Lori Dundas’ Penthouse Design Serves All Client Needs

This week's instalment of Project of the Week interior design series features a spacious penthouse design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, Lori Dundas Interior Design.

Imagined during the early lockdown days of COVID-19, “The Sweet Life” is a series of conceptual 3D renderings, of a 303.6 m2 penthouse located minutes outside the downtown core of Edmonton, Alberta.

With the rest of the building mostly finished and occupied, the owners strategically took their time to decide on how best to build out the unfinished space. By doing so, the 3D models evolved into case study of sort, showcasing an experience-based design which would live well regardless of outside circumstances.

What was the client's brief? 

The client’s primary concern was that the design would ultimately be a space that would function equally well supporting intimate family & friend gatherings, as it would larger social events. The brief also asked for the layouts to make the most of the nearby river valley and treed neighbourhood views.

What inspired the design of the project?

Friendship and finding a way to design a space that reflected the uniqueness of the clients. Turns out what the clients valued most is a common thread that connects us all - entertaining, showcasing things you love and that bring you joy, finding moments to sit with others, be with your thoughts and observe nature. Creating space for these moments to occur was the greatest inspiration for the designers.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The time spent to get the vibe right. The feeling you get when you look at the renderings is so important. And it takes a lot of time to get the materials and lighting to reflect accurately on the screen as well as in print.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Taking the original project and rendering it again only at night-time light levels. Not only did the camera angles improve, but there were a couple areas where additional lights were found to be needed. Doing this extra bit of work it made the overall design even better.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

Purely an impulsive act. I was proud of the project and wanted to share it with the world.

Questions answered by Lori Dundas, President, Lori Dundas Interior Design.

The series is composed of completely unseen pieces such as the Dune armchair, the Drop and Levare low tables, and the Aura lamp, as well as reinterpreted and innovative Lorenzo Tondelli bestselling classics. The limited edition Atlante cabinet, a finalist in the Product Design category at the SBID Awards 2021, is also part of the selection.

AURA

Aura is all about soft magnetism finding freedom through a cage. The wall becomes the sky as light leaks, spreading symmetrically across it, catching the eye through a sought-after movement of shades. Aura Lamp celebrates the utmost pleasure of skywatching: it conveys the aesthetic of northern lights through a stern yet appealing reproduction of an ancient Chinese cricket cage. Filtering the light through a unique screen surrounded by tiny bars, it reverberates an alluring game of shadows in the room.

If you'd like to feature your product news here, get in touch to find out more.

To become an accredited member of the SBID, click here. 

If you'd like to feature your product news here, get in touch to find out more.

To become an accredited member of the SBID, click here. 

The SBID International Design Awards finalists for 2021 have been revealed, boasting an impressive shortlist of award-worthy entries across Interior Design, Product Design and Fit-Out. From the design scheme, materials used and products specified through to the final fit-out installation, the SBID Awards champion design standards across the supply chain in the design, procurement and execution of outstanding interiors!

To complete the third and final stage of judging, the online Public Vote is now open! Worth an influential 30% of the final scores, it's your chance to sway the results and decide which finalists you think deserve to take home a prestigious SBID Award! You can only vote once per category, so choose wisely and vote for your favourite designs!

Voting closes at 5pm (BST) on 10 September

Voting closes at 5pm (BST) on 10 September.

Visit www.sbidawards.com to find out more!

When it comes to designing floors for care homes, there is much more that goes into it than pure aesthetics. The flooring also has to be safe, durable, easy to maintain, as well as provide comfort for the residents and visitors.

Flooring that offers both aesthetics and practicality

When considering flooring for the refurbishment project, Sunrise needed a product that could meet both the aesthetic and technical specifications of a residential healthcare setting. With a hard wearing, waterproof and hygienic surface that offers a slip resistance rating of R9, Karndean flooring from the Da Vinci collection amply met this brief.

As Danica, added: “The flooring needed to have the correct slip rating and wear layer suitable for use in a high traffic area. Karndean products have the aesthetic of real wood without all the impracticalities of maintaining wood.

Sustainability from production to utilisation

“We’re really keen to specify sustainable products where possible that are not only environmentally friendly in their manufacturing process but are also durable to ensure longevity. With everyone spending so much more time inside due to the pandemic, indoor air quality has become really important so it’s great that Karndean products are low emitting in terms of VOCs.”

Sustainability has become an increasingly important consideration when it comes to most sectors, and interior design is most definitely one of them. Consumers now more than ever want to know they are making the best decisions when it comes to environmental impact.

SBID Accredited outdoor furniture specialist Oxley’s Furniture, have been sustainably making their outdoor furniture from recycled aluminium for 30 years. This recycled aluminium comes from old alloy wheels, disused airplane parts and hundreds of thousands of drinks cans.

Why Aluminium?

Aluminium is an amazing metal; it is 100% recyclable and will lose no quality during this process. Nearly 75% of all aluminium ever produced still being in use today. Recycling aluminium uses just 5% of the energy required to produce new aluminium and it can be recycled over and over again.

Over the past year, our homes have become a sanctuary, playground, and office all at once. Nights out have become nights in. More than ever before, we have been confronted by the notion of “how does our home make us feel?”. That visceral feeling is at the heart of Timothy Oulton’s captivating furniture designs.

Elevate Every Moment with Inspired Design

Organised into a spectrum of different energies, the 2021 Collection is designed to imbue a space with a distinctive mood and feeling, from the deep chill of quiet moments alone, to a relaxed hub of family life, to more energising spaces that spark ideas and augment the unbridled joy of life’s celebrations. The Timothy Oulton Collection enriches these experiences through the use of beautiful materials, finishes, forms and craftsmanship techniques which connect deeply through the senses and through stories of meaning.

When thinking of the use of crystal in the home both as an architectural feature and decorative item, there is no better example of its use than at Villa Rene Lalique, the former family home of Rene Lalique and now a 5 star hotel and 2 Michelin star restaurant which celebrates 100 years this year (2020). A celebration and showcase of Lalique from the wine glasses to the door handles, and Damien Hirst artworks lining the cellar can be bought or made bespoke to suit your schemes from Lalique's London boutiques.

The origins of Villa Rene Lalique

Transforming the villa for luxurious living

On 14 February 2008, Mr Silvio Denz purchased Lalique. In 2011, Silvio Denz, who had been aware of the existence of the house in the village without ever having taken a particular interest in it, had a closer look. He found it virtually intact, aside from some minor leaks in the roof. How could he resist its charm? Silvio Denz decided to refurbish the house for his visits to Wingen. But very soon the idea of turning it into a haven of luxury, worthy of the most elegant stately homes, made perfect sense. The bedrooms were transformed into lavish suites, complemented by an excellent gourmet restaurant. What better setting in which to present the world of Lalique? As much as it had captivated Silvio Denz, the project appealed to lovers of fine cuisine and the decorative arts, as well as collectors. The interior was all about “living Lalique”, and doing so in a contemporary context, amidst rare and fabulously beautiful objects.

Every detail of the Villa’s interior provides a reminder. From the door handles to the adornments on the armchairs in the lounge, from the cushions of the sofas decked with pieces of crystal to the ebony lacquer of the bar, the view from the dining room to the salon… All is an interplay of light and transparency in the Art Deco style.

To explore Villa René Lalique is to follow in the artist’s footsteps. Six suites are decorated to reflect his various creative periods. The Zeila suite is the sole exception, taking its name from the panther modelled by Marie-Claude Lalique. Guests wishing to spend the night in the bedroom occupied by René Lalique choose the Hirondelles suite, which is reached via a replica of the original black staircase. The Rose suite is decorated in soft powder tones; while Dahlia, with its beige-ivory furniture, is an insistent appeal to relax. All the bathrooms are magnificently decorated,from the made-to measure crystal panels to the crystal taps.

Luxury living with culinary excellence

When Silvio Denz was looking for a chef capable of rising to the culinary challenge in this prestigious setting, history smiled upon him once more. Jean-Georges Klein, chef at L’Arnsbourg, where the purchase of Lalique had been celebrated on that fateful evening in 2008, is one of the best French master chefs, holding three Michelin stars for 13 years. In 2014, he decided to leave the family-run restaurant that he owned with his sister. A happy coincidence led him to cross paths once more with Silvio Denz. The chef dropped all his plans to take on a new challenge: launching the restaurant at Villa René Lalique. The gourmet restaurant was awarded two stars by Guide MICHELIN in January 2016, within just three months of opening.

With a wealth of experience in the bespoke kitchen, interiors and property market, Alex Crabtree specialises in providing PR services to the interior design industry. Alexandra shares her journey in marketing, interior styling and public relations, and how this lead her to establish her career as a PR consultant for interior designers. She provides her professional insight; from the influence of Instagram for sourcing and inspiration, to her key tips for improving PR strategies in the interior sector. 

Tell us about how you started as an interiors stylist and why you came to specialise in PR for the interior design industry? Have you always been interested in this field? 

Back in the day my brother and father had a bespoke kitchen company – Crabtree Kitchens.  I was working for Pete Townshend of the Who, running his recording studio and I wanted a new challenge and thought that I could help them with getting the brand out there and become more known with interior designers and clients alike. So, I joined their company and immediately employed an interior photographer to start shooting their fabulous kitchens. I had not taken on any styling professionally before but I always styled my home constantly (long before Instagram). Once I had decent images of the kitchens I started pitching them out to magazines and soon discovered that I achieved quite a lot of features and Crabtree Kitchens became very well known even though we were a relatively small brand.  At one stage about 60% of our work was from interior designers.

You’ve worked in the kitchen, interiors and property market for many years. What’s been the most memorable highlight or achievement of your career so far?

I think that when I was PR and marketing Director at Crabtree Kitchens I just loved it when clients came in and said they had seen the company everywhere. But generally when I achieve a feature in a magazine for a client I still get such a massive buzz and specially if I have also styled the shots too.  The excitement of achieving a feature for a client has not diminished at all over the years at all.

Do you have a signature style when it comes to interior styling? How has the Instagram era affected this and the way you find inspiration?

It’s such an interesting question as in my own home I definitely style in a very maximalist eclectic style but most kitchen clients don’t want that look so if you look at my website you will see the kitchens on there that I have styled and it’s in a much more minimalist way – so I can style in whichever way is required.

Instagram has certainly been so amazing in so many ways for me.  Both in terms of my styling and PR and also having met some wonderful people who are also passionate about interior design.  It’s also a fabulous source of small interiors businesses to feed my passion and so many different styles in which to create my maximalist dark eclectic home.  I also buy pieces from Instagram sources for my client shoots too.

How do you help interior designers in gaining essential coverage for their projects and providing valuable exposure for their work?

I help my clients gain essential coverage by getting under the skin of the company so to speak and understand what their company is all about and then making sure that they have the best professionally shot photography.  Then of course  keeping in constant contact with the relevant editors and freelancers and updating them on the clients most recent projects etc.

If you had to give one top tip for interior designers looking to improve their PR strategy to grow their business, what would it be?

Really take THE best photography and employ THE best PR and keep in contact with the editors. I know that's three! But they all go hand in hand!

Cover image credits: Brayer Design. Photos by Nick Smith Photography ©