THE JOURNAL
precisely timed to get people thinking about their 2022 projects as early as possible, so as not to be caught out by long lead-times. In November, Lighting by Design saw the Design Avenue dazzle with an installation of more than 100 lighting products, sourced from the showrooms as well as outside participants – a taster of a much bigger show that will take place in autumn 2022. By investing in the Design Avenue, the Design Centre
is investing in its community: creating vital, exciting and industry-relevant events that brands and audiences love to be a part of. Coming up, London Design Week 2022 has already secured prestigious pop-up House Guests including Rose Uniacke and Juliet Travers, while Artefact, the contemporary craft fair, will return for its second year in May to showcase the best international galleries and cement the links between craft and the interior design industry. Showrooms, too, are moving into a more experiential
phase, focusing on building communities. House of Rohl, which opened in autumn 2021, has amalgamated two existing showrooms, Victoria + Albert Baths and Perrin & Rowe, adding two more brands to the fold, Shaw’s of Darwen and Riobel, to create a comprehensive hub for kitchens and bathrooms. Crucially, it is now also a flexible space to host events, with display cabinets that can be wheeled away to provide room for up to 70 chairs, and huge interactive screens. “We want to put on breakfast briefings or lunch-and-learns, but we also want to offer the space to the A&D community, so they could have exclusive use of the showroom,” explains Jessica Shimwell, House of Rohl’s lead showroom and events coordinator. Creating comfortable space where people can spend time was also important: “We’ve got a dedicated meeting room and that’s something we’re really pushing. If people want to bring their clients in and they’ve got loads of showrooms they want to visit that day, they can use it as base.” Shimwell repeats what has been said time and again
about the importance of seeing and touching things in person as opposed to sourcing online: “People need to experience products, and see what the different finishes are. In the luxury market, being able to see the quality of a product is massive.” Other showrooms are adding value by providing services as well as products, such as Sonya Brown Textiles’ curtain-making and upholstery, or simply upping their game when it comes to imaginative presentation. Andrew Martin recently opened a second showroom at the Design Centre focusing on furniture and art that is a tour-de-force, with giant graffiti-covered fruit sculptures next to neon artwork and riotously coloured furniture and rugs; meanwhile, Sacco Carpet has expanded to create a gallery-like space lined with rugs on the walls and floors, a sanctuary where it can better show off finished, full-sized pieces. Pulling out all the stops to create spaces where people
feel they belong is not just a trend confined to retail. At hospitality venues and hotels, unique experiences draw in the crowds, whether it’s an ‘Instagram moment’ entrance to a venue, unique artwork or a design that reflects the hyper-local neighbourhood. In Mayfair, the Connaught hotel recently opened the Red Room, an intimate bar designed by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio
ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM: The Design Avenue came into its own in 2021 – Lighting by Design saw this magnificent space filled with more than 100 bright and bold lighting products, a taster of a much bigger show to come in autumn 2022. Showrooms including Tollgard, Ethimo and Summit Furniture put innovative performance furniture to the fore at The Art of Outdoor Living
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