Calling all interiors junkies.
Whether it’s a soft spot for interiors, a passion for print and pattern or a raging appetite for all things related to trends and modern design, whatever your level of interior design obsession, the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is your Mecca. The largest design hub in Europe, it’s home to more than 600 brands and 120 showrooms, spanning four floors and three gorgeous domes – and, for six days every September, it’s home to the annual Focus design event.
Not to be missed, Focus/18 is one of the main highlights of the London Design Festival calendar. Here, all interior addicts can discover what’s hot in the world of interiors and catch a first glimpse of new launches as well as a programme of talks, tours and workshops.
See Also: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2018
Universally recognised as a primary destination for creative excellence, Focus/18 brings together thousands of tastemakers from the worlds of interior design, architecture and style. Expect a jam-packed programme of more than 100 free sessions, including talks, demonstrations, workshops and immersive experiences, giving you ‘access all areas’ to the newest ideas in home interiors.
Meet established makers, emerging innovators and skilled artisans, and listen to star names sharing their creative narratives at the Conversations in Design series. In the showrooms, expect first glimpses of new season collections and designer collaborations; enlightening meet-the-designer sessions; artisan demonstrations; Q&As and expert guidance.
Highlights include British designer Michael Angove unveiling his Living Wall tile collection for Artisans of Devizes; Rubelli turning the spotlight on 1950s design with its latest furniture collection; Romo’s event with renowned illustrator Christopher Corr who will be painting a live art installation in celebration of Villa Nova’s first children’s focused collection; and Pierre Frey’s bold, multicoloured Double Jeux embossed vinyl wallpapers (including the multicoloured Plein Été) and Jean Monro’s Lustmore fabric, a design of foxgloves on linen.
Illustrator Christopher Corr will be painting a live art installation in celebration of Villa Nova’s first children’s focused collection for Romo
Here are four reasons to add Focus/18 to your calendar.
1. ACCESS ALL AREAS
Go behind the scenes and be inspired by the latest collaborations and designs in the showrooms. Kit Kemp and her Firmdale team will create a Caribbean bedroom suite for the Turnell & Gigon at Home pop-up showroom; the window at Style Library will see a collaboration between Sanderson and British accessories brand, Radley; lighting designer Rebecca Weir will host a series of talks on ‘The Colour of Light”; Artisans of Devizes will host a gallery experience to showcase the tile collaboration with Michael Angrove; and to coincide with the launch of its Tribal Lampshade collection, Vaughan will hold a lampshade workshop.
2. CONVERSATIONS IN DESIGN
World-class talent will be sharing their knowledge and creative vision too. On the main stage, Conversations in Design is back, bringing together established designers and rising industry stars for the annual schedule of talks.
Kicking off on Sunday, 16 September from 11.30am – 12.30pm, a panel of experts including Timothy Corrigan, Adam Bray, Claire Sa and Livingetc’s Editorial Director Sarah Spiteri will be talking about the changing design landscape in America and in the UK. Later on, from 3pm – 4pm, tastemakers Allegra Hicks and Miguel Flores-Vianna talk about what informs and inspires their passion to create and capture highly individual interiors.
On Tuesday, 18 September from 3pm – 4pm Veere Greeny, and editor Hatta Byng will talk about their journeys to success.
On Wednesday, 19 September from 11.30am – 12.30pm, British designer Nina Campbell and interiors editor Giles Kime talk about Nina’s new book, where she talks about never-before-seen projects.
On Thursday, 20 September from 11.30am – 12.30pm, three acclaimed designers, David Bentheim, Fran Hickman and Karen Howes, will be discussing the influences and influencers that have had a profound impact on their work. Later on, from 3pm – 4pm, Nicola Harding, Charles Bateson, Georgina Cave and Livingetc Executive Editor Neil McLennan will talk about individual style and how to get it, which promises to be a session full of passion and humour.
Book tickets to all these talks here bit.ly/2LYPF8c
3. COLOUR WORKSHOPS
Colour fans, rejoice. Focus18 will also host a series of workshops around the key theme of colour, exploring how it informs our design aesthetic, both consciously and subconsciously. Georgia Coleridge will discuss the healing power of colour, while Sanderson will host a psychology of colour workshop in the Style Library showroom, discussing the transformative power that colour has on emotions and how we feel in a space.
See Also: 8 A/W18 WAYS TO DRESS YOUR WALLS
4. INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION
Last but not least, every year Focus display an eye-catching featured installation, and this year international artist Motitz Waldemeyer wants to fill you with positivity through his joyful lighting installation.
The new installation – titled Journey of Colour – will offer an immersive experience of light, colour and motion. Taking inspiration from coronas, the crown-like appearance around the sun during an eclipse, LED technology will light up as visitors move back and forth along a 12-metre walkway, with guests able to choose their favourite colours to be projected as specific auras.
See Also: 11 NEW STATEMENT LIGHTING COLLECTIONS FOR A/W 2018
Focus/18 takes place at the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XF. The trade preview is from 16 – 18 September. All welcome from 19 – 21 September. Opening times are from 10am – 6pm. Entrance is free, but pre-registration is essential; visit dcch.co.uk. Can’t make it? Follow the conversation online: @designcentrech, #Focus18AtDCCH
