Safety has always played an essential role in our design choices, but this is particularly true at the present time, driven by a genuine revolution in the way we organise our living spaces around post-pandemic lifestyles. This transformation has obliged us, starting from the design phase, to contemplate new hygiene measures that enable us to enjoy our living and working spaces in total freedom and safety.
SBID Accredited Industry Partner, RAK Ceramics, an international player renowned for its products and complete systems in porcelain and ceramic for floor and surface coverings, sanitaryware and bathroom fittings, has now launched RAK-Sanit, the company’s own health and safety revolution.
The research and development laboratories of RAK Ceramics are always at the forefront of technology and were the first in the world to supply antibacterial interior design solutions as early as 2009, thanks to the development of special certified antibacterial glazes.
Today, with the new RAK-Sanit programme, RAK Ceramics offers an even wider range of solutions for floors, surfaces and sanitary fittings, produced with glazes that reduce the possibility of contagion and therefore contribute to creating safer environments, both in residential and commercial projects.
RAK-Sanit is the ideal solution for domestic dwellings, modern and safer schools, public and private offices, restaurants, hotels, laboratories and, indeed, all those premises in which hygiene is of primary importance. All those places generally described as “community spaces”, in which numerous people of different ages, genders and cultures make random encounters. Inside, toilet facilities destined for use by all and sundry are increasingly in need of strong, antibacterial elements with a long product life.
The RAK-Sanit bactericide action is permanent, guaranteeing built-in protection throughout the entire expected product lifetime, thanks to its constant action against microbial colonisation; this technology, which has proved its capacity to reduce or eliminate the quantity of bacteria up to 99.99%, including MRSA, E. Coli, Salmonella and Legionella, actively prevents the growth of microorganisms 24 hours a day.
In more detail, the RAK-Sanit programme comprises:
Solutions for floor and wall coverings in gres porcelain and ceramic, treated with an incorporated glaze that is 99.9% effective in just 8 hours. The products for floor and wall covering solutions are tested and certified* in compliance with the Japanese Standard JIS - 2801:2000 and the International Standard ISO 27447:2019.
Solutions for sanitaryware (WC, bidets, washbasins, toilet seats and lids, rinsing systems) treated with RAK-ProTeK glaze fired at high temperatures onto the ceramic to guarantee a smoother antibacterial surface, unlike standard ceramic material with its rougher surface.
The silver ions bind to the cells: once inside, silver denatures the enzymes essential to the production of energy. Being unable to produce energy, the bacteria are unable to reproduce. This technology is therefore able to reduce or eliminate the quantity of bacteria up to 99.99% and its action is effective against a vast range of gram positive and gram negative bacteria, as well as fungi. RAK-ProTeK glaze has been tested by the Artest laboratory in the Italian ceramic district of Modena.
*Certified effectiveness
RAK-Sanit tiles are tested by CERFRIT Laboratory – USA, according to the Japanese Standard JIS Z 2801:2000. This Standard specifies the testing methods to evaluate antibacterial activity and efficacy on bacteria on the surface of the products.
RAK-Sanit tiles are tested by METS Laboratory – UAE, according to the International Standard ISO 27447:2019. This Standard specifies the test method for antibacterial activity of semiconducting photocatalytic materials.
Test method for the determination of the antibacterial activity of materials that contain a photocatalyst or have photocatalytic films on the surface, by measuring the enumeration of bacteria under irradiation of ultraviolet light.
If you'd like to become SBID Accredited, click here to find out more.
Designing a home specifically with entertainment in mind requires a completely different approach and introduces another layer of consideration for the end-user and end result. Some people love elegant cocktail parties, others like a cozy space that exudes comfort. If you are a homeowner who loves entertaining and you’re about to remodel your home, you will have the perfect opportunity to really incorporate everything you need to make the space more enjoyable for yourself and your guests.
Founder of Katie Malik Interiors shares some of her tips and tricks to consider to make your home design more equipped for guests and gatherings!
The kitchen. The open plan nature of modern kitchens means that having guests, family and friends round for get-togethers has become a prime function of the space and is top of the list of requirements in most briefs. It’s important to balance the essential elements and day-to-day needs of a family kitchen with the desire to entertain. Regardless of the kitchen size, the key to making it work for entertaining is to consider how people will move around it. As well as thinking about where and how you’ll be cooking, you need to plan where to serve food and if you want your guests to gather around a breakfast bar, sit at a table or make use of more casual seating.The open floor plan trend means a kitchen space often also includes a comfortable seating area and fireplace as well.
Flexibility is the single biggest thing that an entertainment-friendly home should have. The multi-use trend extends outside as well. Outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly popular, in part because they serve to keep guests and hosts together. There are other, less structurally invasive ways of making a home ready for entertainment. Music is one way to bring energy to a party and to tie several different spaces together, so investing in a sound system that connects rooms inside and outside is a great idea. Also, introducing both direct and indirect lighting with dimmers can help achieve a multitude of desired 'atmospheric' effects to set different moods, inside and outside.
If you’re entertaining, especially frequently, it’s important to have ample space to store items, such as platters and serving ware (either in a separate room, a pantry or a sideboard), but also provide some storage for your guests, even if they’re staying with you just for a night or two.
You can also make small changes that will make a big difference to how welcome your guests will feel in your home; think about providing a set of fresh guest towels or ways to fragrance your home that’s not too overpowering!
About the Author
Katie Malik, founder & creative director of Katie Malik Interiors built her career in residential interior design, assisting on projects in New York, Chicago and London before setting up her practice in 2014. Inspired by colours, the interplay between symmetry and asymmetry and wellbeing, Katie’s aim is to bring authenticity to each project.
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features an office design and members club. 2019 SBID Awards Finalists Squire & Partners designed this first social workspace and private members’ club by Ministry of Sound as the antithesis to a nightclub environment. Housed in a former Victorian printworks in London, light-filled flexible workspaces for 850 people are as suited to morning coffee and lunch meetings as evening networking and social events. A concept of ‘premium raw’ was established, with stripped back raw elements of the existing building contrasted with a layer of premium finish including refined furniture, artwork and lighting. The bold aesthetic delivers a distinctive and desirable offer for different sized organisations and pushes the boundaries of current workplace culture. Combining the creative and social aspects of a members’ club with dynamic workspace for those in music, film, arts, fashion and technology sectors, the aim was not just to offer a place to do business, but to provide an environment for a convivial and creative way of life.
SBID Awards: Office Design sponsored by KI Europe
Company: Squire and Partners
Project: The Ministry
Location: London, United Kingdom
Image credits: James Jones
What was the client's brief?
Ministry of Sound’s brief pushed the boundaries of current workplace culture, referencing film, art, fashion and music, and sought to create a bold aesthetic that would allow them to deliver a distinctive and desirable offer for The Ministry’s members. The space needed to adapt for an evolving series of uses over the course of a day – from working breakfasts through to social evenings – and be capable of increasing its tempo in all senses as the week progresses. Ministry of Sound required an original response that would distill the raw ingredients of its brand and extract the DNA from the historic industrial building to develop a vision that would be completely authentic to both and create something unique.
What inspired the interior design of the project?
Combining the creative, social and networking aspects of a members’ club with dynamic workspace for up to 850 people, the aim was not just to offer a place to do business but provide an environment for a convivial and creative way of life. The design concept stays true to the origins of the mother brand by retaining the bold, raw elements of the former print works and contrasting this with a layer of refined furniture, lighting and artworks to establish a ‘premium raw’ aesthetic – a stripped-back simplicity with a high-quality finish. This established a highly creative and energetic environment that transforms throughout the day and has the ability to shift tempo through the week and evolve between seasons. This concept underpinned every creative decision, from the furniture and fabrics to the branding, uniforms, fragrance and art.
What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?
Our challenge was to create an aesthetic style for the new brand that was different from the clichés of shared workspaces and members’ clubs and create a link back to the Ministry of Sound's mother brand in a more fundamental way than displaying logos everywhere. The first thing we did was go back through the brand’s creative archive and select key characteristics that ran through its best work – we then used these as the building blocks for The Ministry, and in doing so we effectively remixed Ministry of Sound for a new industry.
What was your team’s highlight of the project?
Highlights include the unexpected tequila bar outside the washrooms and the bespoke Polish ‘pajaki’ chandelier hanging above it, handmade by Karolina Merska using the same intensely coloured polymer cord as the suspended daybeds by Patricia Urquiola from Moroso that the hanging sculptures are paired with. What also stands out is the appreciation of light, smell and sound, where we carried the design aesthetic through to all of the senses using a carefully crafted layer of visual stimulus, house scents and curated soundscapes by sound architect Tom Middleton. These moments, along with guest services create a holistic experience for members and visitors.
Why did you enter the SBID Awards?
The awards celebrate international design excellence and so the chance for new work to be showcased internationally and recognised by our peers is rewarding for the whole team.
Questions answered by Maria Cheung, Director of Interior Design at Squire & Partners
We hope you feel inspired by this week's design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
If you missed last week's Project of the Week, featuring a Bejing Hotel, click here to see more.
This month we're serving up the stylish interior inspirations from the SBID Awards 2019 finalists in the Show Flats & Developments category; from trendy residential apartments in the city to contemporary luxury villas abroad. As we look to upgrade tired interiors now we're spending so much more time at home, browse through these interior designs for award-worthy styling ideas.
Angel O'Donnell - Poland Street
19-20 Poland Street is a stunningly curated, warehouse-style development in the heart of Soho. The lovingly restored building is host to nine exceptional apartments on the upper floors and a ground floor restaurant. The design of the building created reams of light and heavenly rooftop terraces, together with revealing the original steel frame, exposed brickwork and stunning Crittall windows and doors for the ultimate New York-style loft living in the heart of London’s West End. Angel O’Donnell crafted a sensational show suite that reflected the building’s location and character. By maximising space, using bold colours and textures, the scheme delivered a wonderfully curious home, coupled with a tailored choice of books and objets, to create an end result that reflects the very epitome of life in Soho.
Beijing Serendipper Space Design - Royal Palace Xia Die
Royal Palace Xia Die is another demonstration of the designer's continuous concept of ecological protection as the whole design respects nature. By introducing the colour forest green and using colourful furniture as well as delicate artworks, the designer creates a breathing green garden that conducts a dialogue with nature. The whole design expresses a life attitude of ecological protection and reveals the pursuit of an ideal natural lifestyle.
The space features a Chinese and Western kitchen, an oriental-style tea room, and a delicate and elaborate fragrance-blending room, together they form a comfortable and flowing space, while at the same time depicting the pursuit of a high quality of life. Artwork adds intrigue to the space to provoke deep thinking and the exploration of lifestyles of the urban elite.
DA GROUP - Jingrui Providence Place Model Villa
DA Group was invited to design a model villa of the residential development Providence Place by Jingrui Real Estate Group. Situated in Ningbo, China, the project combines both functionality and aesthetics to present quality living. The designers applied minimalism to the interior design and created a dynamic and diversified spatial effect. The unique duplex space brings more privacy. With a modern and minimalist style, every inch of the space was fully utilised and optimised.
Elicyon - Chiltern Place Apartment
This unique and eclectic show apartment, located in one of London’s most prestigious postcodes, was created by Elicyon. A fresh, warm base palette is complemented with nude and blush tones, enhanced by bold patterns and bright accents of aqua, sky blue, peach and raspberry. A characterful collection of artwork and antiques, carefully selected by the Elicyon team and sourced from an array of antique fairs and galleries, elevates the scheme of the apartment.
Layered textures and finishes throughout the space, lend the apartment a distinctive look that’s enriched with personality, which is further complemented by wild and rustic floral arrangements that bring freshness and femininity to the scheme. Bespoke and made-to-order pieces were designed to maximise the space in the property and enabled the team to be explorative with interesting pattern and fabric that perfectly complemented the style of the home.
HONKY DESIGN - Petite Route de Campagne
HONKY DESIGN created a luxury, yet relaxed design aesthetic by introducing a mix of pared back, minimal furniture with bold art and textures. Combining a blend of soft textures, natural materials and bespoke elements created a refined feeling of luxury that is still family friendly.
Jeffrey Beers International - 108 Leonard
108 Leonard is an elegant landmarked condominium conversion located in Tribeca. Originally constructed in 1894, the McKim, Mead & White architectural masterpiece will house more than 150 condominium residences within the Italian Renaissance revival-style exterior, which was meticulously restored to its original glory. The ornamental majesty offers dramatic details of scale, proportion and volume paired with contemporary design by award-winning hospitality design firm Jeffrey Beers International.
World-renowned SLCE Architects was enlisted as the architect of record for the beloved landmark, which pays homage to a gilded bygone era. On the inside, JBI has designed a bright canvas of modern restraint, ready to adapt to homeowners’ individual lifestyles. Soaring ceiling heights ranging from approximately 10 feet to more than 14 feet, architectural windows and five-inch wide oak floors bring authentic European glamour to organically flowing layouts.
Rigby & Rigby - Project WC2B 130
Rigby & Rigby had the opportunity to develop and drive a full-scale revision of two contemporary residential apartments, one lateral and one duplex penthouse in the central thoroughfare of Covent Garden. The brief was to provide a design scheme, which accentuates the original features of the building with contemporary furniture and fittings. With close proximity to Covent Garden, the scheme captures the dynamic and vibrant atmosphere of its surroundings, while marrying with the traditional Edwardian architecture of its own, and its neighbouring buildings.
SWS GROUP - Shanghai Arch Showroom II
Located on the banks of Huangpu River, the project is developed by one of Hong Kong's largest real estate developers, Sun Hung Kai Properties. Situated in the core area of Lujiazui, the show flat overlooks the river and takes in the Pudong skyline and its shimmering city lights.
The 2020 edition of the SBID Awards is open for entries!
Entries close this Friday at 5pm (BST) on 14 August.
Visit sbidawards.com to enter now!
Many homes tend to look similar because they share similar features, such as plain white coloured walls, simple neutral furniture, and wall to wall carpeting to name a few. To achieve a 'wow factor' in the design of your home, you must have something that is unexpected… There are things that you can do both structurally and internally - depending on your budget. The sky really is the limit, but SBID Accredited designer and founder of Katie Malik Interiors shares some of her expert ideas for simple ways to add that extra 'wow' to your interiors.
If you’re looking to create an architectural statement, add value and space to your existing property, you can definitely get creative with an extension. Instead of opting for simple rectangular roof lights and a standard flat ceiling, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce an angular ceiling-scape to complement or highlight the shape of your kitchen for example.
Adding something different in the structure of your extension with a unique ceiling design can really help add that extra dimension and visual intrigue. A combination of sloped, angled and vertical elements can definitely enhance the drama of a room! If you do decide to extend or rebuild, opt for a double-height. Not only does it provide an impressive vastness of space, but seeing it from different viewpoints can create multiple ‘wow' moments.
If building up is not an option, consider adding skylights or even an octagonal roof lantern for a similar effect; adding glass to low ceilings you can make it feel higher, flood the room with natural light and create the illusion of bringing the outside in!
If you’d like to work within the existing space, there’s still a lot you can do. The right mirror, in the right size, in the right finish, can add a touch of glamour as well as make the interior space look and feel bigger and brighter. If you experiment with different shapes, sizes and even positions of a mirror, this could certainly help you achieve wow factor. You can also add unique features such as oversized artwork to a hallway or entrance walls - really going big will create an eye-catching statement with a contemporary, gallery-esque feel.
Another trick is to introduce shiny surfaces; reflective surfaces such as mirrors, metal and high gloss is sure to add an expensive edge to any space. For an additional wow effect, lighting is a key consideration too! Pick statement lights, for example a feature lamp; choose the one that is spangly and oversized for the ultimate look-at-me designer luxury.
Don’t be afraid to get experimental with dark colours, or any colour for that matter! The use of bold colours in the right amount, can definitely give a room some extra punch - whether dark and moody or bright and playful. You can also try using luxury, patterned or textured wallpaper - it will give your walls a more opulent and intimate look. If you’d rather not wallpaper the whole room or even just one wall (which is not recommended for certain rooms), you can always frame a piece of wallpaper instead!
Adding a stand-out headboard is a simple way to take your bedroom design to the next level, and look much more luxurious - like a boutique hotel! If you have a headboard already, why not re-upholster it in a bold fabric with interesting patterns or colours? If you decide to have one made, go big! Instant designer look guaranteed!
Choose a statement rug or a cowhide - this should instantly pull a room together and tie in the whole scheme. The size of your rug is quite important too - make sure it’s big enough to cover the area between the sofas or under the bed. If it’s too small, it might look out of place and you definitely won’t achieve the designer look.
Set to celebrate design excellence for not only the designers of interiors, but also the products that go in them, the SBID Awards now includes the newly launched SBID Product Design Awards, alongside the firmly-established SBID International Design Awards, with 17 diverse interior categories to enter in each programme. By representing all aspects of the interior design industry on an inclusive and international stage, the SBID Awards offers excellent exposure for designs, provides unique networking opportunities, and drives professional standards across the industry.
The deadline to enter is fast approaching with just over a week to go until the SBID Awards officially closes for 2020! Haven’t yet completed your entry, or are still considering why you should be entering the Awards this year? With design talent hailing from almost 50 countries worldwide, a record number of entries received year on year and a staggering 225,000 unique public votes, the Awards program is proud to celebrate the industry’s finest products and interior designs worldwide.
But if that's not quite enough and you still need more reasons to enter this year's SBID Awards, we're sharing the top 5 reasons to submit your entry before it's too late!
The Awards programme provides the perfect platform for showing the world who you are and showcasing your designs to an international audience, with features on the SBID Awards website and social media pages offering invaluable exposure for your brand and your projects! Not only can it give your own marketing a digital boost, but success in the programme presents a whole host of great PR opportunities to take advantage of!
The SBID Awards three-tier judging procedure ensures that only the best projects reach the next level! All entries are assessed by a technical panel of experts and a judging panel of high-profile figures in the creative industry to ensure each project is considered fairly and independently for its technical content and creative achievement, regardless of the budget! The final tier is the online public vote, receiving 225,000 unique votes – it's a great way to show off your best work!
Winning only has value if you earned it! Many competitions reel entrants in before hitting them with hidden costs in order to progress. Unlike them, not every SBID Awards entry is awarded a prize and there are no hidden fees, so entrants can't just buy their way to the top! There is just one Overall Winner and 17 Category Winners.
Achieving a GOLD Standard Awards Trust Mark for ethics and transparency, our T&Cs are transparent so you’ll never be asked to pay for extras. All information is on the website so it’s clear from the start what is involved. This means you can enter with the confidence that only the most talented will go all the way (not the entrants with the deepest pockets!).
The SBID Awards welcome entries from all backgrounds and budgets by keeping entry costs low! SBID Accredited members also receive exclusive entry discounts. This year, the Awards introduced new residential design categories differentiated by price point and property type, so the size or scale of your projects or practice is not a barrier to success! We know it’s the combination of small and large organisations that enriches the interior design industry - and that’s why the SBID Awards strive to celebrate the real depth and breadth of the profession.
The SBID Awards have grown in reach and reputation around the world since its launch in 2009, receiving entries from almost 50 countries worldwide. Entering the Awards presents an opportunity to become part of our international design community and connect with new audiences on a global scale at our annual Awards ceremony and networking events.
Even if you don’t clinch the coveted ‘Winner’ trophy, just being shortlisted for an award can still bring your business substantial benefits. Click here to discover the essential ways that awards can enhance your business!
The SBID Awards programme is designed to recognise, reward and celebrate the profession of interior design. If you’re an interior designer or product manufacturer, click here to find out more. Entries are open until 5pm BST on Friday 14 August.
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a luxury hotel suite design by 2019 SBID Awards Finalist HBA. The Beijing Wang Fujing Mandarin oriental hotel is made up of 80 suites and is the only hotel in the very heart of Beijing, with amazing views of the forbidden city a few hundred meters away.
Company: HBA
Project: Wang Fujing Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Location: Beijing, China
The project inspiration came from the rich history of Wang Fujing and the Chinese courtyard mansions that used to occupy this important area of Beijing. At the centre of this project, and perhaps in a wider sense at the centre of the dialogue between the Chinese architectural tradition and modernity, is the theme of tension between privacy and intimacy versus openness.
The client’s brief was very simple and challenging: they had been discussing the possibility of planning a small luxury hotel in a property they owned in Wang Fujing for a long time; space was limited, especially in the context of Beijing where properties tend to be very large so they told us, it has to be like a small precious hidden gem.
The main inspiration was the architectural experience offered by the courtyard mansions that used to populate this area of Beijing; their conception as a series of specialized courtyards gives a sense intimacy and seemed to respond to the briefing and to our desire as architects and designers to connect with such an amazing physical and historical context.
Some time ago, When I was first put in charge of a project, I remember having a conversation with a senior executive and he told me: young man, remember that “best” is the worst enemy of “good” … In this project, because for the prestige of the owner, the amazing location and our own ambition, we were all compelled to do the absolute best and we all suffered the psychological burden of having to achieve “the best”.
“The best” is per se an unmeasurable quantity and a target that will always leave you uncertain and unsatisfied as it’s always possible to improve upon something extremely good.
The project took 8 long years, we went through many ideas and several iterations of the design, getting each time closer to what felt like increasingly good… but was it the best?
Looking back, I think we gave ourselves the biggest hurdle by setting our collective goal as achieving “the best”.
When we started this project we were in a phase of our career where our main focus was food and beverage design; so to us, the highlight of this project remains the combination MO bar and Café Zi as it represents the most mature work of our team in what has been a long time obsession: We’ve never accepted the limitation of the built environment to adapt to changes in mood, to different situations; and this combination of spaces is all about adaptation and change.
The restaurant offers 3 different menus at breakfast lunch and dinner and the MO bar transitions alongside the restaurant from a cheerful courtyard in the morning where breakfast is served to an intimate and somewhat den-like environment at night. The décor is carefully studied to constantly change at the “flip of a panel” and hopefully, it will surprise endlessly. I’d like to invite the guests to visit the restaurants at different times and find for themselves.
We consider SBID one of the few truly international design awards and we thought that entering SBID with our project was a great way to measure how close we got to designing "the best".
Questions answered by Federico Masin, Partner at HBA, and Chief Designer for MOWF.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week, featuring a Chicago residential refurbishment, click here to see more.
Latest figures estimate that 12 million households (44 per cent) in the UK have pets. According to the CDC, owning an animal can “increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialise”. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can also help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship. In return, we can certainly make our homes friendly for them!
Katie Malik, SBID Accredited designer and founder of Katie Malik Interiors shares her top tips on how to design a pet-friendly home.
The most straightforward way to make our homes pet sanctuaries is to make an investment in pet furniture. As with any home furnishings, the cheaper the purchase, the less likely it will last and provide comfort for your four-legged loved ones.
Carefully weigh your furniture choices when decorating for a pet-friendly house; leather or leather- like materials that are easy to wipe clean, often durable, and can help keep a fluffy pet cool in warmer months. Try to avoid materials that might be tempting for your pet to scratch or chew!
If you are considering new flooring, you may want to opt for a wooden floor over a light coloured carpet! Wood floors are much easier to clean if our furry friends come home with muddy paws! It's also worth considering the colour. For instance, you might want chose the colour of your flooring that matches go the fur colour of your pet, so those stray hairs around the house are less noticeable.
A pet friendly home must make special considerations for just how many accidents can happen around bushy tails and clumsy paws, and one solution could be a dog-gate. Especially if you have or are thinking of getting a puppy, you might want to create a friendly separation, so that you can, for example, eat dinner without being disturbed!
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a complete townhouse conversion. Prestige Design, in collaboration with Martini Interiors, were involved in the design and construction of different rooms of the villa, among which the living area and the kitchen stand out. The latter, in white lacquered and with steel details, was arranged in a horseshoe shape and equipped with a large central island, an imposing hood and marble worktops.
The living area, on the other hand, is characterized by marble and lacquered wood furniture in pastel tones and is completed by sofas, armchairs and home accessories that give the room a unique style and a metropolitan vibe, but always in a luxury key.
Company: Prestige Design & Martini Interiors
Project: Stylish Chicago Townhouse
The customer wanted a classy classical design, thanks to which he could share his status with friends and colleagues. The furnishings had to be very welcoming and warm, for a home to live in.
The homes length was particularly narrow. This architectural characteristic inspired the entire design: custom-made furnishings to take advantage of every inch of space and symmetries.
Undoubtedly the shape of the house, which on the one hand made this project fascinating, challenging and extremely rewarding.
The coordination of the different phases, from the first design to the realization of the furnishings, up to the final installation. During each phase we checked the quality, keeping attention to detail in each step.
Questions answered by Serge Belferman, CEO and President of Prestige Designs.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week, featuring a Victorian residential refurbishment, click here to see more.
As shops have gradually been reopening across the UK with new social distancing rules, the retail industry will be sure to face challenging times ahead. Interior design plays an integral role in curating the retail environments we currently know and love, and as we now look to the future of retail with a degree of uncertainty, we're sharing some of the inspiring retail design concepts from the SBID Awards 2019. As for how the impact of coronavirus will change the way retail interiors will be designed and adapted in practice, only time will tell!
Tobias Oliver Interiors - Luxury Lifestyle Showroom
The purpose of the luxury lifestyle showroom to provide access to high-end interior design to the doorstep of Berkhamsted, an affluent town in Hertfordshire. Londoners have the amenity of luxury department stores and especially interior design showrooms in central and west London. Tobias Oliver Interiors brings this resource to Berkhamsted, making exceptional design accessible to the local community.
Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates - Jade Boutique
Creating a unique and contemporary architectural vocabulary was critical in establishing a new direction for this women’s luxury multi-brand retail store located in Jakarta’s Plaza Indonesia Mall. In much the same way as fabric drapes over the human body; Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates used architectural materials to wrap the space and create a dramatic sensual envelope. The architectural forms and materials were layered and folded on top of one another. The store is divided into four rooms, three of which house individual designer boutiques. The curved storefront becomes a unifying element for the project, with four separate entries, which highlights the three designer boutiques. Again, the use of a layered material palette of stone, glass and brass brings the concept of the interior to the outside and establishes the strong design vocabulary for the project.
I-AM Associates Istanbul - Turkcell Pera Flagship Store
Turkish telecom giant Turkcell briefed I-AM to develop a flagship experience for its beloved store in Pera – one of the most nostalgic neighborhoods of Istanbul. With that in mind, I-AM created an experience-based retail store, integrated with the street spirit, comprising of three main zones, where customers can easily interact with the products in a relaxed and friendly environment. Offering the latest innovative IoT products, the new Turkcell store presents a customer journey embracing the latest mobile technologies both in music and sports. The customers are greeted with the touchstone of this particular neighborhood (Istiklal Street) – the tram unit, with which I-AM aimed to design a store that is an organic extension of the street. After the store has opened its doors with its new concept, it was highly appreciated by its customers. This innovative store concept drives the brand into the next level of retail experience.
gpstudio - Hershesons Harvey Nichols
Following the successful opening of Hershesons ‘one-stop beauty’ flagship in Fitzrovia, the brand has now launched their greatly anticipated new site in Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, London. Much like the vast, 5000 square foot space opened on Berners Street last year, this super salon is a one-stop shop for its customers’ beauty needs. Rejecting conventional ideas surrounding the traditional salon model, it’s now the turn of the Harvey Nichols location to experience the new concept, but of course with its own iterations. Led by the vision of Luke Hersheson, gpstudio, working alongside architect Racheline Michaels, were tasked with creating a beauty destination offering far more than just hair services, with a café, nail bar, pedicure station, VIP rooms, treatment rooms and much more.
Arizon Design - JoyCity Kid's World
The Kid’s World on the sixth floor of the South Building in Shanghai Joy City is the spatial extension of this love-themed shopping mall. This area of entertainment and retailing is delicately designed for kids aged 3-10, and provides enriching, interesting and diversified experiences. It encourages the kids to indulge in their everlasting innocent imagination, and to follow their instincts, to explore the nature in their own way. The architecture is inspired by Dandelion Hill, imagining the form of hills when adopting the rhythm of contouring lines in an undulating geography. In this space of 4,200 square metres, the retailing stores and public entertainment areas are merged into the circular moving stream of visitors.
German Kitchens - UnserHaus
The client, BSH Home Appliances NZ is the importer and supplier of high-end German home appliances – Bosch, Neff and Gaggenau – and they were setting up their own dedicated showroom to display their appliances in a retail environment. BSH needed a place or ‘house’ where the space did not feel or look like a normal everyday appliance showroom. BSH wanted a living space that told a story and was familiar to retail consumers who would feel at ease in the space and, most importantly, feel at home. Ideally BSH wanted a space that represented the brands individually but also harmoniously to reinforce the uniformity of the three brands under the BSH umbrella. The space had to be like no other in New Zealand and this kind of showroom was to be the first independent BSH retail space in the world and thus the world was watching.
The 2020 edition of the SBID International Design Awards is open for entries.
Entries close on Friday 14 August. Visit sbidawards.com to enter now!
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