What another fantastic year for Clerkenwell Design Week! With its expanding range of new designers and venues across Clerkenwell and over 18,000 people visiting the 150 events and 60 showrooms, the three-day annual event has well and truly cemented its place on the London design scene.
A cultural hub of activity, Clerkenwell was always going to be the perfect location to host an international festival of this kind, celebrating all sorts of disciplines of design from some of the biggest names in the industry. It is after all considered to be one of the UK's creative hotspots with over 200 architectural practices in its vicinity and at least 60 design showrooms.
During the event, visitors enjoyed a series of pop up exhibitions, installations, talks, performances, music and workshops and I managed to see a few highlights in St John Street's Farmiloe Building where I was inspired by a huge range of materials, product design and furniture design. Notably, there were cutting edge displays from a range of international designers, including Nigel Coates, Flooring Concepts and Andreu World.
Things that stood out for me included Pli Design who make eco-friendly furniture and are a small London-based business with 'big ideas'. Pli was founded by Christopher Pett in 2003. They specialise in making furniture with bamboo. Since 2007, furniture designer Alex Whitney has been the head of design at the company, bringing out ranges of bamboo furniture for the domestic as well as contract markets.
I also loved the Swedese stand. They were apparently exhibiting for the first time this year and showcasing exciting new pieces that were launched in February at the Stockholm Furniture Fair, including an Ivy bookshelf designed by Thomas Bernstrand.
Bolon was another highlight. Exclusively represented by Flooring Concepts - Bolon's new Artisan collection represents the future alternative to textile carpets and carpet tiles - something that was launched during Clerkenwell Design Week.
Then there was Hitch Mylius, celebrating its 40th anniversary of manufacturing contemporary upholstered furniture. London-based, the British manufacturer was launching its exciting new collection of modular seating.
A stand that really stood out was Johnson Tiles' Material Lab. I was really inspired by some unique tile sculptures including a giant sheet of tile that appears to be a 3-D piece of crumpled paper. There was also a huge range of materials on display and I enjoyed creating my own art piece during an interactive workshop.
One of my only regrets was that I didn't venture much further than the Farmiloe, although I did get chance to visit Milliken and its 5tudioMilliken on Berry Street. There was lots going on including presentations and interactive designer sessions. Then I popped along to see a bar which had been opened in a disused petrol station by Chetwoods Architects. Dubbed ‘Step Inside Bar’, drinkers were invited to prop up the Giles Miller Studio-designed bar and enjoy viewing the surfaces made and supplied by Johnson Tiles' Material Lab as well as Cosentino.
I'd heard great things about a new venue at The House of Detention - an underground Victorian prison which had been opened especially for CDW. But sadly didn't get chance to pop along. Oh well! There's always next year and I'll definitely stay for the whole three days next time.
