re-igniting the dreamy designer within.....
18th October 2011
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So it has been a mad couple of weeks speaking to lots of new people, looking at quite a few potential new projects and trying to keep up to date with everyone....hence the lack of chitter chatter on all platforms - well except the proper in person stuff.
Back at the end of September I ventured down to the big smoke to Focus '11 at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre I chose to visit on the last day and got to sit in on three amazing seminars.
Firstly there was the wonderful Diana Mcknight, Director of Studies at KLC School of Design - just across the road from the design centre. She spoke about the fundamental importance of basic design principles when organising space and making it work to focus the clients needs, which I won't bore you with the intricate details of, but it was just like sitting back in my first year of university and I was quite proud of the fact that, mostly without realising I have remembered and carried all those things with me only now it seems more like common sense. Just gave me a little nudge not to be complacent about how I do what I do.
Next followed Lucy Martin, lighting designer and author of The Lighting Bible. This was a fabulous education that I was not expecting. Essentially the importance of lighting to design has always been prevalent to me and I have always endeavoured to respect the attention it deserves - after all what's the point of having a wonderfully designed space if the lighting is awful and truly you just cannot appreciate it to it'f fullest? Lucy managed to take the terror out of the technicalities of types of lighting and lamps etc. and all the changes in regulation etc. that are going on and made the thought of tackling it much more achievable.
Last of the seminars was Abigail Aherne, a very exciting designer who is highly acclaimed around the world who spoke to us about her style, how she achieves it and again the importance of proper space planning and lighting within a design. A very thought provoking seminar!
Of course in and around all of this I also got to mooch around all of the showroom and new collections. One thing that stood out for me in particular was the new wallpaper collection by Pip Studio, stocked by Brian Yates, a fantastically fun and vibrant collection and I would certainly recommend that you look them up even if it is just out of curiosity. Secondly the beautiful collection of rugs by Top Floor Rugs, the exquisite detail and quality was just amazing and well as I sift through all of the other literature and connections I made that day I will be sure to keep you in the loop. So all in all it was a very inspiring day and definitely brought to the fore how much fun it is to be a designer and have access to the talent and skill of all these wonderful resources, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour is certainly a place I will be revisiting.
