A Slice of Clerkenwell Design Week 2017
Whilst we were very busy organising our own Clerkenwell Design Week event, we found it difficult to get out and see all of the exciting things that went on so we sent Billie, one of our wonderful Trifle stylists, out on a mission to be our eyes and ears to select the best of the festival. Here’s Billie’s best bits...
Being asked for favorites from Clerkenwell Design Week is a pretty tough challenge but not an un-enjoyable one! I’ve managed to narrow down my top few favourites, but I could have easily given a much longer list however, given the objective was a brief blog, I have tried to keep this short and sweet!
Top of the list for me this year was the Devol showroom and house. Simple, elegant and stunning with a beautiful dark muted palette, the house was gorgeous from top to bottom. When you finally climb the peak of its’ heady heights you were greeted by a pocket of luscious green sprouting from the rooftop of urban surroundings, only made more beautiful by the British weather that graced Clerkenwell this week.The only downside I could find was not being able to hang out on the roof for a couple of hours with a good book and cocktail in hand...
This brings me to the Platform show which, catering for my needs beautifully, provided a welcome temporary respite from the glorious heat and sunshine, enhanced by the array of hidden delights on show in the coolness below. One such delight was Urban LivePicture who show how simply nature meets art with their wall planters that would look and smell good anywhere. With an in built watering system that takes care of your plants for up to 8 weeks at a time - perfect for a plant murderer like me who is capable of killing a houseplant instantly with just one glance.
Platform also exhibited the awesome lego art work and sculptures of David Hughes. Fun, interesting and eye catching. A blast of colour for this dark underground setting.
A further Platform find was the furniture of Frances Bradley. I have always loved furniture that mixes materials. Frances Bradley was a perfect example of this. His contemporary furniture mixing traditional techniques and sustainable hardwoods with other materials such as steel ,resin and perspex. The end result, beautifully crafted one off pieces that you just want to reach out and run your hands down.
Finally for me was the garden installation at Design Fields. A collaboration between office furniture design company BuzziSpace and interior designer / architect Jonas Van Put. Although designed with office space in mind this installation looks half sculpture half climbing frame. A network of layered metal sun lounger style seating that would be the perfect chill party set up. Instantly I imagined it in my own garden, full of friends, accompanied by summer tunes and a large pitcher of sangria. Now if only someone would design me a good pulley system to get that glass to the top bunk, everything would be as it should be!