Melbourne-based and SBID Accredited design brand TSAR Carpets, a leading global manufacturer of luxury custom floor coverings for residential, hospitality, and commercial environments, announced the opening of its new London studio on 28 September 2020. Situated in the Parsons Green district of Fulham, South West London, the studio will serve as TSAR’s UK, European and Middle Eastern base of operations that not only exhibits a comprehensive selection of TSAR carpet and rug product lines, but also serves as a destination for innovative ideas and creative project collaborations with designers and architects.
“We are thrilled to expand our global presence with a new London showroom,” said David Sharpley, CEO and Co-Founder of TSAR Carpets. “TSAR’s product and service commitments will be brought to our residential and commercial trade clients in the UK, Continental Europe, and Middle East territories.”
Joining the TSAR Carpets UK business development team are veterans in the architecture and design industry, Mike Constable and Carly-Anne Fitzgerald. Mike Constable is the Director for TSAR Carpets UK and has worked within the London and UK interior design market for over 20 years and will be a familiar face to many. Following his time with Silent Gliss and Robert Allen, Constable spent 12 years with JAB Anstoetz as UK MD. Carly-Anne Fitzgerald, who is the Business Development Manager and Design Associate for TSAR Carpets UK, has experience in both lighting and furniture design as well as prior experience with carpet, having worked with UK and international manufacturers.
“The new studio is poised to showcase TSAR’s high quality, custom-made carpet and rug portfolio, and further inspire our residential and commercial clients with the spaces they are imagining and designing,” said Constable. “We want designers and architects to have an immersive, tactile experience with TSAR’s products. And together with my colleague Carly-Anne, we are here to serve as a valuable resource for our design-savvy clients.”
The TSAR London studio, located at 126–128 New Kings Road, is a short walk from the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre and The Kings Road, which was made famous by fashion legends Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood. Opening hours are Monday - Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm, by appointment only.
If you'd like to become SBID Accredited, click here to find out more.
The finalists for SBID Awards product design categories were revealed earlier this month! Receiving entries from 49 countries around the world, the SBID Awards 2020 has been the most globally represented edition to date.
With the public vote open until 30 September, you can vote for your favourite products across each of the 17 categories and have your say in which designs have what it takes to take home a prestigious SBID Award!
This category is dedicated to all interior accessories such as cushions, bed linen, tableware, stemware and decorative items including art and photography.
Click here to view all category finalists
This category focuses on any products suitable for use within a bathroom ranging from bathroom cabinets, mirrors and towel rails to shower doors and screens. Both residential and commercial bathroom products are eligible.
This category is dedicated exclusively to brassware. Entries can include but are not limited to mixer, pillar and dual flow taps and shower heads.
This category focuses on interior cabinetry and joinery such as wardrobes, doors, fitted furniture and bespoke pieces.
This category encompasses all commercial and residential fabrics and textiles, upholstery, curtains and curtain accessories. Textiles and fabrics can be synthetic or made from natural fibres.
This category focuses on interior flooring and floor coverings. Entries can include but is not limited to carpet, laminate, tile, vinyl and rugs.
This category is dedicated to all furniture for use within a contract or commercial interior such as a hotel, restaurant or hospital. Furniture can range from tables and chairs to sofas, banquettes, benches and stools.
This category is dedicated to all interior furniture solely for residential use. Furniture can range from tables, chairs and sofas to benches, stools and beds.
This category focuses on heating and cooling in an interior space. Eligible products range from fireplaces, radiators, stoves, grills and underfloor heating to air con, comfort cooling, and fans.
This category is for ironmongery, metalwork and architectural hardware including hinges, locks, handles door knockers and door furniture. Products can also include inset metalwork and bespoke forgery.
This category rewards skill and innovation for kitchen products such as appliances, kitchen cabinets, and kitchen worktops.
This category can include any interior product used within a leisure or wellbeing facility such as a gym, spa or games room. Eligible products include gym equipment, spa equipment and associated wellbeing products to games tables and associated products.
This category is dedicated exclusively to lighting design. products can include general, ambient, mood, task and accent lighting for both residential and contract interiors. Lighting products range from architectural lighting, chandeliers, lamps and desk lights to ceiling lights and bulbs.
This category is solely for outdoor products for either residential or contract use ranging from outdoor furniture, outdoor lighting, signage, garden furniture, sun protection, fire pits, BBQs and grills.
This category is dedicated to sanitaryware including baths, sinks, shower trays, bidets, urinals, wash planes etc.
This category is for audio visual and/or lighting schemes as well as individual products. AV/lighting schemes are eligible for both residential and commercial interiors. Entries should reflect how the concept meets the needs of both the client and the end user. Individual products such as TVs, speakers, home automation and music systems are also eligible.
This category is for architectural and interior surfaces and finishes. These include but are not limited to panels, wallcoverings, stone, veneers, ceramics, wood, acrylic, glass, mouldings, paint and tiles.
Voting closes at 5pm (BST) on 30 September.
Visit www.sbidawards.com to find out more!
SBID Accredited Partner, KI Europe has published new Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its portfolio of UK-manufactured products to help customers meet their sustainability objectives. Valid for five years, these documents help to achieve credits towards SKA, BREEAM, LEED and other certifications and standards.
KI’s furniture helps the world leading organisations create happy, healthy, high performing working and learning environments for their people; bringing together good design, advanced engineering and sustainable resources.
An EPD is a standardised and verified way of quantifying the environmental impacts of a product based on a consistent set of rules known as a PCR (Product Category Rules). Conformant with ISO 14025 (ISO 14025:2006 Environmental labels and declarations - Type III environmental declarations - Principles and procedures), these cradle-to-grave EPDs are concise and include environmental information and life cycle assessments (LCA) which have been conducted by Giraffe Innovation Ltd. LCAs cover materials, production, distribution, use, through to end of life; helping specifiers and customers to confidently make more sustainable procurement decisions.
Jonathan Hindle, KI’s Group Managing Director, EMEA, comments: “Sustainability is a top priority for a growing number of public and private sector projects. These EPDs show our commitment to tackling our shared issues such as climate change, carbon footprint and environmental impact. Additionally, analysing the environmental performance of our products over their lifetime can help us to develop even better products and processes in the future.”
KI’s products manufactured in the UK with third-party verified EPDs, published on Environdec (www.environdec.com) include:
Additional KI products including bespoke items have self-declared third party reviewed EPDs that have been produced by using the same calculator and standards.
Through over 500 tile designs, SBID Accredited Industry Partner, Parkside is a trusted tile specification company with the versatility to provide solutions for any commercial interior.
With a philosophy of developing thoughtful responses to the unique demands of clients and their projects, Parkside delivers a range of additional services including waterjet cutting, colour matching and bespoke digital print. Chymia, a collaboration between Mutina and Laboratorio Avallone is the latest porcelain tile collection available in full exclusively at Parkside.
Chymia fluctuates between the discipline of graphic design, expressive gestures of mark making and the two extremes of black and white, where symbols and textures are combined to create patterns of light and shadow on the surface. Black forms the basis, in a distinctive tone created by designer Gennaro Avallone, with the patterns taking on various shades of black all the way through to white. Throughout the collection, black and white are never separate but co-exist, with each pattern also available in white, taking on various shades all the way through to black in a reversal of role.
Each of the 22 (11 black, 11 white) designs in Chymia is obtained by combining the principle black and white structures with 11 patterned textures, achieving a tile that can be used randomly in monochrome compositions. The collection involved research on glazes and raw materials, along with the combination of traditional applications and modern technology to achieve the absolute colours used.
Chymia came to life in a collaborative project between ceramics manufacturer Mutina and Laboratorio Avallone, a Milan-based studio whose research reaches in to painting and sculpture to create unique objects of contemporary furnishing. The collection was developed with the aim of making a break with traditional styles, restoring an original quality to ceramics with unexpected outcomes.
Sarah Holey, marketing manager, Parkside: "Chymia is a collection that’s full of surprises. Taking the apparent simplicity of monochromatic pattern, it reveals that careful experimentation and attention to the creation of pure colours can bring depth and new-found results to a seemingly traditional black and white palette. Infusing new meaning into checkerboard or bringing more depth and nuance to all-over black or white, it offers some hugely exciting opportunities for designers and we’re delighted to welcome it to the Parkside portfolio."
Safety has always played an essential role in our design choices, but this is particularly true at the present time, driven by a genuine revolution in the way we organise our living spaces around post-pandemic lifestyles. This transformation has obliged us, starting from the design phase, to contemplate new hygiene measures that enable us to enjoy our living and working spaces in total freedom and safety.
SBID Accredited Industry Partner, RAK Ceramics, an international player renowned for its products and complete systems in porcelain and ceramic for floor and surface coverings, sanitaryware and bathroom fittings, has now launched RAK-Sanit, the company’s own health and safety revolution.
The research and development laboratories of RAK Ceramics are always at the forefront of technology and were the first in the world to supply antibacterial interior design solutions as early as 2009, thanks to the development of special certified antibacterial glazes.
Today, with the new RAK-Sanit programme, RAK Ceramics offers an even wider range of solutions for floors, surfaces and sanitary fittings, produced with glazes that reduce the possibility of contagion and therefore contribute to creating safer environments, both in residential and commercial projects.
RAK-Sanit is the ideal solution for domestic dwellings, modern and safer schools, public and private offices, restaurants, hotels, laboratories and, indeed, all those premises in which hygiene is of primary importance. All those places generally described as “community spaces”, in which numerous people of different ages, genders and cultures make random encounters. Inside, toilet facilities destined for use by all and sundry are increasingly in need of strong, antibacterial elements with a long product life.
The RAK-Sanit bactericide action is permanent, guaranteeing built-in protection throughout the entire expected product lifetime, thanks to its constant action against microbial colonisation; this technology, which has proved its capacity to reduce or eliminate the quantity of bacteria up to 99.99%, including MRSA, E. Coli, Salmonella and Legionella, actively prevents the growth of microorganisms 24 hours a day.
In more detail, the RAK-Sanit programme comprises:
Solutions for floor and wall coverings in gres porcelain and ceramic, treated with an incorporated glaze that is 99.9% effective in just 8 hours. The products for floor and wall covering solutions are tested and certified* in compliance with the Japanese Standard JIS - 2801:2000 and the International Standard ISO 27447:2019.
Solutions for sanitaryware (WC, bidets, washbasins, toilet seats and lids, rinsing systems) treated with RAK-ProTeK glaze fired at high temperatures onto the ceramic to guarantee a smoother antibacterial surface, unlike standard ceramic material with its rougher surface.
The silver ions bind to the cells: once inside, silver denatures the enzymes essential to the production of energy. Being unable to produce energy, the bacteria are unable to reproduce. This technology is therefore able to reduce or eliminate the quantity of bacteria up to 99.99% and its action is effective against a vast range of gram positive and gram negative bacteria, as well as fungi. RAK-ProTeK glaze has been tested by the Artest laboratory in the Italian ceramic district of Modena.
*Certified effectiveness
RAK-Sanit tiles are tested by CERFRIT Laboratory – USA, according to the Japanese Standard JIS Z 2801:2000. This Standard specifies the testing methods to evaluate antibacterial activity and efficacy on bacteria on the surface of the products.
RAK-Sanit tiles are tested by METS Laboratory – UAE, according to the International Standard ISO 27447:2019. This Standard specifies the test method for antibacterial activity of semiconducting photocatalytic materials.
Test method for the determination of the antibacterial activity of materials that contain a photocatalyst or have photocatalytic films on the surface, by measuring the enumeration of bacteria under irradiation of ultraviolet light.
Set to celebrate design excellence for not only the designers of interiors, but also the products that go in them, the SBID Awards now includes the newly launched SBID Product Design Awards, alongside the firmly-established SBID International Design Awards, with 17 diverse interior categories to enter in each programme. By representing all aspects of the interior design industry on an inclusive and international stage, the SBID Awards offers excellent exposure for designs, provides unique networking opportunities, and drives professional standards across the industry.
The deadline to enter is fast approaching with just over a week to go until the SBID Awards officially closes for 2020! Haven’t yet completed your entry, or are still considering why you should be entering the Awards this year? With design talent hailing from almost 50 countries worldwide, a record number of entries received year on year and a staggering 225,000 unique public votes, the Awards program is proud to celebrate the industry’s finest products and interior designs worldwide.
But if that's not quite enough and you still need more reasons to enter this year's SBID Awards, we're sharing the top 5 reasons to submit your entry before it's too late!
The Awards programme provides the perfect platform for showing the world who you are and showcasing your designs to an international audience, with features on the SBID Awards website and social media pages offering invaluable exposure for your brand and your projects! Not only can it give your own marketing a digital boost, but success in the programme presents a whole host of great PR opportunities to take advantage of!
The SBID Awards three-tier judging procedure ensures that only the best projects reach the next level! All entries are assessed by a technical panel of experts and a judging panel of high-profile figures in the creative industry to ensure each project is considered fairly and independently for its technical content and creative achievement, regardless of the budget! The final tier is the online public vote, receiving 225,000 unique votes – it's a great way to show off your best work!
Winning only has value if you earned it! Many competitions reel entrants in before hitting them with hidden costs in order to progress. Unlike them, not every SBID Awards entry is awarded a prize and there are no hidden fees, so entrants can't just buy their way to the top! There is just one Overall Winner and 17 Category Winners.
Achieving a GOLD Standard Awards Trust Mark for ethics and transparency, our T&Cs are transparent so you’ll never be asked to pay for extras. All information is on the website so it’s clear from the start what is involved. This means you can enter with the confidence that only the most talented will go all the way (not the entrants with the deepest pockets!).
The SBID Awards welcome entries from all backgrounds and budgets by keeping entry costs low! SBID Accredited members also receive exclusive entry discounts. This year, the Awards introduced new residential design categories differentiated by price point and property type, so the size or scale of your projects or practice is not a barrier to success! We know it’s the combination of small and large organisations that enriches the interior design industry - and that’s why the SBID Awards strive to celebrate the real depth and breadth of the profession.
The SBID Awards have grown in reach and reputation around the world since its launch in 2009, receiving entries from almost 50 countries worldwide. Entering the Awards presents an opportunity to become part of our international design community and connect with new audiences on a global scale at our annual Awards ceremony and networking events.
Even if you don’t clinch the coveted ‘Winner’ trophy, just being shortlisted for an award can still bring your business substantial benefits. Click here to discover the essential ways that awards can enhance your business!
The SBID Awards programme is designed to recognise, reward and celebrate the profession of interior design. If you’re an interior designer or product manufacturer, click here to find out more. Entries are open until 5pm BST on Friday 14 August.
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.
Ana Azevedo, founder of SBID Accredited Partner, Kassavello shares her insight into the interior design industry as a supplier of high-end brands and bespoke furniture solutions to interior designers.
What is your current job?
I head up Kassavello’s London office and manage sales and customer relations with particular focus on the interior design community. I founded Kassavello with my business partner Renata in 2015. We offer a selection of curated products from elite brands and bespoke furniture to interior designers, architects and end clients.
What is your background and how did you get into interior design?
My previous career was in business management within the hospitality sector where I managed a number of high-profile restaurants and bars. I had always had a passion for design but having exposure to such a variety of prestigious venues ignited my interest and I enrolled in a series of interior design courses at the University of Arts in London. Moving from client-side within hospitality to client-management within design was a hugely rewarding transition where I was able to transfer and combine old and new skills whilst working in a creative industry that is constantly evolving and never fails to inspire me.
Describe an average day in your job role..
My business partner Renata is based in Portugal, the location of our key suppliers and manufacturers and it’s critical that we stay aligned at all times so that there’s a consistent and seamless workflow. Every day begins with a video conference call where we run through current priorities, project status and actions required. I then follow up client-side, more often than not this is with a UK based interior designer, on any decisions required for bespoke furniture production such as discussing design detailing or scheduled fabric deliveries. Whilst we often receive DWG drawings from our clients, we always produce detailed technical drawings for approval working closely with a team of dedicated craftspeople in Portugal who have decades of experience and can often propose sleek solutions to practical design problems. Most days also bring new enquiries which I follow up on often whilst juggling the logistics of overseeing white glove installation on site. I also dedicate time each week to keep abreast of industry trends and developments too as its critical that designers can trust us to be one step ahead of the game when it comes to innovation and evolution within the luxury design space.
Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most and/or find the most rewarding?
We frequently use different artisans to deliver individual elements for one piece of furniture – for example an exquisite brass handle crafted by an exemplary metal artisan combined with beautifully inlaid veneer from our expert team of joiners. Facilitating a designer’s unique vision through our trusted network of craftspeople is always rewarding when you see the vision from conceptual drawings through to final installation.
Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?
We’re currently working on a proposal for a significant number of bespoke items for a project in Malta in collaboration with one of our favourite designers. She has a passion for bold design and colour and is always looking to push the boundaries in terms of shape and form which is thrilling for us and the team of experts that we work with. There’s nothing like a creative challenge!
What do you find the most challenging aspects of your job?
Managing expectation versus budget is a familiar challenge to everyone in the industry and our sector is no exception. Our clients consistently want to deliver exceptional pieces but sometimes you have to set expectations and find the best solution in terms of materials or a design tweak that offer a very good result and one that also comes in on budget!
The logistics of delivery can also be very challenging. Whilst we work with outstanding white glove delivery teams, we can often be faced with logistical issues and dependencies on a 3rd party in terms of access or red tape, particularly in central London. Always surmountable but always a challenge!
What do you wish you knew before working in the field?
How much attention to detail interior designers have. This is certainly not a criticism, in fact far from it - we work with some exceptional designers who can sometimes request a change of design equivalent to a few millimetres. When we first developed the business, we had no idea how particular clients could be but with the benefit of experience behind us we are now able to guide and collaborate on those decisions, knowing when they will and when they won’t matter to the stability or aesthetics of a piece.
What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance?
Follow your gut feeling… if a project or a client does not feel right, it probably isn’t
What has been your favourite project to work on?
We were very fortunate to be given the opportunity to work on an exceptional project in Kuwait with an end client who had no budget constraints and an appetite for luxurious finishes and styling. Having the opportunity to work alongside her and her family to furnish their beautiful villa was a design dream and allowed us to select hand-crafted pieces that are rarely accessible but are truly timeless heirloom items.
Conversely, we recently worked on a project in Chelsea with high client expectations but challenging budget constraints. We spent a lot of time with the designer developing solutions and alternatives that did not detract from the exceptional result that was required and ultimately delivered – hugely rewarding.
What do you think is the biggest problem the interior design industry faces?
The access to information for end clients via social media has become overwhelming. It can make the decision- making process extremely drawn out when the client suddenly spots something new they love, or when they have seen a cheap copy of an atelier piece of furniture and fail to appreciate the value in the time and craftsmanship that is put into bespoke pieces. It’s something that the industry is working hard to address and a conversation that we are always happy to be a part of. With close and long-standing relationships with some of Europe’s finest artisans we absolutely appreciate the skill and dedication that goes into every piece of bespoke furniture.
Who do you admire the most in the industry and why?
In terms of furniture design, Kelly Wearstler is a personal favourite of mine. Her curation of vintage, contemporary and architectural forms within her pieces is truly exceptional. She is always innovative, inspirational and evolutionary – outstanding traits in a designer that consistently pushes the boundaries and is a leading industry narrator. Architecturally it has to be Joseph Dirand, his eye for volume and space underpinned by classical proportion is unsurpassed – a true master of his craft.
Want to become SBID Accredited? Click here for more information.
SBID Accredited Partner, Mark Taylor, managing director of Mark Taylor Design reveals his journey in the design profession, and shares the advice he would give his younger self before he began his career as a designer.
I’m the Managing Director of Mark Taylor Design, a British furniture design business, responsible for designing, manufacturing and fitting kitchens, bathrooms, studies, bedrooms, staircases and more.
The company was set up 20 years ago, because I was trained in both furniture production and management and was a keen designer. I also completed an MBA and wanted to apply all these skills to build a business doing something I loved in this industry.
I will get in by 8.30am most days, contact clients throughout the day to ensure everybody is happy. I have a meeting most days with my teams on various projects. I might be designing or sketching, liaising with suppliers, costing projects, sourcing materials, working with my interior design team and, depending on the day, there’s usually a site visit or two.
Winning really exciting projects at one end, and seeing great work installed and happy clients at the other. I get a real sense of achievement out of a problem cleverly solved.
We are about to work on a swimming pool and gym construction which is exciting, as it’s a ‘start from scratch’ project, in a beautiful setting, with a client I’ve worked with a great deal in the past. This is the next phase of turning his home into his perfect home, which is always very satisfying.
Finding enough hours!
Don’t be afraid to be bold in your designs. Use interesting materials and play with shape and colour. As I’ve become more experienced, I’ve learnt that the braver designs are the ones that the client remembers and enjoys most – they have a talking point and so do we! When I was starting out, I always worried that my simple designs wouldn’t be noticed. I’ve learnt that the opposite is true; simpler is often bolder and more stunning than complicated. Finally, having conviction in your ideas.
Working alongside Interior Design, Charlotte Jackson of Nice Brew Design, we fitted out a very large basement extension, with a bar, bowling alley, wine cellar and entertaining space. It was a great project because the space was large but dark. The lighting and ambience of every element of this space was so crucial to it feeling comfortable and exciting. We worked with different textures, materials and even screens to bring the space to life.
I’m not sure. It feels healthy to us at the moment. The world is quite fragile though with Covid-19, and I guess it might be about whether people have the funds to afford interior design. Hopefully, the economic recovery will be relatively swift and people will continue to see the value of investing in their homes.
Small artisan craftsmen are still my greatest source of admiration because of the enormous love they have for what they produce, and for the techniques and skills that are so precious to us. Those who are teaching younger manufacturers and designers these traditional skills, and who are adapting them to today’s market are fantastic examples of how our industry will stay relevant and desirable.
Drinking water no longer has to sacrifice design to fill a purpose. That’s what a variety of top interior designers are discovering after installing the perfect drinking water solutions into their own homes.
The kitchen tap industry has seen a boom in growth over the past five years, fuelling competition between brands as they innovate and redesign their best-selling products. Interior designers can now find taps to match seamlessly with all the latest kitchen trends in a range of styles, finishes and functionalities - including the ultimate all-in-one tap.
A clear favourite for a variety of top interior designers, the Zip HydroTap is capable of delivering up to five water options - filtered boiling, chilled and sparkling plus unfiltered hot and cold water - from a single tap and under-counter command centre. With seven tap designs and seven on-trend finishes to choose from, Zip’s premium drinking water systems lead the way in both style and functionality to offer the perfect solution for all environments.
Known for bringing modern interior creativity to hotels and commercial spaces all over the world, Jason and Jenny Rose MacLean of Studio MacLean were thrilled when they found the Zip HydroTap after struggling to find an all-in-one tap that would be striking enough for their own kitchen refurbishment.
“We’ve come across all-in-one taps through work before, but the design has never really been eye-catching enough,” Jason said. “That’s until we came across Zip’s All-in-One Arc. We couldn’t believe we’d found a tap that could give us filtered boiling, chilled and sparkling water as well as unfiltered hot and cold. It meant we could keep our kitchen uncluttered with no need for a kettle or any bottled water - which we are very keen to avoid anyway from an environmental perspective.”
Owner of interior design company Studio Fortnum, Rebecca Wakefield has been gradually renovating her own home to create a light, airy and calming living space after purchasing it in a dilapidated state in 2016. After spotting that the number one luxury, top of the wish list item in her clients homes is a boiling water tap, Rebecca started to consider how much she’d benefit from one, as long as it could fit in well with her green and brass colour scheme.
“Zip had been on my radar for a while, so I was thrilled to discover they offer taps in brushed gold,” Rebecca said. “But I know from experience that style can often outweigh performance and there’s nothing worse than something that looks great but just doesn’t work. Luckily Zip is a trusted brand so we chose the Zip HydroTap Celsius Arc in brushed gold.”
Much more than just a boiling water tap, Rebecca loves the additional benefit of having unfiltered hot and cold water alongside filtered boiling: “Because it is my regular kitchen tap as well as my boiling water tap, the kitchen has retained a clean, minimal feel. My counter tops aren’t cluttered and we have no use for a slow-to-boil kettle. It really has transformed daily life for us.”
Discover more about how a Zip HydroTap could change the way you design on their website: specify.zipwater.co.uk
About the Author
SBID Accredited Industry Partner, Zip Water is a provider of award-winning technology that transforms water instantly with filtered, chilled, boiling and sparkling drinking water solutions for home and business.
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