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Events

Wealth of talent at Interiors UK

01 January 2012

INTERIORS UK opens its doors this month with additional investment to ensure the changing demands of both the retail and contract buyers are met.

In line with the product categorisation of the event, sub-branded areas will be named, lending an individual identity to each area. These areas will be Fabric, Modern Elegance, Décor, Living Lifestyle, Contemporary Design, Flooring, and Lighting.

Billed as the largest event of its kind in the UK and organised by UMB Built Environment, Interiors UK will held from January 22 to 25 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham.

This year’s event has a British Heritage theme, with the entrances to each of the halls providing their own twist on this concept by using different colour hues and a host of products from companies.

Interiors stylist and journalist Diana Civil has designed all the six hall entrance spaces, generating wonderful areas of creativeness, design achievements and all that is British.

From traditional to modern and contemporary interior products, Interiors UK not only offers a fantastic buying opportunity, but as ever comprises an increasing number of enhancing features, collaborating with some of the best in the industry to create an improved experience around the halls, says a spokesman for the organiser.

Over 500 exhibitors will be present at the show including big industry brands alongside the smaller independent companies and design students. Brands include Duresta, Ercol, Willis & Gambier, Frank Hudson, Content by Conran, Calligaris, Skovby, Barlow Tyrie, Brunstad, Aleal, Rockford, Panaget, Furlong Flooring, Rama Carpets, Elstead Lighting, Searchlight, Illuminati, Aimbry and India Jane, among many others.

Designersblock is collaborating with Interiors UK again, producing a vibrant and stimulating hub where visitors will be able to network and view the latest talent from new and emerging designers including Puff & Flock, Donna Walker, Chloe Scadding, Fay McCaul, Daniel Schofield, Lazerian, Freya Godwin Brown, Helga Matos, JAILmake, SCIN Gallery, Graphic Relief, Jo Gibbs and Camilla Meijer.

This ‘Design Village’ will consist of a bar, market stalls, the seminar theatre, VIP and media lounges and the New Design Britain finalists. Visitors will be able to have a chat with a different design expert each day including Artsthread co-founder Alex Brownless; design journalist and author Helen Parton; designer and trend analyst Clifford Leo Harris; and the owner and curator of SCIN Gallery, Annabelle Filer.

The village will also have its own boutique B&B, three individual rooms designed by an eclectic selection of designers.
‘Knitting queen’ Donna Wilson, who was named Designer of the Year 2010 at the British Design Awards, will create one room and visitors can expect some colour, fun and humour from her design.

Morag Myerscough will use her trademark look in another room, mixing graphic and bold typography with bright colours and bags of creativity.

The House of Hackney team will create the third space, taking the concept of traditional British home style and subverting it with playful and irreverent prints and imagery to appeal to a new generation.

The New Design Britain competition seeks to showcase young talent from universities around the country. Initial judging has taken place and the 16 finalists will display their products at the show.

These products are a mix of furniture, fabrics, furnishing accessories and surface coverings and include an array of chairs, lighting, wallpaper, cushions and wall hangings. Leading design professionals will judge the competition at the show on January 23.

Interiors UK has also teamed up with House of Fraser and Mary Portas in the search for up and coming homeware designers.

Among other highlights, a unique fabric designed by textile designer Ptolemy Mann, will be used to surround the Champagne Bar in Hall One; interior designer Dan Hopwood will reveal all in his talk, ‘Confessions of an interior designer’; and Oliver Heath will focus on how to make the right decisions when sourcing and buying furniture sustainably.

The show will also introduce Warren Knight from Gloople, who will talk about social media marketing; Global Color Research, which will give an insight into the trends for Autumn and Winter 2012/13; as well as hotel and bar designers, Paul Daly and Shaun Clarkson.

'Also, British designer Laurence Llewelyn Bowen will design and curate an area within the show that will give his particular take on ‘the British look’ which will no doubt be very flamboyant and extravagant as is Laurence’s nature of design!” the spokesman comments.