Clerkenwell design week

Following on from where Milan left off, it was London’s turn to host the world of furniture and lighting with the annual festival of Clerkenwell Design Week. CDW has gradually grown in stature since its launch five years ago and now hosts an impressive number of exhibitions as well as satellite showrooms in the surrounding area. Last year Jay Osgerby described it as not only “super important for the area, but for London as a whole”. At long last, he says, London is beginning to live up to its reputation and become “the cultural centre for design that it should have been seen as a long time ago”

This will be our first blog post on the festival and concentrates on the centerpiece of the action, taking place at the Farmiloe building. The former Victorian merchant's warehouse hosts The Design Factory featuring four floors of established contemporary interiors brands, both from the UK and overseas. It’s a fantastic place to catch up with industry friends and all the movers and shakers in the business. The features of this Grade II listed building offer a great setting for the furniture of which there is plenty and it’s easy to lose track of time and spend a whole day talking to all the exhibitors. 86 suppliers exhibited in total and the space is tightly packed from exciting home-grown designer-makers to the best of international contemporary design, we will quickly focus on our favourite of each category.

For the international brand we have chosen Stellarworks, a beautiful brand that represents nations across the world from Japan to China, France, Italy and Denmark. Launched in 2011 it has taken no time whatsoever to develop a fantastic portfolio unique both in style and character. They occupied a great spot at Farmiloe and were able to display lots of their collection, the reason we love it so much is that it’s quirky and expressive whilst still retaining commercial applications.

For the home grown designer we have chosen James, an award winning, contemporary British furniture brand whose products are all handmade in the UK by a team of expert manufacturers. We have watched with interest as James has developed his range over the past 3 years, especially the Holton range which he exhibited here. A few years ago we suggested he develop the Holton side table into a dining table and we are delighted to see that it has recently been added to his collection. Last year we worked with James to put their stools into the Shoreditch branch of Tapas Revolution designed by Alexander Waterworth.

Sadly this is to be the final year that Clerkenwell Design Week centres around the Farmiloe building which has been sold to developers and is to be converted into luxury residential flats. The organisers certainly have a job on their hands to find a replacement so full of character.

Some photos courtesy of Sophie Mutevelian

Platform at the House of Detention has established itself as the place to spot up-and-coming design talent during Clerkenwell Design Week, the venue which was built in 1818 has a dark past as a holding centre for prisoners awaiting trial. They were demolished in 1890 but the vaults were reopened as air-raid shelters during the Blitz and have been used as a location for various movies. It creates a stunning backdrop for these young exciting designers to take advantage of the atmospheric architecture and promote their wares to a wider audience.

We wanted to focus on the work of two designers whose pieces were of particular interest to us. First Louise Tucker, a Chelsea College of Art graduate whose fascination with weaving wood veneer led her to launching Pren, a sculptural lighting collection that showcases a sensitivity towards natural materials and brings elegant simplicity to interior spaces.

Second Rosie Brewer, a designer-maker specialising in woodwork and the creation of one-off and batch production pieces. She makes objects and accessories which are both useful and beautiful, everything is fully functional and made to be enjoyed.

We will be sure to keep a keen eye on the careers of all the exhibitors and look forward to seeing how they develop their ideas & portfolios in the upcoming years.

For this years Clerkenwell Design Week, a new venue was introduced that greatly contributed to the overall experience of the festival and that was the beautiful and rarely opened Sessions House which hosted Icons House of Culture. It was a privilege to get access to this grade II listed building situated on Clerkenwell Green. Built in 1780 and modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, it was originally a courthouse for the justices of peace.

For CDW it was transformed to house a collection of leading furniture brands including Moroso, Pinch Design, Fritz Hansen, PP Mobler. Supported by Icon Magazine the House of Culture was absolutely our highlight of the festival and the centrepiece of the exhibition was a beautiful Gubi display which offered a glimpse into the Danish brands design world. An inspired collection which draws on a mix of Art Deco, Modernist and contemporary ideas, there was also the opportunity to meet GamFratesi who are one of our favourite design couples, drawing on the classic Danish furniture and craft tradition as well as the classic Italian intellectual and conceptual approach.

Unfortunately this was a one-time only opportunity for exhibitors to display their designs in the beautiful and characterful surrounds of Sessions House as in 2013 it was announced that it was to be sold to the proprietors of Home House to be converted into a private members' club. With the loss of the incredible spaces of Sessions House and the Farmiloe Building there is a lot of work in store for the organisers to replicate the success of this year’s festival, we wish them all the best of luck and can’t wait to see them again next year.