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!
Work life, and the commercial landscape as we know it, has changed immensely. In as little as five months, the corporate world experienced a mass exodus of workers, who retreated to the safety of their own homes in response to lockdown.
Throughout this time, cloud communication has enabled businesses to continue operating remotely with relative ease. Indeed, many who were formerly reticent about the merits of working from home, are now reconsidering the future of their own workspace environments in a post-pandemic world.
With employees arguably communicating with each other more than ever before through virtual means, it raises the question – can employees still feel part of a team, when physically apart?
This is something employers need to consider before deciding how they recalibrate their offices. For whilst remote working offers verbal, written and oral communication in abundance, it does not offer us the wide spectrum of non-verbal ques that are essential to promoting productivity, imagination, and positive workplace culture.
Facial expressions, body language, gestures, touch, and physical presence are all fundamental parts of the communication mix and if we cut these out completely by working solely from home, then it’s only a matter of time before employees start to feel disengaged, uninspired and demotivated.
The solution is simple. We need to give employees the freedom to work from home or in the office, depending on which is safest and the most productive for them.
For some employers, like Portview, lockdown has presented the opportunity to take stock of work priorities and adopt a more holistic approach to workspace design. Far rather than causing the ‘death of the commercial office’, the pandemic has prompted us to reimagine a new one – one where employee wellbeing, community and culture is the central focus.
Whilst for now it’s important to navigate our way through the pandemic safely and responsibly, Portview has decided to take a leap of faith and invest £2.5 million into new corporate headquarters, which together, we will design, build and fit-out ourselves.
This not only signifies the dawn of a new era for us, but also gives our team something to look forward to during a time of uncertainty and displacement. It's about empowering our team to collaborate and come up with innovative ideas that will help shape and build the new Portview.
In truth, it’s still too early to know exactly what the ‘new normal’ for office environments will be, but one thing we are sure of, is that a happy employee is a productive one, therefore, organisations must focus their efforts on elevating the workspace experience through thoughtful design.
By providing a functional, comfortable and visually appealing environment, employers will instil a positive workplace culture that employees feel safe, comfortable and proud to work in.
From our perspective, we will incorporate many biophilic elements into the design of our new offices. This includes an external terrace and balconies, glazing, rooflights, and plenty of indoor plants and foliage, to help connect employees to the natural environment – a method that has proven to reduce stress and enhance creativity.
In addition, the new headquarters will feature a nurse’s office for private consultations, and a large state-of-the-art gym, complete with treadmills, spin bikes, training equipment, showers and changing facilities.
The extra square footage will enable us to come up with an effective space planning strategy that will give employees the space they need to follow physical distancing rules. When the regulations are lifted, our team will then have the freedom to work collaboratively in one of one our many formal or casual meeting rooms, breakout zones or creative hubs. For those who wish to work from home, they can easily connect with colleagues through video conferencing facilities.
Each team will have their own office with glass wall partitions to help create a sense of community, openness, and transparency, whilst still maintaining a safe level of privacy and structure.
Research by the Sax Institute shows that replacing one hour of sitting with standing, can increase an employee’s lifespan by at least 5%.
With this in mind, we will be introducing seating options that are more supportive, adjustable, and flexible, in addition to adjustable desks that will allow employees to sit or stand at their workstation. These ergonomic solutions will promote better posture and physical wellbeing.
Carefully crafted, contrasting materials and textures often prompt engagement and productivity amongst employees by adding visual weight to a space and giving them a unique environment to work in.
However, it’s important to remember that high-quality, statement pieces need to withstand the test of time. Choosing the right materials and how to mix them - whether it be reclaimed wood panel installations, exposed concrete or woven fabric - is key to ensuring longevity and achieving an overall polished look.
A bright creative workspace can also make employees feel more productive, lower stress and increase wellbeing. Therefore, we will be looking to enrich our new offices with vibrant graphics to help stimulate the minds of those who visit and act as key points of interest.
Whilst the safest thing for us to do right now is either stay at home, or return to an office with stringent COVID-19 precautions in place, we believe that in time and with the right design sensibility, the office space will make a comeback.
For offices have a much greater purpose than offering employees a desk and computer screen to work from. It’s a social environment that reminds us that we’re not alone in this experience, for we're surrounded by the same people, working towards the same goals, at the same time, in the same place. We can see, hear, feel and sense kinship all around us through face-to-face interaction and the quieter periods of productivity in-between. Offices give us the freedom to share a coffee with our peers and tell them of our plans for the weekend.
And that's just something virtual communication can't replicate.
About the Author
Established in 1975, Portview is a fit-out specialist that works with the world’s leading brands in retail, hospitality, sport and business to create award-wining interiors.
If you'd like to become SBID Accredited, click here to find out more.
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a beautiful stucco-fronted Victorian residence situated in St John’s Wood, a tranquil village in the heart of London that sweeps along the side of Regent’s Park.
Company: Roselind Wilson Design
Project: Carlton Hill
Location: London, United Kingdom
The owners had reached a stage in their lives where their children had left home, and it had been over a decade since they previously renovated and refurbished the property. They felt it was time for a change as their personal style and lifestyle had changed dramatically and they wanted their home to equally reflect this.
Spanning 5 floors and circa 5,000 sq. ft, Roselind Wilson Design was appointed to refurbish, including the interior architecture, interior design, and project management of this five-bedroom, five-bathroom home. The space is arranged with the entertaining areas on the lower ground and ground floors and the bedrooms on the upper floors. A sweeping staircase allows for an elegant and graceful division between the entertainment and sleeping areas, which are all set against a backdrop of exquisitely balanced proportions, harmonious symmetry and classical detailing.
What was the client's brief?
The brief comprised the complete refurbishment of the existing property; revising the current layout and making changes that would befit the client’s new lifestyle; which included both now working from home. The interior also needed to consider an entertaining space to accommodate up to 16 people on various occasions and had a requirement for a formal living and informal living space as well as a suitable dining area that could be an open plan as well as accommodate more intimate dining. The kitchen and all bathrooms were to be redesigned together with new services including integrated lighting, audiovisual and security services.
What inspired the interior design of the project?
The interior design and interior architecture focus on creating harmony and balance within the space. Delicate furnishings and uncluttered décor allow for timeless elegance and graceful grandeur, while the colour palette showcases neutral blues, soft greys, dusky pinks and flat whites. This perfectly marries the interiors of handsome beauty, modern-day luxury and contemporary styling. The carefully considered interior design scheme is balanced – the furniture, fabrics and colour palette all work in harmony with the architectural backdrop within the property. The tiniest of details have been used to inject colour, texture or character to create an opulent interior – from incorporating striking cornicing to adorning the walls with elegant and sophisticated light fixtures.
What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?
Without doubt, it was trying to get the enormous 3 metre by 1.5 metre porcelain tiles we specified for the master bathroom into the first floor of the property! Working alongside our contractor on various options, we came to the solution of lifting them in through the window of the adjoining dressing room with the help of a cherry picker. A successful solution and fantastic result as the tiles look absolutely stunning on the wall.
What was your team’s highlight of the project?
It’s incredibly rewarding to experience first-hand a client’s reaction to their completed project – this is always a highlight for us. In this instance, the design journey and close collaboration between us and our client allowed them to realise their dream home - one that is elegant and sophisticated as well as warm and inviting.
Questions answered by Roselind Wilson, Owner & Creative Director of Roselind Wilson Design.
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 residential villa, click here to see more.
With 'renew, repurpose and replenish' at the heart of her work, award-winning interior design consultant and SBID Accredited Designer, Rachel McLane has just completed the Bike & Boot – Scarborough’s newest hotel. As well as the design and fit-out of the 65 bedrooms, Rachel's Yorkshire-based designers have created eye-catching common areas including the bar, residents’ lounge, film club and restaurant.
"We were fortunate with the Bike & Boot as the building was once a row of Georgian terrace houses and retains much of the original architecture. Even now, the envelope of the building remains true to its heritage," said Rachel, who heads up a close-knit team of specialist designers experienced in concept design, design detailing and space planning for the hotel, residential, retail and leisure industries.
"It made no commercial sense to strip back and re-plaster the walls. Rather than hiding the faded grandeur of the original building, we have worked with it and given it a new lease of life."
"My attitude is not to be overly precious; interior design is not about me forcing my ideas onto a client and their customers. Instead, it is about creating something that works for them and enhances their business. It is about producing the best solution we can, for the budget – but that does not mean holding back on quality or design. And good design does not have to cost the earth."
Striving to be local as far as possible, Rachel employed craftsmen and suppliers from the area who were passionate about harnessing their skills to revitalise this once grand feature of the Scarborough seafront. This work has included bespoke case goods, re-upholstering furniture, sourcing local photographs for bedroom doors, creating graphic blinds using original railway poster designs and producing wall mounts featuring bicycle seats and handlebars instead of the traditional taxidermy heads. Other bespoke items in the hotel on Cliff Bridge Terrace include clocks made of brightly coloured bicycle bells and flip flops. Bespoke lighting was created from old bike wheels and crates, and a bespoke handle for the residents’ lounge is based on the ampersand between the 'Bike' and 'Boot'.
A Georgian inspired colour palette was used to paint over the old anaglypta wallpaper giving the rooms a new identity and feel, and the team also designed and commissioned wallpaper based on activity maps of the area and recreated posters of original postcards of Scarborough from its heyday as a fashionable spa resort.
The design and installation of the Bike & Boot's new hotel bar shows all of the company's green, recycling values coming through by giving a second life to the metal back-bar of an old venue in Leeds at the same time as commissioning a Harrogate based company to produce the joinery elements to Rachel McLane's designs.
"If you have been walking or cycling all day, you want to be able to relax and feel at home," said Rachel. "The team sourced the bar furniture with that in mind - some of it was new and some of it was pre-loved and repurposed. An old chair can be upholstered by a skilled tradesman, and by choosing fabric of the right quality and design, the result looks great and provides the luxury of comfort.
"Renew, repurpose and replenish is an ethos at the heart of our work. I believe in avoiding sending things to landfill or bonfires whenever possible, and I am glad to say we have done our little bit with some of the bar and restaurant furniture at The Bike & Boot. This has also helped to reduce our carbon footprint in shipping in new products," added Rachel, who worked on the concept of the Bike & Boot for two years with its directors Simon Kershaw and Simon Rhatigan, and for the last nine months with the local refurbishment contractor Infiniti Roofing & Construction.
Rachel McLane developed a wealth of experience designing for the retail sector for eight years in London and York before setting up her practice, Rachel McLane Ltd specialising in the design of interiors for professional clients with commercial interests.
Finding the right builder for a project can seem like a daunting task, however, it doesn’t need to be difficult. SBID Accredited Designer, Katie Malik, founder and creative director of Katie Malik Interiors talks us through her tips for deciding which builder to work with. Most reputable contractors will be quite happy to show off their previous work and provide all of the things she recommends below...
In the studio, we never ask for any quotes unless we have a detailed Schedule of Work (SOW) and a drawing package ready. This ensures everything that we want a contractor to do is going to be quoted for and executed. Also, this gives us and the client a chance to compare the quotes like for like. If you’re going to execute the project by yourself, we strongly recommend preparing a list of jobs by yourself instead of leaving it to the builder to interpret. This means you won’t have to check each quote for what’s included and what’s excluded, making the final decision much easier.
There’s a common belief that there is nothing better than a recommendation from a friend or a family member, and in most cases, this is true. Nevertheless, it’s also useful to do your own research by reading reviews, checking previous projects and references of builders whose work you like. A contractor should offer you a contract, guarantees, proof of insurance, and a clear schedule of payment. All of this combined with a recommendation from someone you know who’s used this builder, such as your architect and/or interior designer, will put your mind at rest.
We recommend taking similar steps when choosing a builder to those when choosing an interior designer. Since you’ll be engaging your builder to work on/in your home for an extended period of time, you want to ensure you like their previous work and you like them as a person.
The new Ask the Expert blog series invites you submit the questions about interior design you want help finding answers to, whether you're a consumer looking to redecorate your home or professional looking for expert business advice. Please submit your questions to [email protected]
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 a custom furniture design of a villa with a strong Italian vocation. Martini Interiors added essential Italian-inspired details for the luxurious kitchen, bathrooms and custom furniture.
Company: Martini Interiors
Project: Italian Style Villa
Location: Washington, DC
In this case the client of the interior design was the builder of the villa. The intent was clear from the beginning: to seek details of Italianisms to be applied to the entire villa. For this reason the famous Lecce stone has been imported for the cladding and the entrance has a reproduction of the vault of the Pantheon in Rome. Nothing can be more exciting than being able to express your being Italian in this context.
Italy, in form and substance. We wanted to give this residence all that Italy could offer through a meticulous attention to detail and a targeted insertion of classic Italian decorations.
If on the one hand we felt honoured to represent Italy in the capital of the united states in this villa, on the other hand we deeply felt its weight.
In our opinion, the bathroom and kitchen are elegant and sober, as well as showing unequivocally the idea of Italianity of the entire villa.
Questions answered by Roberto Guiotto, sales manager of Martini Interiors.
We hope you feel inspired by this week's villa design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
If you missed last week's Project of the Week, featuring a residential design, click here to see more.
SpeakEasy with Patrick Folkes
In this episode of the SBID podcast, host Grant Pierrus talks business and sustainability in interior design with entrepreneur and founder of The Graphene Company, trading an innovative and ground breaking line of natural paint.
Patrick explains the origins of the Graphene Company and how the process of combining Graphene and minerals developed to create this new healthy and high-tech range of ecological paints.
As a globally certified sustainable paints company with credentials in environmental performance, cradle to cradle practices and social responsibility, Patrick shares his approach to achieving genuine sustainability throughout the entire product lifecycle.
Shedding light into the concept of what "eco paint" really is - he talks green washing in the industry, how levels of VOC impact biophilic design and the integral role of lime in air purification. Discussing the future of the paint sector for interior design, he explores the importance of health considerations, ecological characteristics and indoor air quality in the industry.
Tune in to the whole conversation to discover more.
Patrick Folkes
Patrick Folkes has focused his career on a range of financial and entrepreneurial activities. He began in 1980 when he was involved in derivatives broking and gold and silver bullion market-making in London and New York. In 1990, he founded his own fund marketing and advisory firm, Folkes Asset Management. Later, in 2016, he founded The Graphene Company, trading Graphenstone Paint UK with its innovative range of sustainable, healthy and high-tech ecological coatings that are air-purifying and free of plastic and VOC.
Your home should reflect your personality and taste and be attuned to your unique needs. However, achieving this on our own can be a real challenge, especially when your work and family commitments place so many demands on your time. When investing both time and money into a project, it’s important to know how to choose the best designer for it. You want your designer to unlock the space's full potential by doing this in a creative yet practical manner. So how do you choose the right interior designer for you? SBID Accredited Designer, Katie Malik, founder and creative director of Katie Malik Interiors outlines some important considerations.
It’s absolutely essential that you research the designer’s portfolio to see whether you like their style and completed projects. Don’t approach designer’s based solely on their proximity to you or how high they come up in google search. You have to like what you see, so number one criterion when choosing a designer is the style match.
A good interior designer will have the perfect balance between focusing on the bigger picture ultimately leading up to the final outcome, whilst also focusing on the immediate jobs which need to be done. Therefore, look for reviews and recommendations of the company. It's important to understand the quality of work and the team you're hiring before you fully commit.
Also, check whether the designer is accredited by or a member of a professional body, such as SBID - this would give you an added security that the work will be completed to the highest industry standards.
A good brief and a full and open discussion about what the job entails is the best way for your designer to work out a fee and a project timeline. Experienced interior designers have an abundance of planning experience when it comes to undergoing a design project, and they can provide a step by step plan of action with a start and end date. This takes the stress away from you, so you don’t have to this about the logistics so when choosing an interior designer, ask whether they can provide a detailed plan of the project and the space.
An experienced designer will have a wealth of knowledge and contacts that they’ve built up over their career to enable them to collaborate with other professionals, such as lighting designers, landscape and garden designers, and architects. A good interior designer will take an interest in the architect’s vision for the building too.
You want a designer who is fully invested in the project - someone who's passionate and willing to ensure your project is complete to the highest quality possible. You want someone who will take all of your own ideas on board and develop them in the best possible way, adding their own professional opinion. Look for an interior designer who will push you completely out of your own comfort zone, encouraging you to go for an original and refreshing design.
Click here to discover how to choose the right builder for a project.
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a residential kitchen design by Ledbury Studio. The brief was to design a kitchen for a large new-build property on the edge of the Peak District. The clients had been in their previous home for more than 30 years and retained strong ideas as to how they would require the design to work for them at their new home.
Company: Ledbury Studio
Project: Cheshire kitchen
Location: Cheshire, United Kingdom
The fundamental requirement was to create a relaxing and comfortable space that would instantly be the heart of their home. Our clients wanted a kitchen that could just as readily accommodate a relaxed evening for husband and wife, as play host to the regular charity events that form part of their extremely busy social lives. So, the brief was about incorporating multiple ‘cherished items’ into the design, whilst maintaining impeccable functionality and achieving a unique aesthetic.
The inspiration was actually quite complex. Firstly, the finish on the cupboard doors was inspired by our client’s extensive collection of antique pewter-ware. Working with 1.5mm-thick pewter, we created an aged finish which directly empathised with the pewter pieces. We also had to incorporate display areas into the design so these treasured items could be placed on show within the kitchen.
Our second major point of inspiration was to create a kitchen with a proper furniture feel. Of course, we needed all the functionality of the best-fitted kitchen, but we also needed to integrate several pieces of antique furniture – including a sizeable Georgian mahogany break-fronted display cupboard. I decided that I could best balance my design by focussing on the freestanding credentials of my furniture.
There were two main ones – the island and the breakfast store cupboard. The island was 3.6m long, and so required joins. We had chosen a Bianco Macaubas quartzite and it took two attempts to create the best joint. On the second, we were able to achieve an extremely precise match on the unique and complex veining of the stone. We did this by photographing the slabs digitally and then generating the best match via our software program before actually executing the cut. This was made at a slight diagonal to achieve minimum open joint – it’s less than 1mm finished.
Then on the breakfast store cupboard, the large all-pewter doors opened into pockets. Each of these doors weighs over 80kg, and the fact that we achieved smoothly opening doors in this situation is a testimony to the calibre of our design and our craftsmen. The doors look amazing and work beautifully.
This was the first project sold by Ledbury Studio, so it was a massive positive for us to pitch our designs and our product against the most established high-end kitchen brands in the UK, and to win our client’s trust to carry out their project. This high stayed with us throughout the project, right to the point when the client moved in.
Questions answered by Charlie Smallbone, founder of Ledbury Studio.
We hope you feel inspired by this week's residential design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
If you missed last week's Project of the Week, featuring a modern kitchen remodel, click here to see more.
Achieving industry recognition through prestigious honours like awards can be extremely beneficial for business. Not only can it generate awareness, increase brand exposure and of course, boost employee morale in a celebration of their hard work and success, awards are a great way to differentiate your brand, product or service from the competition! Independent acknowledgement of a company’s skills, value or competence within your sector also offers additional reassurances and credibility for potential clients and customers.
Even if you don’t clinch the coveted ‘Winner’ trophy on the night, just being shortlisted for an award can still bring your business substantial benefits. With this in mind, we’re sharing 5 essential ways that awards can enhance your business!
Put your brand in the spotlight! Association with relevant, industry-specific awards that add value to your brand offering can raise your business profile and provide a host of marketing and PR opportunities, so the chance to publicise, and ultimately capitalise, on your achievements within an award programme (whether a winner or a finalist) should not be overlooked! Utilising the promotion of your involvement before, during and after the ceremony through your marketing channels is a cost-effective way to increase brand awareness, share your company’s success and become a real marketing asset. And that doesn’t even include the additional exposure you would gain from the event organiser!
Awards are designed to endorse a company’s calibre of skill and success in a particular field, making them a key indicator of trust-worthiness. Entering and winning an award therefore demonstrates to your customers that your business is operating at the highest level within your profession, acting as a powerful selling point for potential prospects (or perhaps reinforcing their reasons for doing business with you in the first place!).
As a result, this can develop brand loyalty and improve client retention, as customers are often inclined to stay with businesses who are succeeding at what they do – as well as give them more excuses to tell their friends about you. And we all know how valuable word of mouth is as an effective marketing tool!
Using the awards branding on your website and in your marketing materials is another way you’ll be able to showcase these credentials to your target audience.
Partaking in awards is a public way of acknowledging the hard work and achievements of your employees, giving your team members an additional sense of appreciation, purpose and motivation in their work, as well as a stronger desire and confidence to continue to perform for your company. Attending the awards ceremony also offers a great chance to reward your staff by celebrating together as a team – who doesn’t love a chance to get dressed up for a fancy three-course meal and rub shoulders with top tier professionals in your industry?
Achieving an award also validates your employees work as a direct contributor to wider company success which can also generate company pride, increase work satisfaction and can play a positive role in future recruitment too by enticing new talent who want to work for successful, award-winning companies.
Serving as an excellent platform to wine and dine with the best of the best within your profession, award ceremonies provide the perfect opportunity to network with key players in your industry so you can make new industry connections, bond with potential business partners, reach new customers, and build better relationships with your peers. Winning an award goes one step further in recognising the value and expertise you bring to your sector in front of this captive audience, meaning your peers will look more favourably on your business and you will gain a deeper level of credibility and respect within your industry as a whole.
Most awards judging panels consist of distinguished industry experts, so entering them also presents a unique opportunity to put your business in front of specialist stakeholders, industry-leaders and influential experts in your field.
Whether you are a small or large company, awards offer the ability to stand side-by-side and compete against some of the biggest names in your professional pool, allowing you to take stock of your achievements in comparison to your peers and benchmark your work against the industry – this will help to see how you measure up against your competitors and refine your business goals and aspirations.
And of course, if you’re successful in becoming an award-winning business, it is a surefire way to differentiate your brand and stand out from the competition with that all-important, industry-recognised seal of approval, giving you an esteemed third-party endorsement from an independent body.
While entering awards can bring a host of promotional benefits for your brand, enhance industry positioning, and increase credibility - it's important to know which awards you should be entering! So before jumping in with both feet, do your research!
Are they a credible organisation? Do they have industry recognition? Do they really understand and represent your industry sector? And finally, do the previous winners embody what you want to be known for? Why win a vanity trophy when you could collect a prize that really resonates in your industry!
Look out for hidden fees in the application process! Some Awards charge successful entrants extra fees for exposure - some even require the winner to pay for their own award! Attending the ceremony can be a caveat of ‘winning’ too. If this is the case, the awards are likely to be given to the highest bidder so you know it's not really about outstanding achievement, excellence or creative merit...
The SBID Awards programme is designed to recognise, reward and celebrate the profession of interior design from the interior designer’s projects and the products they specify, to the specialist contractors that install the final fit out.
If you’re a designer, product manufacturer or contractor, click here to find out more.
SBID Accredited members also receive exclusive entry discounts.
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