DE S IGN CENTRE
CONNECTION POSITIVE
The past six months have demonstrated the true meaning of resilience at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour – with digital initiatives alongside physical shows, continued growth and a vibrant sense of community
The interior design industry is one that relies heavily on personal transactions: objects need to be seen and touched before they can be specified, and the input and expertise of showroom staff is often invaluable. Beauty, craftsmanship and the personal
touch are all things
much better appreciated in real life. All of these things have been tested over the past
18 months, but there have been lessons too, and many things to celebrate and look forward to. Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour has demonstrated tremendous resilience and has continued to support its showrooms, whether through its digital channels, physical shows or
commitment to further growth. Like Focus/20 before it, London Design Week 2021
in May was a hybrid event that was able to adapt to circumstances with agility, and deliver an inspiring, confident vision. The physical show was a chance for people to reconnect with the showrooms and with others – seeing new collections in person, taking part in intimate showroom events, and visiting the raft of pop-up House Guests in the Design Avenue that added an extra layer to the offering. A dedicated website gave every showroom a digital space to introduce its latest collection, supported by a free-to-view virtual
programme of more than 60 events, including talks from A-list designers such as Beata Heuman, Robert Stilin and Diane von Furstenberg. In June, Artefact, a new contemporary craft
fair,
made full use of the Design Avenue’s magnificent space, showing work from 15 international galleries, while talks and demonstrations took place across the rest of the site. A VR-compatible walk-through and online talks to complement the physical ones reached out to a wider global audience. This “bricks and clicks” hybrid approach, where digital and physical initiatives are mutually supportive,
ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT Delicate beeswax sculptures by Annette Townsend, on show at Artefact in June. Decorative painter Natasha Mann, showing off her skills in the recently relocated Vaughan showroom as part of Artefact’s Meet the Maker programme
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