068


THOUGH YOU MAY BE READING this in early spring, deadlines dictate that I am writing it in that liminal time between Christmas and New Year, looking forward to the year ahead, and particularly to hosting two panel discussions at the Surface Design Show in February. T eir topics are very dear to me. One is on the repurposing of old buildings. T e other is on sourcing locally – being determined to minimise environmental impact by taking care of how and from where you resource your schemes.


It was in the preparatory conversation for this latter talk, with architect Richard Penman and interior architect and designer Camilla Leech of Element Studios, that some really tough problems were revealed for UK-based designers in trying to source locally and well. One was the shortage of local makers and crafters to provide the services required, from joinery to upholstery. T is skills shortage is caused by an education system whose recent mission, it seems, has been to devalue


or eliminate exposure to and experience of working with your hands – underpinned by an economy that has outsourced almost all its manufacturing elsewhere. But there is also the impact of Brexit, which has not only driven away many of the talented crew who had fi lled in that particular gap, but also made sourcing materials and skills considerably more expensive – exacerbated by crises in Russia and China, the former apparently the source of most of


BRIEF ENCOUNTERS


Combining vintage with contemporary is a great way to prioritise quality, character, and the ability to source locally. But media values have a huge role to play in influencing customer taste. Veronica Simpson reports


MARK COCKSEDGE


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125