London Design Festival 2015 in Two Days

Kicking off today, London’s 100% Design promises as always to be a feast for the eyes. If you’re in town for the show, but have a very limited window of time, consider checking these finds — as well as London Design Festival installations — off your list.

BUILDING PRODUCTS

Alusid

ALUSID, Stand EB769
100% Design marks the launch of this new British company specializing in the manufacture of sustainable interior and exterior surfacing materials. Its products are composed of anywhere from 95- to 100-percent recycled waste glass and ceramic.

CANAL Architectural

CANAL Architectural, Stand E267
Fabricator and engineer CANAL Architectural helps architects and designers create dramatic (or simple) staircases for both residential and commercial projects, in a variety of material palettes from glass and steel to a wide range of timber species. The company additionally specializes in signage, canopies, balconies, sculptures, and bespoke metalwork and balustrades.

Eomac

Eomac, Stand E154
This supplier of sound-absorbing products offers wood-veneered wall and ceiling panels as well as blades by LAMBRI, all of which have been tested to verify acoustic performance. The components feature 0.6-millimeter veneers in more than 40 wood species but could also be specified with engineered wood veneer or high-pressure laminate. The bases are constructed of fire-retardant MDF with veneer and acoustic fleece backing.

Fineline Aluminium

Fineline Aluminium, Stand E373
This specialist in designing, manufacturing, and installing custom glazing systems provides solutions for all components associated with the building envelope, from windows and doors to roofing. Like its name suggests, many of its offerings feature low sight-lines to maximize views and create a clean aesthetic for residential and commercial projects alike.

Lauder Linea from Process Bois Laudescher

Process Bois Laudescher, Stand E826
A timber design business, Laudescher offers slatted ceiling, wall cladding, and façade products with open areas ranging from 20 to 83 percent, depending on application and product selection. Parea, the exterior series, comes in pine or larch wood with a black, chocolate, gray, oak, or light wax finish, while Linea, the indoor product, comes in pine, red cedar, Douglas fir, or oak wood with honey, oak, white, wenge, cherry, chocolate, mahogany, or gray wax finish.

Sliding, Pivot, and Guillotine doors by Vitrocsa

Vitrocsa®, Stand E229
Lean and minimal, the windows from this Swiss design company are customized for a range of project needs from sliding and pivoting to guillotine and turntable installations. Frames are constructed of 18-millimeter aircraft-grade aluminum — purported to be the slimmest window profile in the world — and are tested for water and air permeability.

KITCHEN

From left: Bulthaup b3 drawer organization, Bulthaup b3 kitchen, Bulthaup b2 storage wall.

Bulthaup by Kitchen Architecture, Stand K464
Independent and local retailer Kitchen Architecture is one of the largest distributors of the popular kitchen brand Bulthaup. Known for timeless, clean design inspired by the Bauhaus movement, Bulthaup kitchens comprise cabinetry and storage systems, islands, cabinets and doors for appliance integration, wall systems, and prep tables and countertops in a wide selection of finishes.

Krieder Parisian kitchen

Krieder, Stand K488
A kitchen and wardrobe design concern, Krieder creates luxurious kitchens that boast a modern aesthetic. With finishes that range from glossy white to dark woodgrains, there’s a kitchen line to meet any residential style.

BATH

Bette

Bette, Stand K564
Proving that the egg-shaped tub isn’t the only game in town, the Bettelux Shape freestanding tub presents a lighter appearance defined by an open steel frame and minimal platform that support the tub insert. Yet another unique detail, the frame can be powder-coated in black, white, taupe, sky, rosé, or mint. A matching console sink is also available.

Kast Concrete Basins

Kast Concrete Basins, Stand K555
The name says it all: Kast Concrete Basins creates striking concrete vessels and sinks in varying sizes and depths. Options include rectangular or round shape, single or double sink, with or without extra countertop space, and hidden drainage. Custom basin designs are also possible.

Methven UK

Methven UK, Stand K572
This bath fixture company’s halo-shaped Aio hand-shower with Aurajet™ technology is engineered to deliver a full-body yet efficient spray. Water generated by hidden nozzles collides with precisely angled surfaces to spread or fan the water out across the surface edge.

From left: Art shower and Park faucet set from Newform.

Newform, Stand K474
Newform creates sleek plumbing fixtures and fittings aimed at the residential as well as hospitality market. Products include wall- and deck-mounted faucets with single-lever or dual-handle configurations, tub fillers and showers, and bath accessories such as soap dispensers. Additionally, the company offers a dozen kitchen faucets.

Saneux

Saneux, Stand K580
Touting itself as an affordable yet stylish bathroom manufacturer, London-based Saneux provides every bathroom product type from ceramic sinks and storage cabinets to toilets and taps. Styles span from traditional and transitional to modern and contemporary.

From left: Zucchetti’s Isy tap, Delfi tub filler and hand shower, Closer showerhead.

Zucchetti, Stand K460
Full of whimsy, Zucchetti’s bath fixtures range from boldly colored faucet spouts to showerheads on adjustable arms that resemble task lamps. But the Italian manufacturer also produces classic looks for sinks, bathtubs, and showers that call for simplicity.

FLOORING

Mirage Hardwood Floors

Mirage Hardwood Floors, Stand E197
Solid, engineered, and patterned wood products are all in the repertoire of this Canadian flooring manufacturer. To meet any style of interior, the floors are offered in a huge variety of stains and finishes, from plain-sawn white oak in light sand dune to maple in rich coffee brown.

The Reclaimed Flooring Company

The Reclaimed Flooring Company, Stand E688
The local company offers reclaimed, new, engineered, parquet, painted, and bespoke timber floors with character, many of which can also be applied to walls. The collections include Driftwood, Painted, Natural, Reclaimed, Antique, Tailor-Made Patina, and Grande Restoration.

HOME AUTOMATION AND CONTROLS

Basalte

Basalte, Stand E180
Beautiful and minimalist, the home automation products from this Belgian manufacturer easily blend into any residence. The touch-sensitive units integrate with the KNX standard to control everything from lighting and motorized blinds to climate and can be specified to match décor in numerous finishes including brushed aluminum, white glass, black leather, and bronze.

Gira

Gira, Stand E479
Electrical outlets, light switches, thermostats, and intercom systems get a makeover in this company’s edgy and modern designs. It recently expanded its Esprit switch collection with plates featuring a colored linoleum layer on birch plywood. Viewed from different angles, the combination visually pops. Six colors are offered.

Jung

Jung, Stand E389
German company Jung dates back to 1912 but has definitely moved with the times in regard to design. Its comprehensive product range includes light switches, KNX-enabled solutions, home automation and security systems, and even music players, in punchy or classic and neutral colors and finishes. Push-button, touch sensor, and dial control options ensure user-friendliness.

LIGHTING

From left: Nénuphar and Eau de Lumière from Designheure.

Designheure, Stand L420
This French lighting manufacturer delights with luminaires in intriguing shapes and color. Its Nénuphar collection consists of asymmetrical, modular polygons that can be wall-mounted in various configurations or ceiling-hung and specified with a vibrant turquoise or orange interior. Meanwhile, its Eau de Lumière chandelier and table lamp series features an open rectangular, square, or round frame fitted with concealed LEDs to appear as if light is emitting out of thin air.

Neonny’s 3D LED Wall Panel

Neonny, Stand E259
LED lighting gets bold and playful. Neonny’s products include oversized geometric suspension luminaires, illuminated ceiling panels, and highly dimensional wall panels. The 3D LED Wall Panel, for instance, features a pinwheel form within a square grid that results in light and shadow play in single or multiple colors.

FURNITURE

From left: BuzziSpace’s BuzziBreeze, BuzziFalls, and BuzziPicnic.

BuzziSpace, Stand W344
A fairly young company, BuzziSpace has been creating a lot of buzz, for good reason. Its hip furnishings and accessories, many of which help absorb sound in today’s open-plan contract interiors, feature smart designs that offer practical solutions. In addition to its BuzziFalls felt hanging panels, expect to see its furniture pieces such as BuzziPicnic and BuzziBreeze work tables.

From left: Beatnik Room-in-Room and Sound Station Chair from Donar.

Donar, Stand L426
The company’s Beatnik line seeks to create some audio personalization and privacy within open spaces. For example, the Sound Station Chair is a cocoon-like booth for one with an integrated Bose 2.1 system (complete with subwoofer under the seat). Meanwhile, the quirky big sister Room-in-Room is a wall system with integrated audio/video and power to accommodate small-group meetings.

Ply Collection

Ply Collection, Stand W243
This Latvian master of molded plywood furnishings will exhibit its sleek seating pieces — many of which are stackable — that are well-suited to both residential and contract settings. The form-pressed plywood components are offered in oak, birch, wenge, Zebrano, or walnut finish, each in five stain options. Seat, seat-and-back, and interior surface upholstery is also available.

From left: Thomas Montgomery’s Float seating and CoDen modular upholstered system.

Thomas Montgomery, Stand W733
Specializing in upholstered contract furniture, Ireland’s Thomas Montgomery has a number of attractive chairs for the sophisticated office environment, from task to reception and meeting room seating.

INSTALLATIONS

A Bullet from a Shooting Star and its creator, Alex Chinneck. Photos by Ed Reeve

A Bullet from a Shooting Star
British artist Alex Chinneck fashions a projectile shooting into the earth’s surface, seemingly out of an electricity pylon. Not really an electricity tower, however, the 115-foot-long structure is a specially created lattice constructed from 450 steel pieces and 900 connection points. The intriguing spectacle, situated on the Greenwich Peninsula between Olympian Way and Tunnel Avenue, will be on view through September 27.

V&A installation Curiosity Cloud by mischer’traxier. Photos by Ed Reeve

Various at Victoria and Albert Museum
The city’s annual design festival has been affiliated with the V&A since 2009, when the museum began producing innovative installations that channel design and architecture in some respect. This year’s program is once again chockfull of eye candy for design aficionados, from a room filled with 250 mouth-blown glass globes that, on close inspection, reveal tiny hand-fabricated insects to a tapestry gallery dotted with concrete fins sporting abstract reliefs based on the Irish Ogham alphabet. The design festival installations remain on view through September 27.