Karndean Commercial has achieved accreditation from the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) at the University of Stirling for 19 designs within its Opus collection, providing architects, designers and specifiers with independently assessed flooring options for care and healthcare environments.
The accreditation highlights the important role thoughtful design can play in supporting people living with dementia. Assessed against recognised dementia-friendly design principles, the selected Opus wood and stone designs have been evaluated for factors including colour contrast, visual clarity and pattern complexity, helping specifiers create environments that are easier to understand and navigate.
Flooring is increasingly being recognised as a significant contributor to how people experience and interpret their surroundings. In care homes, retirement living communities and healthcare settings, carefully specified flooring can help create environments that support independence, confidence and wellbeing.
Richard Allen, VP of sales for commercial at Karndean Commercial, said: "Designing for people living with dementia requires a thoughtful understanding of how the built environment influences confidence, orientation and day-to-day experiences. Flooring is one of the largest visual surfaces within a space, so it plays a crucial role in helping occupants interpret and navigate their surroundings.
"The DSDC accreditation of selected Opus designs provides designers and specifiers with additional reassurance that these products have been independently assessed against recognised dementia-friendly criteria. It gives greater confidence when creating environments that support both the practical and emotional needs of occupants."
Dominic Chu, architect and product accreditation lead at the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), University of Stirling, said: “The physical environment plays an important role in supporting people living with dementia, and flooring is one of the most influential elements within a space. Carefully considered design choices can help create environments that are easier to understand, navigate and use with confidence.
"Products that achieve DSDC accreditation have been independently assessed against recognised dementia-friendly design principles, providing specifiers with greater reassurance when selecting materials for care, healthcare and retirement living environments.
"By considering factors such as visual contrast, pattern complexity and overall legibility, designers can create spaces that support independence, orientation and wellbeing while delivering high standards of design and functionality."
The accredited Opus products include a curated selection of wood and stone-effect luxury vinyl flooring designs. Within the wood portfolio, designs such as Columba, Avena and Barolo Oak feature subtle grain variation, consistent colour tones and minimal visual interruption, helping reduce unnecessary visual complexity while maintaining the natural appearance often preferred in care and healthcare environments.
Alongside the wood designs, stone-effect floors including Mico, Fumo and Urbus can be used to support intuitive wayfinding strategies, helping designers subtly distinguish between circulation routes, communal areas and private spaces without introducing sudden visual changes that may cause confusion.
The accreditation also extends to patterned designs including Dalmata, Pleta and Dolce, which offer understated, non-directional visuals that can add character and interest while avoiding excessive pattern complexity.
In addition to meeting recognised dementia-friendly design principles, the accredited Opus products achieve a 36+ Pendulum Test Value (PTV), providing low slip potential and supporting confidence underfoot in environments where occupant safety is a priority.
Designed to meet the demands of busy commercial environments, the accredited Opus collection is backed by a 20-year commercial warranty and combines long-term durability with low-maintenance performance, helping specifiers deliver interiors built to stand the test of time. Supporting Karndean Commercial's wider sustainability commitments, Opus is also included within the Karndean Evolve take-back scheme for clean installation offcuts, helping reduce waste and support a more circular approach to specification.
Importantly, many of the principles associated with dementia-friendly design also align with wider inclusive design objectives. Flooring that is visually clear and easy to interpret can benefit people with visual impairments, neurodiversity and changing mobility needs, helping create more accessible environments for everyone.
By combining evidence-based design principles with the practical performance demanded in commercial settings, the accredited Opus collection offers specifiers a flooring solution that balances durability, aesthetics and inclusive design.
About Karndean Designflooring
Karndean is a global supplier of commercial and residential luxury vinyl tile flooring. We’re an industry leader in flooring design, offering a wide range of colours, textures and finishes, helping you create unique looks that are both stylish and practical; guaranteed to last. We see flooring differently. We travel the world in our quest to bring you exceptional floors that inspire and delight. From the ancient forests of Europe, to the remote Australian outback, we seek out expressive and intriguing forms in the natural world to influence our unique floor designs. By combining original features with cutting edge design, we create beautiful floors that bring your vision to life and take our clients on an endless journey of design discovery.
If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more.
If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.
Bespoke is one of the most frequently used terms in luxury kitchen design, yet its meaning can vary considerably. From cabinetry available in an extensive selection of finishes to furniture conceived and crafted for a particular space, the distinction is not always immediately clear.
For interior designers, understanding what lies behind the term is essential. True bespoke design offers far more than aesthetic choice. It provides the freedom to respond to architectural conditions, develop individual details and create furniture that reflects how clients live.
At Roundhouse, bespoke kitchen design combines creative freedom with the manufacturing expertise needed to bring ambitious ideas to life. The value lies not simply in producing something different, but in delivering thoughtful solutions that enhance the wider interior.
So, what should designers look for when specifying a genuinely bespoke kitchen?
A comprehensive palette of colours, materials and door styles can offer considerable flexibility, but this alone does not make a kitchen truly bespoke.
Customised kitchens generally provide choices within an established system, while made to measure furniture adapts existing designs to suit particular dimensions. Bespoke design goes further, allowing the cabinetry itself to evolve around the project, from its proportions and construction to internal arrangements and individual architectural details.
The distinction becomes particularly important when a design calls for something outside a manufacturer's standard offering. Can cabinetry depths be altered as readily as widths? Can a completely new door profile be developed? Can internal storage be designed around specific requirements rather than predetermined components?
Roundhouse's Meunière project demonstrates how this freedom can shape the character of an interior. Bespoke beading was developed to give the cabinetry the appearance of traditional wall panelling, while push to open doors allow appliances and storage to remain discreetly concealed. Rather than standing apart as a conventional kitchen, the furniture becomes an integral part of the elegant living space.
For interior designers, the significance of bespoke lies in this ability to achieve a particular design intention. Individuality has the greatest value when it contributes to the overall composition, functionality and experience of a room.
Successful kitchen design begins with an understanding of the building itself. Proportion, natural light, sightlines, circulation and connections to adjoining spaces should all inform the design long before cabinetry finishes are selected.
This is particularly relevant in renovations and kitchen extensions, where early coordination between the kitchen designer and the wider project team can help establish a more coherent scheme. A layout must also be considered in the context of the complete interior. An island that appears generously proportioned on a drawing may feel entirely different once dining furniture, open doors and everyday movement are taken into account.
The importance of architectural sensitivity is illustrated by Roundhouse's Meard Street project. Within this Grade I listed London property, the kitchen furniture was designed to avoid contact with or disturbance to the protected original architecture.
The existing building therefore informed the design from the outset, rather than becoming a constraint to resolve later.
Bespoke manufacturing provides the flexibility to respond to such conditions through carefully considered dimensions, changes in height or depth and precise junctions between furniture and architecture.
For designers working with unusual proportions or sensitive historic interiors, this adaptability can be fundamental to achieving a successful result without compromising the visual language of the space.
Some of the most compelling applications of bespoke furniture are found in areas that conventional cabinetry struggles to accommodate.
Sloping ceilings, irregular walls, shallow recesses and changing floor levels can present opportunities for creative design. However, making use of every available centimetre is only beneficial when the resulting space remains practical and accessible.
At Roundhouse's Chilvers project, bespoke walnut joinery follows the changing height beneath a staircase, transforming an otherwise awkward area into purposeful storage.
The design responds directly to the architecture, making the most of the available space without sacrificing usability.
The same principle applies within kitchen cabinetry. Effective internal storage design begins with understanding the client's possessions, routines and practical requirements.
Large appliances, serving dishes, unusually shaped cookware and everyday essentials can all influence the dimensions and arrangement of drawers, cupboards and internal fittings.
For interior designers, this level of detail is an important consideration when assessing bespoke capability. If the exterior dimensions can change but the internal configuration remains fixed, the design may still be restricted by the limitations of an existing range.
Genuine bespoke furniture allows both the exterior and interior to be developed together, ensuring that the finished cabinetry responds as thoughtfully to its contents as it does to the surrounding architecture.
Creative freedom is only as valuable as the ability to translate a design into beautifully executed furniture.
Complex curves, specialist metal finishes and intricate junctions require a detailed understanding of materials, construction and manufacturing. The relationship between the designer's vision and the maker's expertise is therefore central to the success of a bespoke project.
Roundhouse manufactures its Design Collection at its own factory in Malvern, Worcestershire, where traditional cabinetmaking techniques are combined with precision engineering.
This close connection between design and manufacture allows individual details to be developed with the craftspeople responsible for producing them, extending the possibilities beyond a predetermined collection of components.
The Fairgreen project is an example of this approach. A sunken, curved banquette is incorporated into the back of the kitchen island, creating an integrated dining arrangement. Elsewhere, antique brass wrapped wall cabinetry has been hand burnished to achieve a distinctive patina.
The success of the design lies not simply in the selection of curved forms or brass finishes, but in the precise geometry, construction and finishing that bring these elements together.
When specifying bespoke furniture, designers should consider how a manufacturer approaches unfamiliar details. The ability to collaborate with skilled makers, test construction methods and develop individual solutions can make the difference between adapting an existing product and creating something genuinely unique.
Bespoke kitchens are inherently individual, and their cost reflects the decisions involved in design, specification and manufacture.
Although no two projects share precisely the same requirements, transparency around investment remains important. Scale, construction complexity, specialist finishes, internal fittings, worktops and appliances all contribute to the overall cost.
The value of luxury bespoke kitchen design extends beyond the visible materials. It also encompasses the design development, technical expertise and skilled craftsmanship required to achieve a particular result.
Roundhouse's Ashbury project illustrates how carefully selected details can establish the identity of an entire scheme. Bespoke brass detailing and a steel table frame positioned within the island introduce sculptural contrast, creating a distinctive focal point.
For interior designers, the challenge is often to determine where investment will have the greatest impact.
An exceptional island, a carefully engineered dining arrangement or storage developed to resolve a particular architectural challenge may justify a more complex specification. Elsewhere, simpler detailing can help balance the overall budget without diminishing the design.
Early conversations about cost can support these decisions. Roundhouse's pricing calculator provides an initial tailored estimate based on the size and layout of a space, materials, appliances and project complexity.
Although it is not a substitute for a detailed quotation, it offers a useful starting point for understanding the factors that influence investment.
Clear specification is equally important when comparing proposals. Designers should establish what is included within the quoted scope, from VAT and installation to worktops, appliances and delivery, as well as identifying any separately priced building works or services.
Ultimately, bespoke design does not depend on unlimited budgets. It depends on thoughtful priorities, technical understanding and the ability to direct investment towards the elements that make the greatest difference.
The defining quality of a genuinely bespoke kitchen is not simply its individuality, but how successfully that individuality serves the wider interior.
From cabinetry developed around protected architectural features to specialist finishes, integrated seating and precisely tailored storage, bespoke furniture offers interior designers the freedom to respond to the particular demands of each project.
When design intent, manufacturing expertise and practical requirements are considered together, the result is more than a beautifully finished kitchen. It becomes an integral part of the architecture, shaped around the people who will use it and the space it occupies.
For interior designers looking to incorporate bespoke kitchens and furniture into their next residential project, Roundhouse offers the opportunity to explore individual materials, detailing and design solutions. Download the Roundhouse brochure for inspiration from completed projects, or arrange a showroom visit to experience the craftsmanship, finishes and possibilities of bespoke design first hand.
About Roundhouse Design Ltd
Founded by architects, Roundhouse is a multi-award-winning British company, creating beautiful bespoke kitchens and furniture. Their stunning kitchen designs feature a signature understated aesthetic, influenced by contemporary and traditional design, using innovative materials, texture and colour. Each project is made to measure from a wide range of stunning finishes. Expertly crafted by skilled designers and makers in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Malvern, Worcestershire. Visit any of seven Roundhouse Design kitchen showrooms; Wigmore St, Clapham, Fulham, Richmond, Cambridge, Guildford & Cheltenham.
In recent years, the bathroom has evolved from a purely function space into somewhere to relax and recharge. With the right design choices, wellness features once reserved for high-end hotels and spas are now becoming increasingly accessible, with more homeowners incorporating them into their personal spaces.
Sunlight ensures our bodies function optimally, and with Sunshower, you can make its positive effects part of your daily shower ritual. Sunshower’s infrared light creates a feeling of wellbeing and warm relaxation, nourishing your body and strengthening your vitality, whilst the low-dose UV light promotes the natural production of vitamin D, helping to build a stronger immune system and improve energy.
“With both the recessed and surface-mounted variants, Sunshower can be incorporated into any bathroom. It’s particularly appealing where you may be limited on space. If there’s no room for a bath, for example, you can still create a dedicated wellness experience within the shower itself.” - Andrew Brown, Country Manager UK at Sunshower
When designing a relaxing bathroom, it’s important to prioritise flow and usability. Consider how you move through the room and ensure that everything you need is within easy reach.
“It’s often the smallest details that make the biggest difference to how a bathroom feels,” says Emma Scott, Director of Client Design at C.P. Hart. “Think about where you’ll reach for a towel or how you’ll turn on the shower to avoid getting caught by the initial burst of cold water.”
Around the bath, allow space for essentials such as scrubs, candles, or even a glass of wine. Baths with integrated shelving, such as the Relax Design Hui freestanding bath, offer a seamless way to keep these items close at hand while maintaining a clean, considered aesthetic.
With today’s emphasis on wellness, steam rooms have become an increasingly sought-after choice for those renovating their bathrooms. A steam generator delivers a wellness experience of the utmost relaxation, enhanced by aromatherapy and ambient RGB lighting. And it’s easier to have at home than you might initially expect!
“Nowadays, you don’t necessarily need to design a dedicated spa room to enjoy the benefits of steam. Many clients prefer to convert their shower enclosure into a steam room to make better use of the available space, whilst also upgrading their everyday routines.” - Andy Pickard, General Sales Manager, Guildford Flagship
About C.P. Hart
C.P. Hart is an established bathroom supplier with over 85 years of experience in specifying and sourcing the world’s most innovative and durable premium bathroom products. A successful Contracts division operates with architects, designers, and contractors, often on major commercial property developments and hotels, whilst a highly qualified in-house design team works with individual and private clients, ensuring each bathroom is as unique as it is beautiful. C.P. Hart has always insisted on using the finest materials and advanced manufacturing techniques to create the highest quality classical and contemporary bathrooms. The brand has also developed a reputation for showcasing some of the world’s most talented and innovative bathroom designers, located in our showrooms across the UK and led by our expansive flagship in Waterloo, London. C.P. Hart’s bathroom collections include brassware, sanitaryware, furniture, tiles, home spas, and a range of other essential components for bespoke bathrooms.
The UK’s leading lighting specification event returns to London this November, bringing together more than 200 brands, innovative lighting solutions, expert talks and two days of industry connection – with free registration now open.
LiGHT 26, the UK’s only trade show dedicated to high-end lighting specification, returns to the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on 18th and 19th November 2026, bringing together architects, lighting designers, interior designers and the wider specification community for two days of product discovery, inspiration and conversation.
Lighting plays a fundamental role in design and architecture, influencing how buildings are experienced, how materials and architectural features are perceived, and how spaces function throughout the day and into the evening. From enhancing the character of a historic façade to creating comfortable, adaptable workplaces or bringing depth and atmosphere to hospitality environments, thoughtful lighting design is an integral part of the architectural process.
LiGHT 26 provides an opportunity to explore the latest developments in lighting, discover new approaches to specification and connect directly with the manufacturers and specialists helping to shape the built environment.
More than 200 leading international lighting brands will showcase their latest products, technologies and innovations across three dedicated zones: Architectural, Decorative and Technical.
For architects and specifiers, the Architectural Zone offers a valuable opportunity to explore lighting solutions for a wide range of applications, from commercial developments and public spaces to residential, hospitality and heritage projects. Visitors can discover the latest in integrated lighting, optical performance, flexibility and control, alongside products designed to complement architectural form, materials and detailing.
The Technical Zone provides further insight into the technologies influencing the future of building design, including intelligent lighting controls, connected systems and solutions that support energy efficiency, adaptability and long-term building performance. As sustainability, operational efficiency and occupant wellbeing continue to influence architectural decision-making, the opportunity to engage directly with technical specialists is particularly valuable.
Meanwhile, the Decorative Zone brings together an impressive selection of international brands, showcasing statement pieces and design-led collections that demonstrate how lighting can contribute to the visual identity and character of a space.
With leading names from across the international lighting industry exhibiting, LiGHT 26 offers architects the opportunity to experience products first-hand, discuss technical requirements and explore solutions that could inform current and future projects.
Beyond the exhibition stands, LiGHT 26 offers plenty more to experience.
The [d]arc thoughts talks programme, curated by [d]arc media, will bring together influential voices from lighting, architecture, interiors and the wider design community to explore the ideas, challenges and opportunities shaping the industry. From creative approaches to the built environment to emerging technologies and changing expectations around sustainability, the programme provides a platform for knowledge sharing and discussion across disciplines.
A further programme of splinter talks will take place within the Associations Lounge, offering additional opportunities to exchange ideas, develop knowledge and connect with industry organisations.
Completely free to attend, LiGHT 26 offers architects and design professionals two days to discover new products, explore the relationship between light and architecture, gain fresh perspectives and connect with the people and technologies influencing the future of the built environment.
If lighting is part of your architecture, LiGHT 26 should be in your diary. Register now for your free ticket.
About LiGHT Expo
The LiGHT exhibition is held over two days at the Business Design Centre. The show highlights include the [d]arc thoughts talks programme, with a stream of guests keen to learn more about the hot topics from interior design, architecture and lighting. The event features a bespoke decorative lighting hub showcasing a range of brands, as well as an exclusive designers lounge.
Cosentino expands the Silestone® portfolio with Mineral Harmony, a collection conceived to bring balance and timeless sophistication to interior spaces. Designed for worktops, islands, wall cladding and integrated furniture, the collection translates the serenity and subtle beauty of mineral landscapes into contemporary design, offering versatile surfaces that combine refined aesthetics, functionality and durability.
The series comprises two timeless shades, Soft Sand and Clay Veil - designed to fit naturally with design styles such as warm minimalism, contemporary Mediterranean or the Japandi aesthetic.
This light sandy tone presents a homogeneous appearance enriched by discreet organic strokes. Its subtle patterning brings depth and movement without disrupting visual balance, making it a versatile and timeless option for all types of applications.
A mineral-inspired clay beige that captures the warmth of the most natural earthy tones. Across its subtle background appear soft, blurred veins and washes that blend with extreme delicacy, creating a restrained, sophisticated and welcoming surface—ideal for projects seeking a serene and timeless aesthetic.
Mineral Harmony is the first collection launched within the Silestone® QXeron family, a new generation of zero crystalline silica surfaces* from Silestone®. The new colours incorporate a high percentage of recycled materials and premium minerals, uniting innovation, design and sustainability without compromising the performance that has historically defined the brand. The collection offers exceptional resistance to impacts, stains, moisture, scratching and high temperatures, backed by a warranty of up to 25 years.
About Cosentino
Cosentino Group is a global, Spanish, family-owned company that produces and distributes high value innovative surfaces for the world of design and architecture. It works together with its clients and partners to provide with solutions that offer design and value, and inspire the life of many people. This objective is possible thanks to pioneering and leading brands in their respective segments such as Silestone®, Dekton® or Sensa by Cosentino®. Technologically advanced surfaces that allow the creation of unique environments and designs for the home and public spaces.
Karta has expanded its Recycled Leather Series with an oversized herringbone format created for contemporary interiors. Each block measures 200mm x 900mm x 9mm, giving the familiar pattern greater scale, stronger rhythm and a confident presence across open-plan spaces.
The increased proportions give grain movement, tonal shifts and individual timber characteristics room to register across the floor. Designers can use the format to define focal areas, establish routes and mark changes in function, with a square-shoulder edge maintaining a precise, uninterrupted pattern.
Oversized herringbone shares the five-layer click-system construction, 9mm depth and material composition of Karta's wide plank format. Both formats can sit within one specification, supporting considered transitions and changes in laying direction across adjoining areas.
The format is offered in Mitchell, Magnus, Bowen and Wyld, four keystone surfaces from the Recycled Leather Series. Each design originates from genuine timber held within the Ted Todd and Woodworks by Ted Todd archives. Karta's patented high-definition scanning process captures the grain, knots, sap markings and tonal variation of the original boards. More than 40 distinct herringbone blocks can be laid before any surface image repeats, preserving natural variation throughout larger schemes.
Karta developed the Recycled Leather Series as a material-led alternative to plastic-based resilient flooring. The construction contains zero plastics or petrochemicals, with zero SVOCs and low VOCs.
Each layer carries a clear function. Cork forms the backing, integrating underlay and contributing acoustic absorption, thermal insulation and comfort underfoot. A PEFC-certified wood fibre core uses recycled timber, sawdust and underused parts of the tree to provide strength and stability. Recycled leather made from post-industrial offcuts sourced across Europe adds impact resistance and keeps valuable material in circulation.
The surface design is printed with biodegradable inks and protected by Karta Plated®, a plastic-free AC5-rated topcoat created for demanding, high-traffic environments. Together, these materials form a resilient click-system floor built for commercial use.
Karta was created within the Ted Todd Group and draws on more than three decades of timber expertise. Access to the group's archive gives every Recycled Leather Series design a genuine source, including rare, antique and reclaimed timbers with distinctive provenance.
The oversized herringbone format extends that knowledge into a new spatial language. Its greater proportions make the surface detail legible across hospitality, workplace, retail, leisure and residential settings, and give specifiers another way to carry one material story through varied zones.
The new oversized herringbone format joins Karta's Recycled Leather Series alongside wide plank. Samples, technical information and project support are available from the Karta commercial flooring team.
About Ted Todd Group
Ted Todd Group brings together three distinctive flooring brands, each shaped by material knowledge and a design perspective. Ted Todd is the home of wood floorcraft, creating exceptional solid and engineered wood floors for homes and commercial interiors. Woodworks by Ted Todd specialises in extraordinary British floorcraft, including antique, reclaimed and bespoke designs handcrafted in Cheshire. Karta reimagines flooring through innovative, design-led surfaces made with recycled leather and eco-fibre. More than three decades of expertise inform every collection, service and specification. With responsible sourcing and enduring performance, Ted Todd Group helps architects, designers and homeowners create remarkable spaces worldwide.
Control room operators work in some of the most demanding environments imaginable. From utilities and transportation networks to emergency services and security operations, today's control rooms require consoles that deliver exceptional reliability, flexibility and ergonomic performance around the clock.
Developed by LundHalsey specifically for these high-demand environments, the OPTIMA control room console sets a new benchmark in control room console design and combines advanced ergonomics with innovative engineering to meet the evolving needs of modern 24/7 operations.
At the heart of OPTIMA is LundHalsey's distinctive floating architecture, a defining design feature that creates a visually lighter, more refined console while maintaining the strength, stability and durability expected from a mission-critical control room console.
While visually striking, the floating architecture is more than a design statement. It is a highly engineered solution that requires precise movement, exceptional structural integrity and dependable performance throughout the full height adjustment range.
For operators, the result is a console that combines sophisticated aesthetics with practical functionality, enabling comfortable and intuitive transitions between seated and standing working positions throughout long shifts.
Unlike sit-stand furniture designed for office use, OPTIMA has been developed specifically for environments where operational performance cannot be compromised. It meets ISO 11064 control room standards and is built to support operator comfort and performance across continuous shifts.
The console delivers: - Smooth and responsive electric height adjustment - Excellent stability throughout the entire movement range - Reliable performance in continuous-use environments - Enhanced operator comfort and wellbeing - A clean, modern design without compromising functionality
This combination allows organisations to support operator performance and comfort while maintaining the robustness required for mission-critical operations.
Creating a console with a floating architecture presents significant engineering challenges. Because the design reduces the visible supporting structure, the lifting system takes on more of the job of keeping the console rigid. It must hold the work surface level and stable under the weight of monitors, monitor arms and integrated equipment at every point in the height range, while still delivering smooth, controlled movement.
To achieve this, LundHalsey selected LINAK electric actuator systems as the foundation for OPTIMA's height adjustment, providing the heavy-duty lifting capacity the console requires.
The integration of LINAK technology ensures the console delivers: - Precise and synchronised movement - Quiet and controlled operation - Reliable positioning at any working height - Long-term performance and durability - The structural confidence required to support the distinctive floating architecture
The result is a seamless experience for operators and a dependable solution for organisations that rely on continuous operational performance.
The successful development of OPTIMA builds on a relationship between LundHalsey and LINAK UK Ltd that extends back more than 20 years. Throughout that time, both organisations have shared a commitment to engineering excellence and innovation in demanding control room applications.
As Rob Parker, Operations Director at LundHalsey, explains: "LundHalsey delivers specialist control room console solutions for leading organisations worldwide, many operating in high-demand, 24/7, business-critical environments where product performance and reliability cannot be compromised. LINAK has been an important long-standing partner to us, combining its proven movement technology with warranty confidence, excellent account management and technical support. OPTIMA is a strong example of how that partnership helps us deliver the quality, adaptability, innovation and design integrity our customers expect."
Over the years, advances in LINAK actuator technology have enabled LundHalsey to continually enhance its console solutions, delivering improvements in adjustment precision, load capacity, acoustic performance and energy efficiency.
OPTIMA demonstrates what can be achieved when innovative product design is supported by proven movement technology.
Combining LundHalsey's signature floating architecture with LINAK's actuator expertise has produced a control room console that enhances operator comfort and delivers the stability and reliability required in mission-critical environments.
As control rooms continue to evolve, OPTIMA shows how intelligent engineering and a long-standing partnership can define the next generation of control room consoles.
About LINAK
LINAK® produces electric linear actuator solutions to create smooth movement in a variety of applications. From healthcare to agriculture, comfort furniture, office interiors, or industrial automation – the options are endless.
Guess what? Clients love to watch stuff. A necessary evil that, when it’s on, can earn its place. When it is off, however, it often becomes that ubiquitous large black rectangle dictating the layout of an otherwise carefully considered room.
But it does not have to be this way.
The most interesting technology projects today are not really about making screens more visible. They are about allowing them to disappear altogether. While some of these solutions have been with us for a while, they are sometimes forgotten and client awareness remains surprisingly low.
At Wakefields, we increasingly look at television design in the same way an interior designer might look at lighting, joinery or artwork: as something that should work with the room rather than dominate it.
One of the most elegant approaches is to incorporate the screen into bespoke joinery. A television can sit behind a wall panel that moves vertically into a concealed pocket, leaving behind a completely uninterrupted wall surface when the screen is not in use. The same idea can work laterally. Panels can move left or right, sometimes temporarily covering adjacent shelving as they reveal the television behind. It means the wall has two different characters: one as a beautifully detailed piece of joinery, the other as a media wall. This can be particularly effective in living rooms where the television is used regularly but should not become the visual focal point of the space.
The end-of-bed television lift is perhaps the most familiar example of concealed AV, but the same principle can be used almost anywhere. Large screens can rise silently from sideboards, cabinets or purpose-built furniture and disappear again when viewing is finished. The advantage is simple: the room can be arranged around the people using it, rather than around a permanently visible screen. For bedrooms, open-plan living spaces and rooms with beautiful views, that can completely change the design conversation.
Another option is to physically conceal the television behind a piece of art. This is different from a television displaying a digital approximation of a painting, that’s always ‘on’.
Offering a far more tactile experience, printed canvas or artwork can be mounted within a chosen frame and mechanically moved to reveal the television behind. Depending on the installation, the artwork might roll upwards as part of the TV frame itself, move vertically or horizontally as a panel, or split into two sections.
When closed, what you see is a genuine decorative surface rather than a screen pretending not to be one. That distinction matters in rooms where the artwork itself is part of the interior scheme.
There are other possibilities too.
Mirror televisions allow the display to virtually disappear into a framed mirror when switched off, with a wide choice of frame styles making them particularly useful in bedrooms, dressing rooms and more traditional interiors.
Screens can also be concealed within ceilings and fold down only when required. In other spaces, televisions can retract completely into wall cavities or purpose-built furniture.
The technology behind these solutions is clever, but ideally you should never really notice it. That’s the point.
The best concealed television is not necessarily the most complicated one. It is the solution that makes sense for the architecture, the furniture and the way the room is actually used.
Sometimes that means a screen behind artwork. Sometimes it means a beautifully detailed sliding panel. Sometimes it simply means allowing a television to disappear into a cabinet. And sometimes it means no television at all.
The key is to make these decisions early enough that the technology can be integrated properly, rather than added once the room has already been designed. Because great technology should enhance an interior, not announce itself within it.
If you are designing a space where the screen needs to be there — but you would rather it disappeared when not in use — get in touch and we can explore what is possible.
About Wakefields of London
Wakefields works in partnership with interior designers, architects and homeowners to ensure technology is seamlessly integrated from the outset. Our approach protects and enhances the design vision, avoiding compromise and unnecessary visual impact. From lighting control and automated shading to audio, cinema and whole-home systems, every element is carefully considered to support how a space looks, feels and functions. We simplify complexity, guide decisions and deliver systems that are intuitive, reliable and discreet. The result is a home where technology doesn’t compete for attention, but quietly enhances wellbeing, connection and everyday living.
From ancient rituals to modern sanctuaries, the enduring appeal sauna, steam, and cold-water immersion lies in their power to bring us back to ourselves and to redefine wellbeing entirely on our own terms.
Water thrown onto fire-heated stones, partially underground spaces transformed into steam-filled coves, communities coming together for a daily ritual as much as a social gathering.
The sauna, despite its many modern-day innovations, is no new concept. Dating as far back as 6000–7000 BC, ancient cultures practised hot-air breathing and steam traditions as a means of cleansing and purification. Saunas and steam have, and always will be, an integral part of wellbeing.
“Living by the water, I’ve become slightly obsessed with the contrast of cold and heat, especially this summer. Stepping into the sea, then warming up in the sunshine – it’s such a simple thing, but I always come out feeling refreshed and completely reset,” explains C.P. Hart’s Director of Marketing, Mo Goodfellow, in conversation with Rod Featon, the UK Sales Director of Italian wellness brand, Effe. “I love the idea of bringing that feeling home too, with a cold plunge followed by the warmth of a sauna or steam room. For me, it’s about recreating that connection with nature and turning the bathroom into a destination in itself – a private wellbeing oasis.”
“For me,” adds Rod, “the sauna experience is centred around focus and control. The focus is on regulating my breathing which, in turn, should reduce and control my heart rate. It’s about taking time out for yourself and trying to find some inner calm”.
Backed by nearly 40 years of rich heritage, Effe is a world-class designer of public and private spas. Combining traditional bathing methods, cutting-edge technology, and beautifully stylish design, Effe delivers the highest quality wellness experience through its series of sauna and steam products.
“In addition to our long-standing collections, we are so thrilled to introduce Baluar, the striking sauna and hammam created in collaboration with acclaimed Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola,” shares Rod. Reflecting Urquiola’s creative vision – one that is both empathetic and speaks to the senses – Baluar is inspired by the bastion, a defensive structure used in medieval forts that functioned as both protection and a lookout over the surrounding countryside. “I wanted to transform this architectural element into a wellness space: a compact, almost archetypal space where you can relax and unwind,” explains Urquiola.
And for those who are drawn to water, the launch of Effe’s highly anticipated plunge bath offers the ultimate immersion between alternating hot and cold temperatures. A practice found in several wellness traditions, from the Finnish sauna to the Middle Eastern hammam, Effe’s plunge bath can be encased in soothingly scented heat-treated Aspen, Fir wood, Canadian hemlock, dark heat-treated thermal wood, or walnut Canaletto. It’s designed to feel at home in the bathroom or in a dedicated outdoor space.
Perhaps the enduring appeal of these rituals is that there is no single way to experience them. Wellness has no prescribed definition – for some, it’s the opportunity to step aside from the everyday. For others, it’s the discipline of heat and cold, a chance to reset and then reconnect.
At its heart, the meaning of wellbeing is inherently open. It’s entirely yours.
A collection of product launches, design collaborations, and editorial features, download your complimentary copy or visit your nearest showroom to take one home. Discover thoughtful design and inspiring spaces that put your wellbeing at the heart of every detail - wellness, designed around you.
Browse the Lookbook here.
A showroom appointment is an excellent place to inspect our products first-hand, discuss ideas with a sales consultant, and commission a professional bathroom design.
Please book an appointment via the link below to ensure the availability of a sales consultant.
Book an appointment.
Cosentino, global leader in the production of innovative surfaces for architecture and design, announces the expansion of its Dekton® portfolio with the launch of Artik Nodes. Artik Nodes reinterprets mineral beauty through Dekton®’s technology, capturing the richness of Arctic landscapes where ice and rock are traversed by intricate patterns that intersect at nodes, creating a geography of lines in constant transformation.
The collection designs bring an exceptional visual richness, where colours, textures and finishes shape different expressions of the material, from highly polished surfaces with remarkable graphic depth to more tactile and nuanced interpretations.
The result is a precise, durable ultracompact surface designed to deliver multiple aesthetic expressions, from highly graphic surfaces with exceptional depth to more natural and textural finishes, while providing outstanding performance across any architectural application. Just like the brand's entire portfolio, this collection is also specially designed for large surface interior applications including cladding, flooring and countertops, as well as outdoor applications, providing a natural and timeless foundation for residential and commercial projects alike.
Artik Nodes comprises three distinct colourways: - BOREALIS: An ivory white with delicate pinkish hue and irregular sand-coloured veins that structure the surface. A mineral and cool-toned colour that adds depth and restrained elegance. - KOBUK: A deeply rich taupe brown crossed by fine, light veins that intersect across a dense and enveloping background. A warm tone with strong character, offering a sophisticated aesthetic. - NORDAL: A light pearl grey featuring a luminous background traversed by fine diagonal veins with warm coppery undertones. Its graphic pattern alternates between areas of greater density and almost plain sections, creating subtle depth and an ethereal, ice-like appearance.
Artik Nodes is available in thicknesses of 0.8, 1.2 and 2 cm, offering exceptional performance, high resistance to UV rays, fire and heat, scratching, stains and thermal shock, as well as boasting nearly zero porosity. The timeless colourways and designs allow the collection to be a versatile base for contemporary-designed spaces that pair seamlessly with other materials.
Join SBID
Find out more about our flexible membership structure.
By subscribing, you agree to be added to SBID’s mailing list. As an industry’s standard bearer organisation, we strive to bring you the most up to date news and access to exclusive industry content through our various newsletters.
First Name
Last Name
Email Address
I accept the SBID Terms of Use