Playfulness and fantasy in Pop Art design

Following the success of last year’s Design Your Bin challenge, Brabantia has launched its ‘Pimp Our Print’ competition  which is open to budding designers across the globe regardless of age, experience or location.

Those entering the Pimp Our Print competition can really let their imagination’s run wild. The panel will be giving full consideration to entries of all graphic styles from street and modern art though to photography, illustration, textiles and traditional forms. I anticipate some heated discussions during the judging process!

And there will certainly be plenty to discuss as to date there are already 750 entries with more arriving daily. These are displayed in the Gallery which is updated as the entries come in and members of the public can peruse the designs and also vote for their favourites.
The International Design Panel,  (SBID President Vanessa Braday is one of the 10 international acclaimed judjes) will be creating a shortlist from which the overall winner will be chosen. Their print and name will appear on a range of Brabantia canisters, and potentially a whole product range including Bread Bins, Touch Bins and Pedal Bins.

What a fantastic chance for a designer to launch their ideas to the world. It’s a big responsibility for all of us to shortlist only the best designs. I can’t wait to get started.
The winner will also receive a three day trip for two with tickets to Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2014 in Milan, luxury hotel accommodation, transport and spending money for this trip of a lifetime (11-13 April 2014).
But the public get a chance to have their say too in the "People’s Choice" category which runs separately from the main competition.

Check out the ‘Pimp our Print’ website for details of how to vote.
So it’s going to be an exciting few weeks - last entries need to be in by 22nd October. Keep an eye out for what the SBID decides!
Enter today: www.brabantia.com/design

Although modern interior design probably conjures up images of fancy homes in glossy magazines along with some high-class designer websites such as Lampcommerce.com, when studying the history of interior design, it becomes apparent that perhaps there is more than meets the eye. Here is a quick guide to interior design through the ages, starting from the very beginning.

The beginning

The earliest evidence dates back to when early prehistoric humans first started to settle and either found or built up stable communities using elemental tools. Although the focus back then was function and necessity, the fact that these cave men used to decorate their dwellings with basic drawings could lead us to believe that interior design and looking after our homes is actually a primal instinct as well as a sign of our intelligence. Tribes to this day still use natural materials such as wood, mud and animal skins to fashion themselves a comfortable and functional home.

Egyptians, Greeks and Romans

Egyptians were known for their ornate murals which acted at beautiful documents that detailed their beliefs, history and way of life. Life was a mix of stark parallels for the Ancient Egyptians. While many workers lived in primitive houses, the magnificent buildings they are best known for were usually for one ruler or a royal family to signify their wealth and to please their gods. This early civilisation set the trend for superb, ornate interior design in the name of religion which is still plays a big part in society today.

After Ancient Egypt fell to the Romans and Greeks, cities were drastically changed due to the Greek and Roman tastes in architectural style. Democracy and a more civilised way of life allowed normal citizens to show their personal tastes through interior design. The Greeks in particular employed strict rules for constructing their massive, pillared buildings and often used beautiful vases and paintings in their homes.

Design progression in Europe

After these influential periods in history, other distinctive design styles emerged in Europe, particularly Gothic architecture alongside the indulgent beauty seen during the Italian Renaissance. Again, the focus for many large scale buildings was based around religion with carvings, tapestries and murals which stretched over entire ceilings and walls. Beauty and function were equally important.

18^th and 19^th centuries

From Baroque’s artistic exaggeration to the industrial revolution to Art Deco and Art Nouveau, interior design opened up to the common man, as fashion magazines and prints hit the shelves during the industrial revolution. Interior design was influenced by a mixture of styles from around the world as travel became more accessible. This eventually led to the age of eclecticism which drew these styles together to create personality and character.

20^th and 21^st century

Modernism and post-modernism soon followed. Designers became famous faces rather than behind the scenes workers. As countries recovered from war, there was a return to prosperity and a large influx in suburban sprawls. More people started to indulge in interior design as a form of escapism and personal interest. Makeover shows such as Changing Rooms also started to influence our homes and old, vintage styles were starting to be revived.

Today, it can be fair to say that we are still in an eclecticism era, as old vintage continues to be teamed with modern features. After thousands of years of groundwork, people can now play and experiment with a whole host of styles to create their perfect homes. Rather than uniformity, interior design is now fast paced with seasonal trends and forecasts for the coming year.

 Written by SBID guest blogger Mike Lesse

Can you imagine just five years ago , the human race embracing technology in such a dynamic and dramatic way , Smartphones have become a way of life, young and old now have the world wide web at their fingertips and digital cameras at the ready!

Along with tablets (mobile computers) communication with loved ones and friends is now a breeze with the help of apps such as Face time , Skype , etc.

YouTube for me is for sure the future if you haven’t got a  YouTube TV channel make sure its high on your list of priorities before the year is out , YouTube is the world’s second biggest search engine and the biggest growing video sharing  website in the world at the moment  and since it was purchased by Google, this popularity is showing no signs of stopping. Video is an important feature of maintaining a web presence, and is a highly effective marketing tool.

YouTube receives somewhere in the region of 3 billion searches a month. Some of the people making these searches will be potential clients of yours, and it is important not to miss out on this market. As with any other aspect of SEO, your use of keywords is vital. Make sure your video title features your strongest keyword, and that it is relevant to the content.

I realised the phenomenon of video back in 2011. A couple of years earlier in 2007 I was introduced into the sport of kite surfing after falling in love with the sport on a trip to Rhosneigr in Anglesey Wales, I followed the sport closely through the power of video and soon became familiar with the professional athletes and brands associated with them.

A couple more years passed and I finally found the time to go and learn to kite surf , all my research and brand awareness was found through the internet, It got me thinking the power of video is such an amazing tool I could use this in my own industry and so I did! I  employed a fantastic company Shutterbox Films to come and film and produce a short movie in my showroom owners Lee and Dawn are so cool their portfolio of work is immense , they did a fantastic job for me.

Fast forwarding to 2013 I now employ a small in-house team to look after my websites, blog, social media, publications and now new YouTube TV channel we have now produced our own videos showcasing client case studies, bringing to life photographs potential clients can now actually get a feel of your portfolio along with your beautiful photographs of your work.

We have plenty more case studies lined up for later this year together with a launch of a brand new resource publication dedicated to Architects , Designers and Interior Designers this will include augmented reality driven by Aurasma bringing video to printed media our next edition of Revealed Design Home Interiors is due out too later this year.

Obviously it’s not quite so easy to just make a video and pop it on YouTube or another video sharing site like Vimeo , you have to promote it to get views social media comes in perfectly and with the help of your clients , followers and peers you can soon spread the word.

Written by SBID Member and Interior Designer Lisa Melvin

Check out Lisa Melvin's YouTube TV channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/LisamelvindesignTV?feature=watch

The use of reclaimed and recycled materials is starting to become relatively standard, with many designers embracing the challenges that using a non virgin material brings.

There are myriad advantages to using any type of reclaimed material, but despite ecological and sustainable design becoming part of any discerning design studio’s working practices there can still be the misconception that ‘eco’ design does not necessarily mean ‘refined’ design.

Even though there can be distinct limitations to the reuse of an object or material, these can, and should inform the design process, with the clearest and strongest qualities being developed for the new object.

What is encouraging to see is that there are more and more products being developed along these lines, with a recycled foundation but a refined end result.

An example of this developing strand of design is beautifully illustrated by Canadian designer Tat Chao with the BIPOLAR range of pendant lights.

At first glance, these pendants appear to be lit glass lozenges which have been pinched around the middle with a metal ‘belt’, possibly during the glass blowing process.

But their appearance is rather deceptive. These are not hand blown glass shapes. They are recycled wine glasses.

Forming part of Chao’s IN VITRO range, the BIPOLAR light uses two reclaimed wine glasses to form each of the pendants. Their bases are removed and used in another project and the stems are shaped to a point before they are joined about the rim with a thin anodised aluminium band, housing a strip of LED lights.

The result is a simple, glowing pendant light which ticks not only the sustainability boxes but excels at being a piece of elegant design.

Whilst this is not a ‘bespoke’ piece as such, the fact that reclaimed materials are used in the process of construction ensure that each BIPOLAR is different from the next, with each light varying in glass design, shape and size.

Plus, this is a project where the concept can be carried across a range of found materials with ease, ensuring that the design is adaptable – an essential element of any true ‘sustainable’ product that uses recycled pieces. There is no point designing a product which becomes so popular that virgin materials have to be used. Design a process which can adapt.

The BIPOLAR light succeeds on all of these main points – it is simple yet elegant - in conception, construction and when finally suspended and lit. A great example of a truly beautiful, sustainable lighting design.

Visit www.tatchao.com for further information on the range.

Written by eco interior architect & designer guest blogger Claire Potter

The energy saving bulb has been with us for a number of years, but even though many of us elected to purchase them when our old bulbs blew, the phasing out of the incandescent bulb has meant that it is one of the cheapest and most readily available replacement choices for consumers.

Not that this is at all a bad thing – changing just one fitting to use an energy saving bulb could save around £3 a year in electricity. Multiply this across the fittings throughout the home and the savings soon begin to add up.

New lighting technologies are being developed and released very regularly, with highly efficient LED technology being packaged into a bigger and bigger range of fittings available to the industry and directly to the public. Price does still pay a big factor in the design and bulb chosen, but the increase in purchasing inevitably creates lower prices over time.

But the one bugbear of many a designer and client has been the overall design of the energy saving bulb – namely the ‘standard’ range available at the lowest prices.

The ‘column’ type bulbs can look rather stark and the ‘ice cream’ style bulbs also have a particular look which any not contribute to your scheme. This is, of course, a very personal decision between the designer and the client and we have used both of these low cost fittings to great effect – making no apologies for their shapes.

There is however, another choice for the energy saving bulb which addresses this design issue – the Plumen 001 bulb by Samuel Wilkinson for Hulger.

Working on the logic that the glass tubes that make up all of the standard energy saving bulbs can actually be bent in a whole variety of shapes, the Plumen 001 (and newly launched, smaller sized ‘Baby Plumen’) has rethought what an energy saving bulb can be.

Using ‘plumes’ of feathers as inspiration, the bulbs two twisting tubes create a sculptural form which changes shape as you move around the fitting.

The simplicity of the design actually creates a very complex and aesthetically pleasing form, which has been designed to sit, completely unclothed in a space, making it perfect for a statement ‘bare bulbs’ scheme.

It can however, be used to great effect when paired carefully with pendants – especially simple pieces which really let the bulb’s shapes shine, or enclosed glass fittings which ‘frame’ the bulbs like little pieces of art.

And this is exactly what Plumen’s new shade sets to achieve. The ‘Pharaoh’ shade has been designed for Danish firm Lightyears, specifically for the Plumen 001 and was launched at the recent Stockholm furniture fair. The simply shaped shade is mirror finished and appears a solid piece when the bulb is off, but as soon as the piece is illuminated the shade becomes transparent – enhancing the silhouetted shape of the bulb as the focus of the piece.

Alternatively, if you want to go super simple, the Plumen 001 can be paired with one of their newly developed pendant / drop sets, which are available in a series of colours and have been designed to completely contain the black section of the bulb, meaning that the form of the bulb sits directly beneath the fitting.

The beautiful thing about the Plumen 001 is just that – its beauty of sculptural form which brings energy saving bubs out of the ‘required’ box and into our ‘desired’ box when designing and specifying.

Visit www.plumen.com for details on their bulbs and pendant sets.

Written by eco interior architect & designer guest blogger Claire Potter

ROBIN GIBB CBE

22nd December 1949 – 20th May 2012
SBID AMBASSADOR OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

On Sunday 20th May Robin Gibb passed away peacefully after a long fight against ill health. Leaving behind a mother, wife, children, brother, family, friends and fans I can only say that sometimes someone who is unseeingly very special comes along and changes your life – Robin was one of those special people.

His music is timeless, catchy, haunting and recognised by all age groups anywhere in the world. His true celebrity is simply that, anywhere in the world, at any time of day, you can hear a Bee Gees song being played on the radio.

SBID was not singled out, Robin fought for the rights of many things for the underdog, he campaigned for recognition of the Bomber Command, arguing with planners for several years that the RAF Bombers had not been recognised for their winning efforts and the lives lost during the war. After much hard work, consent was finally provided by Westminster Council, and fundraising began. Without cutting out the hard work that so many have contributed to that campaign to date, it is indeed something that will for me be the legacy of the work Robin described as the work among his achievements, that he was most proud of. I suppose that describes ROBIN GIBB perfectly. Talented, generous, giving, fighting and very funny. Robin was highly intelligent, always interested in what you had to say, he loved politics, people and had a great sense of humour.

Robin Gibb on the scaffold of the Bomber Command Memorial

Throughout his wealth, celebrity and achievement, he didn’t change, he didn’t try to be someone else, he remained a real person. I am grateful for what he, his team, his family and friends have done for the benefit of protecting and promoting British interior design around the world, but specifically in helping me personally take on a hostile business sector.

On 28th June Her Majesty the Queen will open the Bomber Command Memorial at Green Park, facing Hyde Park Corner and the RAF Club on Piccadilly.

To me, it will forever be a memorial shared with Robin.

Vanessa Brady comments on SBID’s latest campaign, the Fair Trading Policy in Interior Design. © Copyright SBID 2012

Trade discount is for trade, not retail, and mixing the two is unfair to all parties. The SBID Fair Trading Policy does not recommend, support or promote passing on trade discounts to the public.

Historically some interior decorators and designers passed on their trade price to potential clients to obtain work. That is desperation, not a design commission. Such designers and decorators cause mass damage to the overall industry: they undermine the retailers’ position and they betray the supplier’s price structuring integrity. In doing so, they create grey billing procedures where the customer is unable to breakdown an invoice costs and assumes inflated pricing, leading to disputes. In addition, a lack of transparency on fees, discounts and project fee structuring has often prevented potential clients from seeking professional design advice at all.

Discover how SBID recommends interior design fees should be structured for best practice.

The common practice of designers passing trade discounts to their customers, i.e. the public, shrinks the development of interior design as a profession and ultimately costs each market sector profit and reputation. It is not surprising that those who trade in this practice are the largest sector in administration and bankruptcy. They are also the most boisterous when policies such as the SBID Fair Trading Policy are introduced. SBID’s aim in implementing the Fair Trading Policy is specifically to further separate hobbyists from professionals and, in doing so, raise the standards of the entire profession.

Practitioners who provide a design service free of charge undermine the overall design industry. It is neither appropriate nor financially sustainable for professionals to provide their key performance, their design knowledge and advice, free of charge. It is by charging a fee for the trained services of a professional designer, that a designer generates income.

Retail prices include the cost of stock and customer service. Trade prices are products supplied on business to business (B2B) terms by manufacturers, or professional industry partners (PIPs). Interior design has until now rarely respected the difference. Currently, two common unprofessional billing methods adopted by designers are:
1. Sharing trade prices as leverage to obtain projects;
2. Providing a free design service, creating income from ‘supplying goods’ only.

All too often a designer’s unrealistic recognition of project costs and random product supply between trade and retail-pricing generates customer complaints. This common practice is therefore a threat to the overall reputation and growth of the profession of design.

Other grey areas of passing on trade prices to one-time-purchasers make it impossible for retailers to compete fairly. Supplying goods has additional costs attached for different performances: retailers absorb costs such as showroom space, staffing, after-sales service and product training etc. which designers do not provide.

There is a clear additional cost in every sale a retailer makes when compared to the service provided by a designer. Designers may need to install, take delivery, organise returns of products, and so on, and this clearly has time (and cost) attached. Therefore the fee a designer earns in a trade price reflects some of the services the designer performs.

Under the SBID Fair Trading Policy, a clear charging system sets out procedures for other services such as sourcing and supplying products. SBID design professionals are encouraged to be transparent about rates for hourly, daily and project billing fees in their terms of engagement.

The policy supports SBID Designers and PIPs* and provides a fair, equitable industry plan for growth. Registered SBID international industry body members are supported by the policy to promote qualified services, however the policy does not advise, direct or propose what a fee rate should be.
*PIPs - Professional Industry Partner

About SBID

- SBID was formed in March 2009 meeting the European Councils entry criteria for Interior Designers and Architects and was inducted into the European Council of Interior Architects (ECIA) in September 2009.

- Until 2009, Britain remained unqualified to meet the eighteen year old EU standards in interior design

- The sixteen page Intellectual Property owned document* formed the basis of the registration of SBID under British Law and part of the terms of membership of the European Council of Interior Architects (ECIA)

- Andrew Rolfe is one of Britain’s leading (top 100) contract lawyers, a member of the SBID Advisory Board and partner of Clifford Chance law firm.
*The sixteen page business prospectus is the intellectual property and copyright of Vanessa         Brady and Andrew Rolfe; its joint creators. It may not be reproduced without written authority from its joint creators.

- The SBID Fair Trading Policy is part of a joined up business plan that creates the bases of a design professional through education, practice and control with the aim of protecting the consumer and improving the professional image and performance of design professionals.- SBID is a Professional body raising, promoting and setting standards to create opportunities for design professionals to trade pan-industry providing design advice products and support services. The SBID Fair Trading Policy supports and builds on the relationship between these market sectors to create a clear route to market for the professional sector of design. The outcome will be a joined-up industry.

British bespoke bed-maker and acclaimed SBID member, Vi-Spring, has become the first UK bed-maker to be awarded the Woolmark for its luxurious collection of all-wool beds.  Made using 100 per cent wool – from fillings to upholstery – Vi-Spring’s Shetland Collection is the first of its kind, with exclusive use of real Shetland wool; a naturally soft, warm and sustainable fibre.

Recognised around the world, the respected Woolmark is synonymous with quality and guaranteed wool content. Vi-Spring's luxury all-wool range, The Shetland Collection, underwent rigorous independent testing to comply with the Woolmark's quality and performance criteria.

Vi-Spring’s Shetland Superb with Wool Sovereign divan

Each and every bed is handcrafted in Vi-Spring’s Devon workshop using the finest mix of real Shetland wool and pure Platinum Certified British Fleece Wool and finished with hand-tied woollen tufts. A selection is available of the highest quality all-wool fabrics to cover divan base and headboard to create a stand out look in the bedroom.

A planet friendly fibre, wool is uniquely suited to bed-making thanks to its natural softness, warmth and durability. It is an effective insulator and works to keep you cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and to draw moisture away from the body before releasing it into the air, ensuring a clean, fresh and hypoallergenic sleeping surface. Wool is also naturally resistant to dust mites, making a perfect choice for allergy sufferers.

Vi-Spring is proud to promote the Woolmark with The Shetland Collection, which includes the Shetland and Shetland Superb (as well as the Gatcombe and Marrister bedstead mattress, which are exclusive to John Lewis). Vi-Spring is also a keen supporter of the Campaign for Wool, which is committed to preserving Britain's precious wool industry.

An interesting and important discussion is being launched here by kitchen design expert and SBID member Darren Morgan. This blog appeared in Modenus, one of SBID’s media partner for which Darren contributes regularly. Please feel free to leave a comment below. For more information about Darren, his work as a kitchen designer, writer and speaker, please contact him through his website.

‘I, like many, understand the power of hope and the bitterness of disappointment.  The everyday exchanges that make up our lives are potentially loaded with both these emotions.  But no matter how proactive we are in trying to protect our hope from disappointment, inevitably sometimes our valiant efforts are unsuccessful!

The funny thing about hope is that you only experience it when looking forward while disappointment always occurs in the present or past.  It therefore seems appropriate as we look back at 2011 to consider the impact of both disappointment and hope upon the kitchen industry.

It is true that one of the main disappointments of 2011 has been the inability to shake off the global debt crisis which has not only hung around like a bad smell but has decided to act like an evil hobgoblin and dig its claws deeper into an industry that is reeling from an uncertain Euro zone.  This uncertainty has stifled opportunities; well any that involves spending money, and even if corporate cash has been spent, those responsible for signing the cheque may well decide to change their mind as uncertain financial fear spreads like a disease.  There have been one or two high profile companies who have decided to rethink their investment lately with Indesit deciding to abandon visionary plans for Scholtès UK and Lechner deciding to consolidate their efforts as opposed to spreading them wider.

But sometimes the darkness of disappointment can encourage us to look for the light of hope in places and ways we never imagined.  Adaptation in the face of adversity is a basic human evolutionary principle that can be applied to our lives and our work. Although these shock disappointments cause further uncertainty and fear they also create gaps and market opportunities for other brands.

Because of wider economic pressures and disappointments the kitchen industry is now undergoing a pubescent change.  Gone are the good old days where companies could have it how they liked, acting like spoiled kids who didn’t need to adapt or change.  The kitchen industry is currently undergoing a period of introverted reflection and beginning to appreciate core values which will make it stronger in the future.  And this new found maturity is certainly offering hope.

With less money around in the economy the kitchen industry is now driven by a clear need to deliver stylish value.  And this determination brings with it better products, better service and better design.  We are currently in the process of redefining the evolutionary path of kitchen design and therefore the industry as we know it.

Technology is driving the change with manufacturers using it to increase efficiency and market share.  The products delivered by the flamboyant research and development budgets of the past are now being reconsidered, adapted and transformed in order to make them better and more cost effective.  This is particularly evident in the production of laminate materials where choices and design options have bounded forward giving designers a cost effective alternative material to work with.  The change in market conditions may also see a long term re-investment in Western industry as Eastern manufacturing regions like China may not seem as economically appealing to large scale producers.

For years kitchen designers have been seen as a consequential by-product of kitchen sales but now design is finally being accepted as a fundamental part of the process.  2011 has seen a surge in the number of associations and groups focused on the promotion of kitchen design as an important and influential discipline.  Although it is disappointing that these groups appear to have different approaches and objectives, their very existence does provide hope for the future, encouraging new talent to get involved and changing the public perception of the lowly kitchen designer.

Because of the new importance given to kitchen design as a facilitator of sales software companies are investing heavily in order to make their products better.  A major hope for the future is that 3D technology will begin to redefine the interface between retailer and consumer allowing designers creativity to flourish and consumers understanding to grow.  The advancements in 3D technology will not  involve standing in a showroom wearing funny glasses either as the technology already exists to experience 3D without them.  Clients will experience kitchen design in an augmented virtual reality where they can use online resources and Apps to create photorealistic visions of their future space.

Imagine using your iPad as a window into the future, allowing you to stand in a pre-fitted architectural space and appreciate the post installed results.  Simply by moving and rotating the iPad you will be able to see what your new kitchen will look like before it is even made.  These advancements may well impact the current retail model with showrooms becoming smaller and in some cases, virtual spaces!  The reality of remote showroom accessibility and newly “qualified” kitchen designers acting as design and product translators may well be just around the corner!  Who said change wasn’t exciting!

Every cloud has a silver lining and every problem has a solution so don’t let the industry failings and disappointments of the past 12 months dampen your hopes for wp-content/2012.  If you are inventive, passionate and persistent your hopes for wp-content/2012 could deliver your best year yet!’