The Furniture Industry Blog

Media 10 have recently purchased the 100%design show from Reed Exhibitions

2012-02-14T03:30:00.000Z

The show is at Earls Court 2, 19-22^nd September 2012. www.100percentdesign.co.uk.

100% Design is a well established show of 16 years and is a central part of London Design Festival (one of the World’s most important annual design events with over 350,000 visitors), attracting the most visitors and exhibitors. Last year’s show attracted just over 18,000 visitors, which was its lowest attendance.

Media 10 Ltd have the knowledge and experience to enhance the show’s good qualities, remove the bad and re- establish the brand, not just as a leading design show in the UK, but in Europe and Worldwide. They aim to increase visitor attendance to 40,000.

HI-MACS® for Busnelli's Goldenice

2012-02-14T03:00:00.000Z

One of the most admired and photographed products during the recent Furniture Show was without a doubt Goldenice.

Goldenice is an extraordinary and innovative bookcase system made by Busnelli using the New Generation Acrylic Stone, HI-MACS®, which is an equally extraordinary and innovative material.

Goldenice consists of a set of curved shelves, of varying lengths, which slot into one another and are fastened by an innovative and sophisticated rack and pinion system.

A bookcase system that is one of a kind across the world, affording the utmost versatility and absolute modularity thanks to the innovative design of Bruno Fattorini & Partners and to the sophisticated construction technology of its manufacturer, Busnelli.

The production of Goldenice was possible thanks to HI-MACS®, whose resistance, "soft" rigidity, and ease of manufacture made it possible to accommodate the designer's requirements.

Leicester-based retailer World Furniture joins The Furniture Ombudsman

2012-02-13T03:30:00.000Z

Leicester-based retailer World Furniture has become a member of The Furniture Ombudsman, demonstrating its commitment to customers.

The Furniture Ombudsman exists to inspire consumer confidence in the furniture and home improvement industries by working with retailers to raise standards. World Furniture can now offer its customers additional peace of mind when making purchases due to the extra consumer protection which buying from a TFO Member offers.

World Furniture, home of the UK's widest range of Indian furniture is based on St George Street, Leicester. The store specialises in hand-crafted sheesham furniture, acacia hardwood furniture and mango furniture, all of which, including their kitchen range, is handcrafted from solid hardwood.

New standard for furniture hardware

2012-02-12T11:34:00.000Z

BS EN 15939: 2011 Hardware for furniture. Strength and loading capacity of wall attachment devices.

This new harmonised European Standard is designed to allow hardware manufacturers to assess the performance of their products, and help furniture manufacturers select product. The standard covers the performance of brackets used to attach cabinets to walls, and is predominantly (although not exclusively) aimed at the kitchen market. The standard focuses on the parts of the bracket that attach to the cabinet rather than the parts that are wall mounted and contains methods to assess how much load a bracket can support.

It is understood that during the publication process some problems were noted with the test methods in the standard, and an immediate amendment may be forthcoming.

Creazioni – Children’s Furniture

2012-02-12T01:00:00.000Z

Children have vivid imaginations that must be nurtured. The Italian furniture manufacturer Creazioni
recognizes this need and provides fun, colorful, and design-rich pieces that are perfect for children.

DELIGHTFULL | UNIQUE LAMPS - A tribute to AMY

2012-02-11T01:00:00.000Z

“Inspired by what makes her unique, Amy, is a tribute to the great British singer and songwriter. It’s an elegant piece, with personality, outlined by detail, surrounded by the black of her hair and of her golden voice.
Highlighting the unique style of Amy…like the iconic hair and the ribbon that embraces it or the earring and the dress that involves the body of the floor lamp. Completely fits into the DELIGHTFULL story through the vintage look full of soul and jazz.”

Product solution for healthy mobile working...

2012-02-09T01:00:00.000Z

New Year resolution #1:

Work ergonomically when using your laptop in the office or at home with the ‘Jellyfish’ laptop stand

Allows laptop screen to be adjusted according to ideal eye-height position for the user
When combined with a keyboard and mouse, Jellyfish creates the correct ergonomic position to avoid ‘hunch’ postures
Ideal for office hot-desking environments where no permanent workstation is allocated and for the home office
Available in a choice of colours: white, black, red and yellow
Stand folds down for easy storage

For further information, please contact Vicky Richardson on 0207 940 4266.

Tray table from Urban Office Interiors

2012-02-08T11:46:00.001Z

Tray office table is an architectural experience with clean lines and multiple functions. Tray is an office table with storage, filing and dividing accessories that evolve with the needs of the users and space. The Tray desk is suitable for contract, office and home office use. Tray has been internationally recognized with the prestigious iF Design Award 2012. Click here to read more.

ODEON – Fanatical About Comfort

2012-02-08T11:31:00.000Z

ODEON, the leading cinema chain in Europe, has today announced the intention to incorporate award winning ProBax® Seating Technology into its current refurbishment programme. Together with NuBax, owners of the ProBax® technology, ODEON has agreed an eighteen month exclusivity period for ProBax® seating in its main European markets.

New EU Textile Regulations

2012-02-08T11:05:00.000Z

A new EU Regulation concerning textile fibre names and related labelling and marking of the fibre composition of textile products will be implemented in the UK, and across the EU, on 8 May 2012.

This Regulation (1007/2011) replaces three existing textile labelling Directives with a single Regulation which should make it easier and quicker to cope with technical innovation in the future. The process for applying for, approval of, and adoption of a new fibre name has been simplified and so will hopefully speed up the process.

The requirements for labelling of textiles are largely similar to current legislation but with an additional requirement to label non-textile parts of animal origin.

As the Regulation will be directly applicable in the UK there will be no need for UK legislation to transpose the Regulation into UK law – but the UK will have to withdraw a number of existing UK textile labelling regulations:

Textile Products (Indications of Fibre Content) Regulations 1986 SI 1986/26
Textile Products (Indications of Fibre Content) (Amendment) Regulations 1988 SI 1998/1169
Textile Products (Indications of Fibre Content) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 SI 1994/450
Textile Products (Determination of Composition) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/15
Textile Products (Indications of Fibre Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/6
Textile Products (Indications of Fibre Content) (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations 2009 SI 2009/1034

In terms of furniture products the Regulations state that the labeling requirements apply to:

‘Furniture, umbrella and sunshade coverings containing at least 80 % by weight of textile components’

More information, and a copy of the Regulations, can be found on the EU Europa website

There is no place like Home..

2012-02-07T17:22:00.000Z

Home, the homewares and interior accessories trade event that the UK has been waiting for, launched alongside Top Drawer earlier this month and drew in an impressive cumulative 14,000 trade visitors.

Home, which took place in Earls Court Two, London, presented the definitive collection of new home and interiors products from the world’s leading brands, all curated in a beautifully designed environment.The high quality, directional content at Home created the perfect atmosphere which buzzed with activity, confirming that this new event is now firmly positioned on the European interiors calendar.

Say hello to Staverton CL at Design Prima: 29 Feb - 1 Mar 2012

2012-02-07T17:18:00.002Z

Diesel with Foscarini Graf Suspension Light

2012-02-04T01:30:00.000Z

You can’t beat this monochrome Diesel with Foscarini Graf suspension light in Natural Pattern

Available from nest.co.uk

A kite in your living room…

2012-02-03T00:30:00.000Z

The pendant Holes is a design made by the Dutch Bertjan Pot inspired by kites and math, it is a lamp made with 20 triangles, 30 bars, 12 connectors and 57 small holes. A polyhedron that lets lots of beams of light out, giving it life and grace.

FIRA dramatically reduce their carbon footprint by working with Recycling Furniture Ltd

2012-02-02T03:00:00.000Z

Through the help of Recycling Furniture Ltd, FIRA are now able to recycle a large proportion of the furniture they test, rather than sending it to landfill.

Paul Soley, Operations Manager for FIRA Testing Services said, “At the FIRA testing centre we test thousands of furniture products to life expectancy and in some cases destruction, testing them in terms of strength, safety, stability, durability and flammability. This makes them dangerous for future use, meaning in the past FIRA had no choice but to dispose of them if they were not collected by the manufacturer.”

FIRA is acknowledged globally as a leading authority on furniture and flammability testing, offering testing of furniture, materials and component to British, European and International Standards. Since 1949, FIRA has developed many of the test methods which form the basis of furniture standards and regulations, such as BS 4875 (structural testing of domestic seating), BS 6222 (testing of domestic and contract kitchens) and BS EN 14073 (office storage furniture safety testing).

Since FIRA began working with Recycling Furniture Ltd last summer it has recycled over 400 pieces of furniture, totalling 16,218kg. This has resulted in a saving a staggering 21,855kg of carbon.

Paul added, “Sending furniture to landfill creates a huge problem for everyone involved. Not only does this harm the environment, but it's also a massive waste of natural resources. Now FIRA are not only disposing of the tested products in a more convenient way, with Recycling Furniture regularly collecting the products from us, we are also disposing of the products more responsibly.”

Recycling Furniture can recycle 98% of any item of furniture that they collect from FIRA, breaking down the products into each of its different components for recycling. Furniture is notoriously difficult to dispose of, especially products such as office chairs which contain many different elements and can be difficult to disassemble.

Blacksheep - Union Jacks

2012-02-02T00:30:00.000Z

Award winning design agency Blacksheep unveils Jamie Oliver’s new restaurant concept, Union Jacks.

Blacksheep, one of the UK’s leading creative agencies, unveils the design of its latest project, Union Jacks, part of a continuing partnership with renowned British chef, Jamie Oliver. The new restaurant concept, located in the heart of London in Central St Giles, is the sixth project that Blacksheep has completed with Jamie Oliver, following a successful rollout of his first restaurant chain, Jamie’s Italian.

2nd Shift Studio

2012-02-01T17:40:00.003Z

2nd Shift is a contemporary furniture and product design studio.
They create partnerships with distinct clients, as well as continually develop their own line of retail items.

Visit www.2ndshiftstudio.com

Design Awards 2012 Winner

2012-01-27T15:26:00.003Z

SORRY GIOTTO Light from Catellani & Smith

www.catellanismith.com

MIUU by Arturo Álvarez

2012-01-27T15:05:00.000Z

Fabrics that wrap bodies, fabrics that wrap light, ready to highlight colours and joint together in different forms.

A beautiful volume and a pleasant and fresh texture that reminds of petals of suggestive flowers.

The designer keeps on exploring the possibilities of weaving with different materials and recreates ancient flavours. The fabric gets voluptuousness and delicacy.

Clerkenwell Design Week Returns for 2012

2012-01-26T02:00:00.000Z

London’s premier celebration of design is preparing for its third showcase in 2012. After attracting record visitors over the last two years, with over 24,000 registered visitors in 2011, CDW 2012 looks to be bigger and better, cementing itself as the UK’s leading architecture and design destination.

Taking place across Clerkenwell 22-24 May 2012 and sponsored for the second year running by Jaguar, the three-day fest brings a vibrant programme of events – spanning product launches, parties, auctions, debates, pop-ups, exhibitions, installations, open studios and workshops. The Farmiloe Building (a former lead and glass merchants warehouse) and The House of Detention (a subterranean Victorian prison) will be showcasing the latest product and furniture innovations from both home grown and international manufacturers as well as a wealth of design and architecture talent.

Clerkenwell is also home to over 60 furniture design showrooms with many staging exclusive new product launches, talks with high profile speakers, installations and VIP parties.

No CDW is complete without public installations - this year Aberrant Architecture, the UK based multi-disciplinary design studio and think tank recognised for their interactive projects, is set to be one of 2012’s highlights with a travelling theatre that aims to delight and engage the CDW community by drawing on Clerkenwell’s rich theatrical history.

Steelcase

2012-01-25T10:38:00.002Z

American office furniture maker Steelcase agreed to a voluntary recall of about 11,000 “Amia” desk chairs due to a fall hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Eat, drink, talk, read, work

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000Z

The dining/kitchen table is often the hub of the home, where you eat, drink, talk, read, work and much more.

Nest has a fantastic range of dining/kitchen tables and chairs to suit a range of styles. Whether it’s wood, glass, plastic or a combination of finishes you are looking for Nest has got it covered.

A table that will stand the test of time for generations to come is the E15 Bigfoot diningtable. The solid wood legs always include the centre of the tree. Each leg measures 13.5 x 13.5cm and intersects with the table top featuring the end grain with its annual rings. Every table is unique and totally beautiful.

Crest Contract Interiors / Crest Living

2012-01-24T11:12:00.001Z

Crest would like to advise all of their clients, suppliers, friends and contacts that following the unexpected announcement by "Few and Far" of closing the shop in Brompton Road at the end of February, that Crest Living and Contracts will continue to trade but from a new location.

It should be stressed that Crest Living and Crest Contracts have absolutely no commercial connection with "Few and Far" or Priscilla Carluccio, it is an independent company and whilst affected by the closure in terms of location, is in no way affected in terms of continuing to trade.

As the news was only recently made public, it has left Crest with no alternative but to find temporary office accommodation whilst they continue to search for a new home, where they will be able to continue to promote and sell the high quality product offering on display at the current shop.

At the same time it is their intention to develop their on line sales through an improved web site, suitable for the high quality of products and services which Crest aim to supply to their clients. Crest will aim to keep everyone informed of progress with these plans.

Should any of their clients feel concerned about their orders, warranties or deliveries please feel free to contact Crest either at the shop prior to closing or at any time after the 1st February from their new office location which will be announced once suitable premises have been finalised.

Crest would like to thank all of their customers for their support and interest in their products during their most enjoyable stay in the Brompton Road and look forward to meeting and the opportunity of supplying them again, at some time in the future.

Crest would also like to wish Priscilla and the staff at "Few and Far" good luck with their future business.

Design PRIMA announces new exhibitors

2012-01-23T03:00:00.000Z

Design PRIMA, the only exhibition where serious contract culture meets the latest in creative design, has generated significant interest since the announcement of its return.

With many brands recognising the importance and influence of Design PRIMA in the marketplace, they are pleased to announce that some fantastic companies have now confirmed their attendance. Signed exhibitors include Atmosphere Contracts & Design, Bruynzeel, Edge Design, Kinnarps, Staverton, and Templestock.

Graham Ross, Managing Director for Atmosphere Contracts & Design commented: "Being focused on the contract interiors market PRIMA offers the perfect platform for Atmosphere to showcase the latest innovation for our Omega range of executive office furniture. We will be launching the new product at PRIMA and introducing it to the architects, designers and specifiers that the show attracts, who are looking for new designs and innovations in this sector. We are looking forward to meeting old friends and seeing new faces at PRIMA 2012."

Paul Edwards, Director of Staverton, adds: “Staverton is excited to launch its latest CL furniture range at Design Prima 2012. We believe this event is an excellent platform to introduce new innovations and engage with key industry professionals such as workspace designers and architects.”

As well as impressing visitors with their unique and innovative products, exhibitors at Design PRIMA also have the opportunity to submit their latest and most innovative products for consideration for the newly launched Product Design Awards in association with leading architectural magazine Building Design.

Design PRIMA will take place at the Business Design Centre, London from 29^th February to 1^st March 2012. For the first time Design PRIMA will be staged over the same period and at the same venue as The ARC Show, attracting even more design professionals to this exciting two day event.

Lloyd Loom of Spalding at NEC

2012-01-22T00:30:00.000Z

At this year’s Interiors UK at NEC Birmingham 22- 25 January, Lloyd Loom of Spalding will be showing some exciting new products at their stand Hall 1 B35.

They include new dining chairs called Bourne and a romantic bedside table and dressing table in a range named Barton.