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Opening in the heart of Clerkenwell’s design quarter during Design Week 2022, RAK Ceramics is launching their inaugural Design Hub – a go-to destination for designers, architects and developers looking to explore the possibilities of choosing RAK Ceramics products for their projects.

The Design hub will feature the first UK display of a brand-new collaboration with renowned fashion designer Elie Saab which will feature a range of edits from the Elie Saab Maison collection.

To mark the opening several renowned European designers will provide their Design Insight in a series of inspirational talks and seminars during Clerkenwell Design Week.

These include Giuseppe Scutella, who collaborated with RAK Ceramics on its luxurious RAK-Cloud and RAK-Petit collections and Federico Sandri, one half of the design duo behind the beautiful RAK-Variant collection. Guests at the Design Hub opening events can also hear from Patrick Norguet, on the thinking behind the RAK-Valet sanitaryware range.

Tours of the Design Hub will take place during the launch party on Tuesday 24 May, with guests invited to enjoy a cocktail and evening entertainment to mark the opening ceremony.

For a full list of events and to book visit the Clerkenwell Design Week website.

About RAK Ceramics

RAK Ceramics is one of the largest ceramics’ brands in the world. Specialising in ceramic and grès porcelain wall and floor tiles, tableware, sanitaryware and faucets, the company has the capacity to produce 123 million square metres of tiles, 5 million pieces of sanitaryware, 24 million pieces of porcelain tableware and 1 million pieces of faucets per year at its 22 state-of-the-art plants across the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, RAK Ceramics serves clients in more than 150 countries through its network of operational hubs in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Asia, North and South America and Australia.

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Leading supplier of solid surface materials and complementary products, CDUK, has launched sustainable material PaperStone® to the UK and Ireland markets.

PaperStone® is a new generation sustainable material, made from recycled paper with natural resin, the surface has a unique, textured effect creating an organic warmth, which can be specified in a range of natural hues and tones. Selected colours are produced from 100% FSC recycled paper and cardboard.

Application and use

This environmentally friendly product is ideal for architects and designers looking for a sustainable solution and is well suited to interiors across the commercial, office, space, hospitality, residential and healthcare sectors. PaperStone® offers specifiers the opportunity to reconnect people with the natural world through design, with its tactile warmth and hint of texture this surface material is beautifully unique.

Its composition delivers high performance across a range of applications. These include but are not limited to bars and tabletops, furniture, vertical decorative wall panels, washrooms, kitchen worksurfaces and cabinet doors, and washrooms.

Andy Noble, Divisional Managing Director, CDUK, commented: “We are thrilled to be the sole supplier of PaperStone® to the UK and Ireland market. At CDUK we have seen a real shift in the market with customers becoming more environmentally conscious. PaperStone® offers our clients a sustainable solution to their design needs. At CDUK we are constantly looking at ways to innovate and expand our offer and grow with our customers. The launch of PaperStone® marks a significant stage in our development and we are excited to help our customers make the most of this unique product.”

Manufacturing process and specifications

The surface material is manufactured using FSC certified recycled paper and natural petroleum free phenolic resin with natural pigments and has obtained important environmental certifications from the Forest Stewardship Council and qualifies for bio-building use and assignment of LEED® credits.

PaperStone® is impact resistant and hard wearing, resisting temperatures up to180° without showing any superficial changes while being water and stain resistant and easy to clean. The versatile nature of the material makes it a cost-efficient solution for a range of interior applications and can be cut and engraved depending on customers’ needs.

PaperStone® colours are warm and rich, reflecting nature often with a soft and subtle variegated finish, with eleven colours across two ranges. The Solid Colour Series includes five deep, rich organic colours. Some of these colours ‘evolve’ over time mellowing and growing with their environment to become more intense and warmer. The Designer Series has more of a geological than organic finish, with 6 lighter colours.

PaperStone® is available exclusively from CDUK in the UK and Ireland from 4th October 2021. The range includes 11 colours in a range of thicknesses selected based on our understanding of our key markets and knowledge of latest colour, texture and design trends.

About CDUK

CDUK is a supplier of surface materials and complementary products to the specification market in the UK and Ireland, including architects, interiors designers, kitchen designers, fabricators and contractors. Having built a strong reputation as the exclusive distributor of Corian® Solid Surface in the UK and Ireland, CDUK now offers an extended range of services as well as products from a number of leading brands.
We are a family owned business with over 40 years’ experience. We support our customers through a journey, as their design partner, from sourcing the best products and materials to helping them unlock their full potential through expert advice and technical knowledge. Our team of industry experts also provides technical advice, sampling and bespoke training courses for designers, manufacturers and fabricators.

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Kata Lips takes inspiration from Japanese culture and designs. Discover 3 new designs, created with oils, watercolours, pastels and acrylics. As her colours flow across the canvas, Zen-like landscapes and imaginary scenes emerge.

Nature is ever-present in Kata's work: tall trees, bamboo forests, bark, grasses and leaves are integral to each artwork. Her colour palette however varies from soft grey, green, blue and yellow to hyperreal bright.

Tanbo in Clay

Each design can be scaled up to fill a wall 3m tall x 5m wide. All can be repeated for longer walls. Colours can be adjusted, and all designs are available as wallcovering, window fill, or printed onto Zintra acoustic panels.

Fire rating: Euroclass B

Cleaning: Washable, wipeable. Can be cleaned with diluted bleach.

Contains mildew inhibitor.

Aloe in Acid
Inaka in Firecracker
Kigi in Charcoal
Inaka in Pebble
Inaka in Lotus
Inaka in Seabreeze
Aloe in Firefly

Cover image: Inaka in Lotus

About Tektura

Tektura are specialists in contract wallcoverings. Our life is colour, pattern and texture. We believe wallcovering can transform a space and we're dedicated to delivering outstanding product and service.

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In this week's interview with SBID Awards Product Design judge, Maria Vafiadis discusses the compatibility of luxury design and sustainability, addresses the unique challenges between designing private residences and hotels, and shares her views on repurposing in the industry.

The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Costa Navarino

How would you define luxury today? Is it compatible with sustainability?

The luxury experience today is defined by space and how this space encourages us to make time for rejuvenation. This is one reason why many resorts and hotels are choosing to create standalone villas, cottages and treehouses where guests can quietly share time with family and friends and engage with the natural world.

Our new luxury values are increasingly compatible with sustainability. Government regulation, the marketability of eco-destinations, consumer demand and evidence that guests will pay a premium for experiences that respond to environmental and local community issues are coming together in a union which is already having an impact on hospitality. We are seeing a new, more thoughtful attitude to what luxury means together with a growing desire among owners and consumers to be better custodians of our planet’s resources.

Matild Palace Budapest, a Luxury Collection Hotel - lobby lounge

How different are your priorities when you are designing a private residence versus a hotel?

My single focus when designing a private residence is the owner and his/her family. It is all about the owner’s aspiration and the family’s way of life, and the end result should reflect their personalities. By contrast, hotel design has several parties to please – the owner, the operator and, of course, the guest. As a hotel designer, it’s key to create a narrative as the wellspring for the guest experience while you also have to respond to an array of commercial and operational realities.

W hotel, Costa Navarino Beachfront

In your opinion, which offers the more interesting design opportunity – renovating a much-loved historic hotel or creating a new one?

It depends so much on the client and their aspiration; we have had amazing experiences working on both. Take for example Costa Navarino in Greece. It’s difficult to believe now but when we began our work on this resort it was no more than a bold vision to achieve a luxury destination which would celebrate the heritage and natural world of Messinia. It felt truly meaningful to work from a blank slate and create a new hospitality benchmark in the region.

Several years later, we were appointed on the recreation of The Burgenstock Resort in Switzerland. In its heyday, this had been a glamorous and pioneering destination and it was our task to take this legacy forward into a new era. This was a project that involved repurposing, refurbishment, extensions and new buildings. Its strapline ‘The Future has a Past’ was fascinating to honour and reflect in our work.

I must admit that I do enjoy delving into the past, discovering what was there and helping it to flourish again by combining the old and the new. We have just had a wonderful opportunity to do this in creating Matild Palace Budapest, a Luxury Collection Hotel. The lifestyle of the Archduchess of Austria who commissioned the original building was our inspiration and we wove our narrative around her imagined presence in the new hotel.

Burgenstock Hotel - guestroom

What are your priorities in making FF&E selections for your projects?

We love to work with artisanal and locally sourced products and, since sustainability is high on our agenda, we are always interested in re-purposed items. We believe in the inherent beauty of natural materials, tactility and in products that are well-made – longevity of things is one of the greatest gifts we can bestow on our planet.

Matild Palace Budapest, a Luxury Collection Hotel, guestroom

You have recently published a book called Design Alchemist. What was the thinking behind this title?

At MKV, we believe in the power of design to affect behaviour and elicit emotion. This requires design that combines location, culture, history and modern life in any number of contextual stories which we tell. When they come together in the right balance for the particular project, alchemy results and a kind of chemistry is released between the space and its users.

Cover image: Alpine Spa, Burgenstock Resort

Questions answered by Maria Vafiadis, Founder & Managing Director, MKV Design.

MKV Design's mission is to create environments that deliver on every level. Aesthetic, practical, commercial, experiential. We achieve this by applying intelligence to design. By developing a personal vision for every project, setting the most uncompromising standards and working side by side with our clients to bring that vision to life. It’s an approach that has cemented our reputation as world-class designers of luxury hotels, resorts and private residences

This week’s instalment of Project of the Week series features a residential home design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, The Furniture Union.

SBID Awards Category: Residential Apartment Over £1M

Practice: The Furniture Union

Project: Dorset Place

Location: Dorset, United Kingdom

What was the client's brief? 

The client approached us with a sentimental and emotive brief, to refurbish and redesign her mother’s house – the home she grew up in. The home is steeped in family history and fond memories.  Situated on a beautiful and rural winding country road in Dorset, ‘Dorset Place’ stands opposite a picturesque village church. What looks from the front of the property to be a detached, red brick two storey home deceives the eye.

The objective was to create a family home, suited to entertaining and building on the family ethos of memories and quality time spent together. It was also a fabulous example of self-expression; the client who themselves was the founder of an interior design practice. Her keen eye for design and naturally explorative nature made this project an exceptional example of design meets functionality. Toying with adventurous and modern finishes, technology and sumptuous furnishings an entire space was formed with a collective concept.

What inspired the design of the project?

What can only be described as a visual “Tardis”, the front door leads to an extended open plan living space; divided from the exquisite garden with sliding, full height glazed doors. The glazed doors to the garden completely slide back onto return flanks, allowing the first floor to hang in space! The first floor is cantilevered over the living space, kitchen and terrace. We took inspiration from Le Corbusier’s open plan approach, bringing the outdoors inside. The poured concrete floor finish runs seamlessly throughout the property and extends into the garden to form the terrace space outdoors.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The staircase proved to be the toughest hurdle getting the position right In the centre of the floor plan, we positioned a floating staircase, casting the first few treads in poured concrete, the rest of the staircase transcends into black veneered treads and wall panelling to tie in the black wooden floor that runs fluidly through the first floor. We created a sculptural chandelier arrangement to hand down from a raft ceiling with an ambient glow around the perimeter.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The clients en suite was completely clad in Dekton Laurent, with brushed copper brassware and black glass basins, which float on a black and walnut wall hung unit. With a range of suppliers such as Antonio Lupi, Geberit and Gessi the key design element here ties in the darker aesthetic found on the first floor.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

This exceptional home is contemporary with flare, personality and built on family values. We believe the house expresses our company values and showcases our teams skill in everyway.

Questions answered by Bella Gough, Design Director, The Furniture Union.

We hope you feel inspired by this week's design!

If you missed the last instalment of Project of the Week, featuring a daring yet cosy apartment design by IDA SRL & RS Interiores, click here to read it.

Founded in 1987 in the United States by Mark Moussa - now the president at the helm of the brand - Arteriors are celebrating 35 years as leaders and trendsetters in the world of luxury lighting, furniture, and accessories.

Known for delivering impeccable quality pieces and artisanal craftsmanship, Arteriors debuted its new Spring Summer 22 collection at London Design Week in Chelsea Harbour’s Design Centre in March.

Arteriors Jonesboro dining table, £7866
Arteriors Banshee sculpture, £236

Featuring strong links to the natural world, malleable wickers and rattans, grained mango woods, natural abaca, and solid teak feature across the collection highlighting hues of neutral beige, warmer mid-tones and shades of burnt ash.

Taking inspiration from motifs found in nature alongside shapes representative of the animal kingdom – incorporating mushrooms, meandering garden vines, and abstract botanicals into designs across items from furniture to lighting and accessories - this collection is all about grounded interiors in an ode to mother nature.

Arteriors Labrynth sculptures, £587
Arteriors Meadow cocktail table, £1888

Expanding seasonally with 500 new products launching per bi-annual collection, Arteriors shows its diversity and creativity by working closely with skilled designers and pulling inspiration from around the world, always balancing nature and design - from the understated to the unexpected, offering an extraordinary assortment with special attention to material, scale and finish.

Arteriors Juneau bowl, £411
Arteriors x Celerie Kemble Tendril accent table, £1023

For this collection in particular, bringing textural variation and material innovation inspired by traditional craftsmen in Southeast Asia allows designs to merge modern creativity with traditional resources and expertise.

“We honour the ingenuity of our master artisans, passing down from generation to generation. Perhaps none more significant than those from Southeast Asia, where intrinsic artistry has inspired our collection of natural materials with inventive detail. Modern forms, rich textures & craftsmanship evoke a contemporary yet warm aesthetic.” - Arteriors Design Team

Arteriors Jonesboro dining table, £7,866; Bahati chairs, £1,718; Jenison console, £ 5,346; Loretto mirror,£1,416

Browse items from the latest collection online at www.arteriorshome.com or visit the London showroom to see the designs first hand.

About Arteriors

For over 30 years, Arteriors delivers impeccable style and artisanal quality craftsmanship within the lighting, furniture, wall décor and home accessory categories to discerning customers worldwide. This three-decade journey in pursuit of extraordinary product - from the understated to the unexpected - had been and remain at the core of what Arteriors do each day. Arteriors' business has matured and expanded into a timeless lifestyle brand that has become premier resource for interior designers and retailers worldwide.

Today, Arteriors continues to reinterpret materials, forming objects of perfect proportions and scale, resulting in bold interiors that bring ease to everyday luxury.

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Introducing the Fusion Collection from leading British manufacturer of the finest architectural hardware, Croft. With a history of over 150 years, Croft remain a family-owned company that specialise in crafting unique, hand-finished decorative hardware that displays unparalleled attention to detail.

Incapsulating industrial architecture whilst successfully balancing style, strength and quality, the Fusion Collection comprises of a door handle on a covered rose, T bar mortice knob, bathroom turn, and cabinet fittings in over 25 different finishes and patinas, including Light Antique Brass and Autumn Bronze to add warmth to the home.

About Croft

Croft are a leading British manufacturer of the finest architectural hardware. With a family heritage dating back to 1868, Croft remain a family run company manufacturing from their factory in the heart of England. Offering bespoke solutions as well as an extensive portfolio in a choice of 28 different finishes. The Croft range provides an impeccable selection of beautifully crafted, quality hardware to suit the most elegant of properties.

If you’d like to feature your product news here, get in touch to find out more. 

If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.

SBID is excited to introduce a new weekly blog series - the Judges' Interviews - in which, leading up to the 2022 SBID Awards ceremony, you will get to meet and find out more about the people who will be evaluating the contestants' projects this year!

In this week's interview with SBID Awards Product Design judge; design advisor & founder of Habitus Design Group, Samantha Drummond discusses her views on the hospitality sector, what innovations are needed in those spaces and how hospitality design can shape the guest experience.

Villa Lounge, Solaire Hotel & Resort

How would you define the power of design?

Design is a means to problem solving. In a hospitality setting, this begins with understanding the customers', as well as the client's, needs and aspirations and from this developing a framework for concept development, innovation and creativity. Such an approach is as much linked to strategy as it is to aesthetics. Yes of course the look and feel are important but what matters even more is how the design makes guests feel. Are they at ease? Is their curiosity aroused while their sense of belonging is stimulated? Will the memories they take away with them convert family and friends into your next guests? Design has the power to evoke emotions, to change the way people experience a space and to encourage them to stay longer.

Solaire North Quezon City - Japanese Restaurant

You design both extraordinarily large resorts and boutique, single-purpose hospitality destinations. How would you compare the challenges?

In fact, the creation of large resorts and small hospitality destinations face many similar challenges. All projects, regardless of size, require the same fundamental disciplines.

However, one thing that is different is that the larger the project, the larger the team and therefore more people management is required, sometimes internationally across different time zones. Also, it’s often the case that larger projects have more aggressive deadlines in order to achieve completion on multiple spaces simultaneously.

Villa bathroom, Solaire Hotel & Resort

How do you use design to shape the guest experience?

Hospitality design is a wonderful opportunity to create a stage for guests to live a charmed life during their stay. We aim to craft experiences that make guests feel glamorous, special and cherished. There are many elements that go into the design mix but I do think lighting is very important in shaping the experience as are unexpected surprises – a beautiful repurposed item for example or curated collections of books and, of course, bespoke artwork. Such things help guests connect emotionally, add layers of meaning and create memories.

Marina Bay Sands, Retail Mall

What inspires you both professionally and personally?

So much inspires me – I think that’s the nature of being a designer... food, art, music, craftmanship, the natural world. In my work, I love to take on an empty building, a vacant plot of land or even nothing more than a vision in the client’s mind. That’s when I really have to use my imagination to come up with something genuine which hasn’t been done before while also engaging my Advisory head and making a sound business case for my proposal.

There is also the ‘who’ inspires me and here I have been so lucky. From my extraordinary clients who have taught me so much about business over the years to the many world-acclaimed architects, designers, artists and chefs I have been privileged to collaborate with. They have all been an inspiration.

Marina Bay Sands, exterior

Do you think there are any hospitality sectors that would particularly benefit from product innovation?

Wellness is a sector that is constantly evolving in terms of treatments, new experiences and now the wide offering from pampering to medical interventions, mind and body wellbeing. I am sure there is opportunity for product innovation here. I also think that in the aftermath of the pandemic, “working from alternative locations” has become a way of life and the hotel bedroom desk could be ripe for a renaissance. However, this will not be as before. An innovative approach to resolving the room’s working space is definitely called for.

Cover image: Private Residence, Denmark

Questions answered by Samantha Drummond, Design Advisor & Founder, Habitus Design Group.

Habitus Design Group set out to achieve extraordinary results by translating their industry knowledge and creative talents into an unparalleled service for the clients, enabling their vision to be realised and become a benchmark in luxury hospitality development.
For every project and client, Habitus develop completely bespoke services where the aesthetic of international luxury is sensitively combined with authentic local character and where the issues of large-scale space planning, adjacencies, connectivity and operational requirements are successfully resolved.

This week’s instalment of Project of the Week series features a daring yet cosy apartment design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, IDA SRL & RS Interiores.

Take a tour!

SBID Awards Category: Residential Apartment Under £1M

Practice: IDA SRL & RS Interiores

Project: Casa Elena

Location: Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic

What was the client's brief? 

Our client was looking to design their home, an apartment with earthy tones. They had not thought of any style or hadn't stumbled upon ideas that they would have liked in detail.

What inspired the design of the project?

The inspiration for this design came from my clients own personality, once we sat down to talk about them, I had the picture in mind of what their home would look like. A sleek super simple yet edgy design, industrial yet comforting spaces.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The hardest hurdle to overcome was choosing the correct colour tones, shades of neutral and nude colours to go along with such a daring yet laid back design concept.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

I just loved the way everything came together, from the textures, colour tones and overall furnishings.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

I have been an SBID Member and former winner for a few years now; I believe in the community, we are a group of professionals in design who support each other and push each other to be better - this is why I enter the SBID awards each year.

Questions answered by Rosadela Serulle, Head Interior & Lighting Designer, IDA SRL & RS Interiores.

We hope you feel inspired by this week's design!

If you missed the last instalment of Project of the Week, featuring a modern high-tech office and urban farm design by Wolter & Yu, click here to read it.

What strikes you about this West Sussex kitchen on first glance is the sheer number of finishes and techniques on display. Testament to the craftsmanship and skill involved in creating it, the space has been transformed from its previous incarnation. “When I first visited the house, the kitchen was dated but the room as a whole was bursting with potential,” remembers Charlie Smallbone, founder of Ledbury Studio. Here, he reveals how he channelled his client's love of antiques and eclecticism to turn it into a sociable space designed for serious cooking.

What was the brief?

The couple are keen on entertaining, but the kitchen also has to function as an ad-hoc office, as our client's partner works from home. And then, because our client works in an auction house and loves antiques, they wanted us to take an eclectic approach to the design with a rich mix of materials and finishes. In this case, less is not more! My brief was to create the feel of freestanding furniture, rather than of a fitted kitchen – so it looks like somebody has gone out and bought lots of lovely pieces. As such, the kitchen we designed for the couple is a beautiful, informal, living, dining and kitchen space that ticks all boxes.

Ledbury Studio (8)

What can you tell us about the metallic finishes?

When the couple visited our Notting Hill showroom, they instantly fell in love with our signature Metallics Collection copper-fronted cabinets. Naturally, we integrated two into the design — either side of the window for a lovely framing effect. The copper is a living finish that will mature over time, developing a rich patina.

Ledbury Studio (9)
Ledbury Studio (1)

How did you create the paint effect on the cabinetry?

The painted cabinets were given a primer in our workshops and then hand painted in situ by our artist Emma, in close collaboration with the client. The beautiful burnished paint effect was inspired by the grey-green elements in a favourite copper vase. There are four hand-painted layers, one of which is a tinted pearlescent. This makes the paint shimmer, so the colour isn’t flat, and it’s this that unites all the finishes in the kitchen.

Ledbury Studio (11)

What is the purpose of the freestanding cabinet?

This tall freestanding piece acts as a breakfast cupboard housing a coffee machine, toaster, kettle and all other breakfast paraphernalia. It has the aged-pewter finish on the doors, over which we've put a protective finish so that fingerprints don't mark it and the surface is easy to clean.

The cabinets below the breakfast cupboard feature a pattern we call Choppy Water. Solid oak panels were carved and then stained dark to create the effect. If you look carefully, you’ll see that it’s been finished with gold-leaf appliqué, which injects a dash of glamour into the kitchen. Both the wood and the appliqué are protected by a 5% sheen lacquer. The Choppy Water finish has also been used on the appliance housing opposite.

Freestanding piece
Appliance housing

What material did you use for the worktops and why?

We used the same work surface throughout, which is a man-made quartz called Arabesque from Stone Italiana. It is a very practical solution — non porous, hard wearing, resistant to heat and scratching, and does not require sealing. What’s more, it allowed us to seamlessly incorporate a sink, also in Arabesque. Losing the join lines between the worktop and the sink lends the kitchen a sleek look.

Ledbury Studio kitchens start from £50,000.

Ledbury Studio (10)

About Ledbury Studio

Charlie Smallbone needs little introduction. The founder of iconic brand Smallbone of Devizes, he has been pushing the boundaries of kitchen design for over 40 years. Charlie’s latest venture, Ledbury Studio, was born of his desire to harness the beauty of original materials whilst creating practical kitchens that exude style and elegance.

If you’d like to feature your projects here, get in touch to find out more.

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