours of the production facility and offices, in the choice of furnishings, in the use of glass and light, as well as in the attention to detail given to the 90,000 m2 of park.

Technogym

Personal Line solutions are produced using premium materials and exquisite craftsmanship, and are designed not just as home fitness equipment, but also as true works of art. The line includes 6 pieces of equipment – Run Personal, Bike Personal, Recline Personal, Cross Personal, Power Personal and Kinesis Personal – all products designed by Antonio Citterio and characterised by distinctive lines and aesthetics that enhance any space they are installed in.

Technogym

Alessandri and Citterio’s intention was to give the products a visual language that reflects the energy of a modern home. As well as the aesthetics, the architect’s contribution was key to adapting the products to purely domestic spaces, in terms of both the footprint and the choice of materials never used before in fitness (such as high-pressure cast aluminium, oak).

Technogym

Technogym’s design: a cross-cutting approach

With all this in mind, the care put in by the company when it comes to planning the products of all its lines is self-evident. Technogym’s design has two faces: its offer is extremely functional and efficient from the point of view of the technical performance, but it also aims to be the landmark for those looking for sports equipment solutions that are not aesthetically anonymous and impersonal, but beautiful to look at. It’s fundamental for the company’s vision that Technogym proposals and lines serve as a true piece of furniture, both for private individuals and for operators.

Kinesis Personal

The symbiosis between Technogym and design is also expressed and deepened through a series of premium quality services, outlined in the Technogym Interior Design Book; they’re consultancy and personalised assistance services for the design of interiors and wellness spaces. This special focus is available for any kind of project, whether it be home, club, hotel, medical & health, corporate, sports centre & campus solutions. It’s this kind of optional services – thanks to which nothing is left to chance and every detail is taken care of in the best possible way – that has contributed to making Technogym a leading firm and reference point in the global fitness context.

Technogym Village

Once the space has been defined and the layout key points have been established, Technogym offers its full support and shares its specialist expertise: the brand proceeds to the spatial distribution of the selected products, with the aim to integrate even the smallest design details. We’re talking about the optimal lighting not to interfere with the workout and with the product display, the ideal distance between the various pieces so that they can be used comfortably and safely according to their size, the study of traffic flows among the various areas, the interaction between products and air conditioning, the best equipment layout to facilitate training, socialisation and cooling down, the arrangement and concealment of electric cables: everything is aimed at achieving the greatest added value possible.

Technogym Village

Technogym also recommends certain placements based on the product type (cardio lines in front of windows or mirrors and not far from the entrance), and their technical specifications (strength lines aligned along the perimeter of the room according to their weight stack). The goal is also to propose a solution in which Technogym products fit into the environment in a harmonious, innovative and non-stereotypical way, just as Technogym’s offer is not unoriginal when it comes to the design of individual products.

Technogym Village

Technogym, a pioneer in fitness innovation, seamlessly blends performance and Italian design. From groundbreaking products to international recognition, the brand’s commitment to both aesthetics and functionality is evident. Collaborations with top architects and the iconic Technogym Village underscore its leadership in global fitness, offering a unique blend of style and performance.

About Technogym

Technogym’s globally renowned products are perfect for both home and commercial gyms. They strive to create gym equipment and accessories that are not only professional and sleek but also adapt easily to every surrounding space. For more than 40 years Technogym have been helping people live healthier and happier lives with a range of products that are exceptional in both function and aesthetics. With modular collections, they offer the ultimate wellness experience anytime, anywhere, at home, in the gym, in the office, or in a hotel.

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Earlier this year Ella Doran Design partnered with London South Bank University to run a small participatory piece of research named Shadescape, looking at a circular economy for textile-based shading products with a focus on the local economy.

I have been asking the question of how my company Ella Doran Design Ltd could close the loop and gain more transparency through our supply chains and communicate end-of-life or ‘next life’ with our customer base, for our shading products. Deborah Andrews has been my mentor on several applications to support this research. Below is an outline of what we have achieved so far, thanks to LSBU’s support through an External Participatory and Collaborative grant.

We spoke and/or worked with ‘actors’ throughout the product life cycle, from traders of the base cloth to the printers and recyclers, re-makers, and consumers. The project itself also involved re-making workshops where participants learned to repair and or repurpose waste shading textiles, empowering them to contribute to solutions that sustain materials and keep them in use demonstrating a circular economy in action.

You can read the call to action that we sent to our customer base here.

London South Bank University supported the conduction and management of the research, the workshops, and the publishing of the report. Deborah Andrews particularly was the academic eye during the whole time guiding and mentoring the process with her experience and past related studies. Essential was the collaboration with my company and Yodomo who contributed with their community engagement and making space in Hackney Wick for the public re-making workshops.

We also had full support from Hackney Council which promoted Shadescape at their Summer 2023 Sustainability Day where Sophie of Yodomo and I ran cushion-making workshops using remnant and pre-used textiles with the local community.

This research and the project pilot touched every point mapped on the journey around Circular Economy for textiles in the Shading Product Industry. The research was structured to better understand the common practices of the industry and the behaviours of consumers. Unfortunately, the industry participation was scarce, nevertheless, the three interviewed experts gave precious insights that will inform further investigations. In the future, engaging more suppliers, manufacturers, and waste management companies will be extremely important to tightly close the loop of this discourse. Talking with a couple of my suppliers, it emerged that they live in a stationary condition and are unable to drive the change, due to their scale especially as they are not the actual ‘producers of the raw textile’. Also, the recycler we spoke with confirmed that traders as well as consumers do not have alternatives to landfill when it comes to disposing of shading textiles, and institutions do not seem to put systems in place for that. Textile waste collectors, re-purpose hubs, and recycling plants are still too rare.

An additional survey regarding housing may help identify new opportunities for further studies and implement the holistic approach carried out so far. This research also demonstrated that blinds and curtains are valued after their use, and that circular approaches like this pilot have foundations to be built on. Public engagement is clearly evident, and not to be underestimated but rather leveraged. The Shadescape project and survey demonstrated that people have a sincere interest in contributing to research and are eager to acquire skills to play their part in the circular economy. They also committed to donating fabrics and repurposing them during workshops where sustainability values and actions were shared. In turn, the participants felt empowered, confident, and able to continue repurposing fabrics in the future. Finally, this study generated an ecosystem by connecting different elements together adopting a systemic approach. It highlights the preconditions for a localised circular economy where shading textiles are collected from pre-and post-consumer waste streams to be regenerated into new products by and for skilled communities.

This can help not only Hackney but also other councils to meet their sustainability targets. To achieve a stronger, lasting, broader, and demonstrable impact, the study needs to expand and build on the foundations of this pilot. Here, environmental and social benefits start to be explored by offering a way to reduce the need for new resources, mitigating the textile production impact on land and by teaching people new skills while developing a sense of responsibility and control towards waste. However, to determine a more accurate social impact the study needs to be extended to a larger and more diverse audience. Moreover, some points are still necessary to generate a Circular Economy Template/Actions Guidelines and to further engage experts of the shading products industry, as well as citizens.

This text has been adapted from the report and conclusions of our first research project with London South Bank University.

This recent Guardian article clarifies the issue further with the dumping of textiles in Chile’s Atacama desert to a beach in Accra, Ghana, but it also sheds light on an exciting innovation with Renewcell which can and will begin to change some of this discourse through recycling used clothes, but there is still much work to be done!

For those of you still curious I learned about Renewcell via watching the World Circular Textile Day held at The Conduit the afternoon session can be watched here if you are interested. A wider question, one that was raised at this event, and one I have been grappling with in my own business for some years now, is Jason Hickel’s book and provocation of LESS is MORE… How can we manage this transition in essentially making ‘less’ whilst retaining a healthy system?

He neatly points out that “… It’s not growth that’s the problem, it’s growthism: the pursuit of growth for its own sake or for the sake of capital accumulation”

He also said “….once we are liberated from the growth imperative we will be free to focus on different kinds of innovations – innovations designed to improve human and ecological welfare, rather than innovations designed to speed up the rate of extraction and production.”

A statement that I and all at Shadescape wholeheartedly agree and believe we are advocating through the participatory work with Yodomo to empower and inspire creative solutions to shading products.

About Ella Doran Design

We specialise in uniquely designed (printed or woven) made-to-measure window dressing, from roller to roman blinds, voiles and curtains. We work across residential, and healthcare settings, and welcome both large and small scale projects. Our company owner Ella Doran has been advocating and educating about the circular economy for well over a decade. With sensitivity to the complex relations between cause and effect in product design, Ella seeks projects that draw on innovative technologies to help push the industry towards a carbon neutral economy. We’d love you to follow us on our journey as we continue to develop new systems in collaboration with our suppliers, to support the circular economy and drive down our carbon emissions.

If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. 

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What does designing a retail space in the modern era look like? Online shopping is at an all-time high, so how do you offer your customers the convenience they’ve come to expect with the human connection they so desperately crave?

The answer is balance.

And such balance is something being carefully created by the folks at River Island, a storied fashion brand that’s been delivering elevated looks to the streets of Britain for over half a century.

Vectorworks

Innovative Technologies, Improved Customer Experience

With roots on the prestigious Kings Road of London, River Island now has over 250 locations across the UK, and in addition to trending fashions, River Island also has its hand in trending technologies.

River Island’s solution to creating exciting in-person shopping experiences comes in the form of River Studios. This concept “introduces a modernised take on the retailer’s brand while paying homage to its craftsmanship and family business culture,” per Retail Focus.

The most interesting aspect of River Island is “Chloe,” an AI styling system that personalises customers’ shopping experience. The clothing found in River Studios will feature washable tags that will register with Chloe through mounted touch screens throughout the retail space and changing rooms, helping shoppers find more of what they love.

Additionally, a Digital Click and Collect point using Chloe’s computer systems creates a faster way for customers to find the exact pieces of clothing they’re looking for.

This technology, blended with the advantages of in-person shopping — being able to try on clothes, seeing fabrics in person, and participating in a curated space — will create a new feel for the brand’s retail locations.

“Retail is at its best when it’s evolving and adapting to best suit the needs of shoppers, and we’re no different. River Studios delivers a modern, seamless experience fit for the high street of today,” Will Kernan, River Island CEO, told Retail Focus.

Vectorworks

Creating the Retail Spaces of the Future with Vectorworks Architect

Technology-focused storefronts for the River Island brand will be designed by Hannah Boulter using Vectorworks Architect. Boulter has long leaned on Vectorworks Architect to aid in her design work for River Island, mainly using 2D drawings to plan out new stores and renovations to existing stores, in addition to adding the Chloe system and changing room touch screens.

But as the company pushes to improve its retail offerings, she’s also looking to improve how she uses the software. Boulter is now working with Kesoon Chance, Vectorworks senior industry specialist – interiors, to use Vectorworks’ data-centric features for a more automated design process.

With tools like custom record formats, data tags, and reports, Boulter will be able to streamline how she designs in Vectorworks, just like how River Island is improving the shopping experience for their customers.

“Kesoon and I went over things like our merchandise fixtures around the store,” said Boulter, “and each fixture has a typical number of arms. Before, we’d send the design to our manufacturer, and they’d go around and have to count all the fixtures by hand. There’s so much room for human error.”

Now, Boulter and her River Island team have a formula that quickly calculates the number of arms for each merchandise fixture and automatically tabulates them into a table to share with manufacturers.

To learn more about how to use data management features in Vectorworks Architect, click here.

Vectorworks

Learn More About Designing Influential Retail Spaces

Want to design modern, engaging retail spaces like River Island’s? Look no further than this webinar, “Data-Driven 3D Modelling for Interiors.”

In this presentation — inspired by an elegant retail interiors project located in Tokyo by designers Mana & Takashi Kobayashi, IMA Inc. — Luis M. Ruiz, interior associate AIA, will discuss how you can increase your efficiency and win more work with an integrated data-driven 3D modelling process.

Your workflow is no longer just about providing 2D drawings and details; great visualisations and smart take-offs can all be a part of your design process. BIM for interiors is a more thoughtful way to design, organise, and face today’s challenges in the industry.

Click here to watch the webinar for free.

About Vectorworks

Exceptional design demands exceptional tools – a platform built to deliver absolute creative expression and maximum efficiency. Vectorworks believe your design software should offer the freedom to follow your imagination wherever it may lead you, to seamlessly share your vision at any phase, and to easily interpret the information needed to make the smartest decisions every time.

If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. 

If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.

Premium bathroom retailer C.P. Hart launch their new Design Consultation Service for Interior designers.

This free-of-charge service guide Interior Designers through the technical complexities of creating a bathroom – a collaborative partnership that aims to ease the project whilst granting access to C.P. Hart’s extensive product portfolio.

The Design Consultation Service offers technical bathroom expertise, product knowledge, and samples for projects of all sizes.

C.P. Hart
C.P. Hart

Technical Expertise

Designing a bathroom that is both visually appealing and highly functional can be a complex technical process, as you well know. That’s why C.P. Hart has created a peer-to-peer Design Consultation Service, harnessing the industry’s most knowledgeable talent to guide Interior Designers on bathroom projects of all kinds, styles, and sizes.

C.P. Harts professionally qualified Interior Design team are available to assist with product specifications, finishes, samples, moodboards, and DWG files for client presentations.

Backed by C.P. Hart’s successful trading history of 85 years, their industry reputation grants them access to the world’s leading and most sought-after manufacturers. As such, they specify only the highest quality bathroom products, many of which are only available from C.P. Hart.

C.P. Hart
C.P. Hart

What’s Included?

• A showroom consultation with you and/or your client
• Expertise in specifying bathroom fittings and finishes to suit your project(s)
• Assistance with tile and finish samples
• Moodboards and product specifications
• DWG files for C.P. Hart’s expansive product range

Please note: C.P. Hart’s Design Consultation is free for Interior Designers

To register your interest, please speak with C.P. Hart’s expert team here, briefly outlining your project with any key dates.

You can also browse C.P. Hart’s latest residential, commercial, and hotel design projects here. These case studies showcase C.P. Hart’s breadth of classical and contemporary bathroom products in stunning settings – an inspiration for beautiful bathroom design.

About C.P. Hart

C.P. Hart are an established bathroom supplier with over 80 years’ experience of specifying and sourcing the world’s most innovative and durable premium bathroom products. A successful Contracts division works for architects, interior designers and builders, often on major commercial property developments and hotels. While a highly qualified in-house design team works with individual and private clients, ensuring that each of these bespoke bathrooms is unique.

If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. 

If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.

Allect Design Group, and its studios, Rigby and Rigby, Helen Green Design and Lawson Robb, is very proud to be the first interior design and architect studio in the world to receive the Butterfly Mark with Positive Luxury for global recognition of our high standards of environmental, social and governance criteria.

The Butterfly Mark represents a harmonious convergence of luxury and sustainability, two pillars that define our Studios ethos.

Over the past year we have embarked on an incredible and intense journey to scrutinise, appraise, develop, and change the minutiae of our practises so that we may make a positive impact on people and nature. How are we doing this?

ALLECT - Positive Luxury

Environment:
We are building a complex dataset which identifies resources, materials, supplier certifications and accreditations that enable our designers and clients full transparency to facilitate informed decisions and responsible specifications.

Careful selection of materials is crucial and one of the biggest influences we can have over responsible design. With every specification we have the potential to choose better and our sustainable sourcing policies will play a pivotal role in delivering products and projects which will not only push the boundaries of innovation and excellence but are making a positive impact on the world. Considering fit for purpose, quality, longevity, and circularity in our design solutions.

ALLECT - Positive Luxury

We are also monitoring our carbon footprint and look to reduce this year on year, with the target of being net zero by 2040.

On an immediate and more local level, all our company events, internal and external are climate positive. Offsetting all carbon emissions in conjunction with Earthly. We have improved our office garden, harvesting and re-using rainwater and providing sanctuary for the insects and bees. It’s also somewhere the team can utilise for breaks, meetings and is essential for wellbeing.

ALLECT - Positive Luxury

Social:
At Allect International Design Group, we believe in giving back to society and fostering a culture of empathy and compassion.

Our studio is proud to support multiple charities and non-profit organizations and our charitable giving programme is designed to support a wide range of causes including education, health and wellness, poverty alleviation and environmental protection.

ALLECT - Positive Luxury

We value community engagement and actively encourage all employees to participate in volunteer days with the support of a paid annual leave day. Creating opportunities for individuals to suggest charities that hold personal significance, Allect organises fundraising events so we may contribute on a more meaningful and personal level. Sharing stories between the teams and creating deeper connections building empathy, support and understanding.

We also have a Wellness scheme available to all employees and an online academy with many resources available to support our teams physical and mental wellbeing.

ALLECT - Positive Luxury

Governance:
It’s fundamental as part of the above practises that we offer full transparency on our journey and goals. Positive Luxury’s assessment is rigorous, independent, and in line with international standards and best practice.

The interactive butterfly logo from Positive Luxury is an easily accessible digital brand passport that allows us to share our progress to date. You can explore how we perform in areas such as climate, nature and water, how we treat workers and interact with communities, as well as how responsibly and ethically we run the business. It shows exactly what we scored in the assessment.

Our sustainable journey is an ongoing transition for Allect, embedding the changemaker mindset, adaptation planning and skills into our organisation. We are continuing to progress post- certification to demonstrate to our clients, suppliers, shareholders, and community that sustainability is a key driver of our business and our lives- which we promote and advocate in all our services.

About Allect Design Group

The Allect Design Group comprises brands that represent a crucial attribute – excellence in their respective fields. The family-run collective includes architecture, interior design and product design. They oversee the creative development of all their brands, whilst maintaining their individual identity, heritage and expertise.

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Opening in the heart of Clerkenwell’s design quarter during Design Week 2022, RAK Ceramics is launching their inaugural Design Hub – a go-to destination for designers, architects and developers looking to explore the possibilities of choosing RAK Ceramics products for their projects.

The Design hub will feature the first UK display of a brand-new collaboration with renowned fashion designer Elie Saab which will feature a range of edits from the Elie Saab Maison collection.

To mark the opening several renowned European designers will provide their Design Insight in a series of inspirational talks and seminars during Clerkenwell Design Week.

These include Giuseppe Scutella, who collaborated with RAK Ceramics on its luxurious RAK-Cloud and RAK-Petit collections and Federico Sandri, one half of the design duo behind the beautiful RAK-Variant collection. Guests at the Design Hub opening events can also hear from Patrick Norguet, on the thinking behind the RAK-Valet sanitaryware range.

Tours of the Design Hub will take place during the launch party on Tuesday 24 May, with guests invited to enjoy a cocktail and evening entertainment to mark the opening ceremony.

For a full list of events and to book visit the Clerkenwell Design Week website.

About RAK Ceramics

RAK Ceramics is one of the largest ceramics’ brands in the world. Specialising in ceramic and grès porcelain wall and floor tiles, tableware, sanitaryware and faucets, the company has the capacity to produce 123 million square metres of tiles, 5 million pieces of sanitaryware, 24 million pieces of porcelain tableware and 1 million pieces of faucets per year at its 22 state-of-the-art plants across the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, RAK Ceramics serves clients in more than 150 countries through its network of operational hubs in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Asia, North and South America and Australia.

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