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www.thedesignermagazine.com
Cover Feature
“CUSTOMERS ARE MUCH MORE CLUED UP THESE DAYS AND WILL HAVE RESEARCHED POTENTIAL PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS BEFORE THEY EVEN SPEAK TO THEIR DESIGNER”
next. Plus, the fewer breaks there are in a surface the larger the area will look. It can give a much sleeker, cleaner look.
BARRATT: There are also more practical considerations when specifying larger planks or tiles. They can make a surface much easier to clean and for healthcare environments, fewer joints can be more hygienic. The other main benefit is installation. Why install 100 tiles when you could lay just 30?
OWEN: For commercial spaces, monochrome is very popular with a lot of clients wanting to move away from a beige carpet and wooden desks. Colour matching is massive at the moment, having white desks with chrome legs will be matched to a grey carpet and the theme will develop from there.
MACPHERSON: If people do want colour then it is more often than not introduced through feature pieces of furniture against plain décor. For all other furniture and accessories black, white and chrome are always more popular.
FULLER: It is worth remembering too that other countries still very much prefer the brighter or warmer colours. I would say that monochrome is a western trend and there is still scope globally for more natural or vivid colours.
HUBERT: I find that my customers are beginning to tune into the materials that
you are using in your design rather than just accepting it at face value. People like you to use materials that they are comfortable with like wood and stone. Wood in particular is a tangible material with cracks and knots and I wonder whether something like Karndean is just too perfect?
BARRATT: With a flooring solution like Karndean, you can choose how distressed you want your floor to be with the peace of mind that it won’t change in the future. Another popular selling point is that you can customise design flooring far easier than you can with real wood. Adding borders or corner details is really easy and can give a commercial space a sense of individuality.
HUBERT: It’s a valid point. I do a lot of work with leather and have experienced the same thing. Customers often love the idea of real leather because of how it smells and feels. But in reality, they will chose an imitation leather because they want it to look new for many years to come. designer
Material Lab
www.material-lab.co.uk
Karndean
www.karndean-commercial.co.uk
Society of British Interior Design
www.sbid.org
Above: Rory Macpherson of Play Interior Design
Below: Howard Fuller, Chair of the SBID Sustainability Panel
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