Underway until 19 September, Decorex International at Syon Park was a Mecca for interior design enthusiasts. More than 400 exhibitors presented unusual solutions for furnishing the house and personalising it with sophisticated, unique details, from lights to textiles, from furniture to lighting. In the spotlight, along with the established names, there were emerging brands to keep an eye on in the coming years. The entrance to the exhibition centre introduced the theme of this edition: Black Canvas, created by the studios Maddux Creative, Studio Suss, Brian Woulfe and Henry Prideaux.
The designers sketched their source of inspiration on white canvasses and told the stories of their careers through their own cartoons and vignettes. This year, the event celebrated luxury craftsmanship and the applied arts in the Future Heritage section, selected by the critic, Corinne Julius: on display, the best makers and skilled designers in handmade articles and in sartorial masterpieces, such as Tord Boontje, Jochen Holz, Marcin Rusak and Studio Glithero. Among the highlights was The Bar created by the interior design studio Lambart&Browne, a colonial-style bar based on the mood of the French bon viveur, in the shape of a curtain on a raised platform with fabrics providing the proper privacy. “We designed the bar in contemporary British style, eclectic and classic,” said Freddy van Zevenbergen, the studio’s co-founder. “With this design, we are inviting visitors to take a break and reflect on what they have seen at Decorex, relaxing in a comfortable and refined environment.” Inside the bar, visitors enjoyed a space embellished with decorative panels, sophisticated furniture and spectacular lighting.
Another new development for 2018 was CraftWork, a platform for the new generations of designers whose exhibits straddled various disciplines, a space to display their unique techniques and an important showcase for young people to make themselves known to potential producers. And, to find out what it’s like backstage of design production, In the Making: brands displaying to the public the creative processes and the time-honoured know-how underpinning their masterpieces. For example, Lincrusta, the historic London wallpaper brand, revealed the age-old process of embossing wall panels and invited visitors to decorate their own panels in a captivating competition. Pigmentti, meanwhile, demonstrated the technique of bas-reliefs and gold leaf, using the ancient material of Marmorino deployed in a contemporary interior.
