Key Themes from 2024’s London Design Festival
From mythology and classic revivals to nature-focused innovations, here’s what was inspiring designers at the event
From 14-22 September 2024, the UK capital celebrated the best of creativity at the 22nd edition of the London Design Festival (LDF). The event is always huge, with exhibitions, installations, discussions and product launches popping up in different districts across the city, and it aims to highlight new innovations as well as the ideas that are currently informing design.
We went along to discover the key themes that will be influencing interiors products and materials now and into the future.
We went along to discover the key themes that will be influencing interiors products and materials now and into the future.
Lamp shades by Mushlume.
Innovations inspired by nature
Designers at the festival were using nature as inspiration to create products that have a useful impact on our environment. An installation at the Roca London Gallery entitled Bio-Spaces highlighted this with a series of modular gridded ‘islands’, each of which looked at a specific concept of nature-informed design. These included biodiversity, biomimicry, biomorphic design, bio-based materials, and bioregenerative design.
At the VitrA showroom, emerging designer Rameshwari Jonnalagedda showcased her Minimal Matter project of 3D-printed ceramic ‘minimal surfaces’ inspired by the intricate tunnel networks in termite mounds, which help to increase cooling efficiency.
Bio materials were in abundance at the Material Matters exhibit, with Mushlume displaying lamp shades (pictured) grown using hemp combined with the renewable living organism, mycelium, while Tŷ Smyl exhibited lighting made from seaweed and waste paper.
Innovations inspired by nature
Designers at the festival were using nature as inspiration to create products that have a useful impact on our environment. An installation at the Roca London Gallery entitled Bio-Spaces highlighted this with a series of modular gridded ‘islands’, each of which looked at a specific concept of nature-informed design. These included biodiversity, biomimicry, biomorphic design, bio-based materials, and bioregenerative design.
At the VitrA showroom, emerging designer Rameshwari Jonnalagedda showcased her Minimal Matter project of 3D-printed ceramic ‘minimal surfaces’ inspired by the intricate tunnel networks in termite mounds, which help to increase cooling efficiency.
Bio materials were in abundance at the Material Matters exhibit, with Mushlume displaying lamp shades (pictured) grown using hemp combined with the renewable living organism, mycelium, while Tŷ Smyl exhibited lighting made from seaweed and waste paper.
Furniture by Lewis Fleming.
The combining of past and future
While technologies such as 3D printing and AI open the door to new possibilities in product design, there remains the question of how we can also retain traditional craftsmanship. PR agency Informare hosted a discussion, The Heritage and Futurism of Design, at Soho Lighthouse to look into the issue.
A panel of design experts talked about how contemporary design is influenced by historical principles and how we can find a balance between preserving traditional skills and embracing cutting-edge technologies.
An exhibition in collaboration with the British Council, Jhuley Lal: Crafting the Contemporary, fused the work of UK and Pakistani emerging designers with local craftspeople from Khairpur, Shikarpur and Karachi to highlight how traditional skills and contemporary aesthetics can merge.
Meanwhile, in Chelsea’s Design District, visitors could take a look at Gaze Burvill’s Woodland Seat, an outdoor bench made from a mix of old and new techniques. Complex parts have been manufactured using CNC machining, while the traditional skill of steam-bending has been used to finish off the product.
At the Material Matters exhibition, an example of this melding of old and new could be seen in Lewis Fleming’s furniture and lighting designs (pictured), which use a mix of Japanese craft and modern manufacturing techniques.
The combining of past and future
While technologies such as 3D printing and AI open the door to new possibilities in product design, there remains the question of how we can also retain traditional craftsmanship. PR agency Informare hosted a discussion, The Heritage and Futurism of Design, at Soho Lighthouse to look into the issue.
A panel of design experts talked about how contemporary design is influenced by historical principles and how we can find a balance between preserving traditional skills and embracing cutting-edge technologies.
An exhibition in collaboration with the British Council, Jhuley Lal: Crafting the Contemporary, fused the work of UK and Pakistani emerging designers with local craftspeople from Khairpur, Shikarpur and Karachi to highlight how traditional skills and contemporary aesthetics can merge.
Meanwhile, in Chelsea’s Design District, visitors could take a look at Gaze Burvill’s Woodland Seat, an outdoor bench made from a mix of old and new techniques. Complex parts have been manufactured using CNC machining, while the traditional skill of steam-bending has been used to finish off the product.
At the Material Matters exhibition, an example of this melding of old and new could be seen in Lewis Fleming’s furniture and lighting designs (pictured), which use a mix of Japanese craft and modern manufacturing techniques.
Calma Lounge chair by Andreu World.
A celebration of waste reduction
Waste-free design has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and this year’s London Design Festival hosted plenty of innovative circular design ideas. Andreu World’s Cradle to Cradle-certified Calma Lounge collection of armchairs is made without glue, which allows the products to be washed, repaired, disassembled and recycled.
For those who wanted to learn more about circular design, the Surface Matter event in London Fields consisted of a series of hands-on sessions to look at aspects such as sustainable credentials, the makeup of materials, how to reduce the environmental impact of the materials we use, and how to design-in circularity from the start.
In Shoreditch, meanwhile, DRK Lighting hosted an event to explore how to extend the life of lighting products with processes such as upgrading light fittings in situ and integrating lighting controls.
Ceramic designers were also looking at ways to reduce and recycle and, at Material Matters, Ferzom Ceramics displayed glazes made from 100% waste material, while Rosy Napper exhibited ReCinder homewares made from recycled ceramic and waste ash.
A celebration of waste reduction
Waste-free design has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and this year’s London Design Festival hosted plenty of innovative circular design ideas. Andreu World’s Cradle to Cradle-certified Calma Lounge collection of armchairs is made without glue, which allows the products to be washed, repaired, disassembled and recycled.
For those who wanted to learn more about circular design, the Surface Matter event in London Fields consisted of a series of hands-on sessions to look at aspects such as sustainable credentials, the makeup of materials, how to reduce the environmental impact of the materials we use, and how to design-in circularity from the start.
In Shoreditch, meanwhile, DRK Lighting hosted an event to explore how to extend the life of lighting products with processes such as upgrading light fittings in situ and integrating lighting controls.
Ceramic designers were also looking at ways to reduce and recycle and, at Material Matters, Ferzom Ceramics displayed glazes made from 100% waste material, while Rosy Napper exhibited ReCinder homewares made from recycled ceramic and waste ash.
King, from the Alchemist collection by Lee Broom.
Spirituality and mythology
Some designers at the event sought inspiration from myths and spirituality. An exhibition curated by artists Yiru Wang, Fan Yang and Su Jin entitled Shadow Depths: Journey of Psychic Renewal, for example, took a mythological perspective on how art-making can affect healing and social issues.
Lighting designer Lee Broom’s Alchemist collection (pictured) was inspired by Paulo Coelho’s book of the same name and consists of four ranges - Mythos, King, Solstice and Gemini. The beautiful collections of pendant lights, chandeliers and wall sconces are made from brass, glass, acrylic and leather and explore ideas around alchemy, astrology, mythology and folklore.
Spirituality and mythology
Some designers at the event sought inspiration from myths and spirituality. An exhibition curated by artists Yiru Wang, Fan Yang and Su Jin entitled Shadow Depths: Journey of Psychic Renewal, for example, took a mythological perspective on how art-making can affect healing and social issues.
Lighting designer Lee Broom’s Alchemist collection (pictured) was inspired by Paulo Coelho’s book of the same name and consists of four ranges - Mythos, King, Solstice and Gemini. The beautiful collections of pendant lights, chandeliers and wall sconces are made from brass, glass, acrylic and leather and explore ideas around alchemy, astrology, mythology and folklore.
Sour Cup by Michelle Leung.
The power of touch
Sometimes, the feel of a material is just as important as how it looks, and that’s something that was explored at the Can I Feel It? exhibition by Cheeky Studio. Eight textile artists presented work made of materials such as fabrics, wool, cotton, silk, mohair, beads, spangles and optical fibres, using techniques including tufting and crocheting. The hosts wanted visitors to look beyond their usual assumptions about materials and discover the profound beauty of touch.
The Design You Can Feel exhibition, meanwhile, was centred on a lightweight, durable and tactile material used in ASUS laptops called Ceraluminum, but also looked further afield to furniture, lighting and installation design. Artists displayed a range of products that invited visitors to reconnect with the touch and feel of the materials.
Meanwhile, at Battersea Design District, ceramic designer Michelle Leung presented a collection of drinkware (pictured) exploring the idea that people experience taste based on the sensory aspects of the vessel they’re using. A test involving participants drinking cocktails from a variety of different shapes, for example, revealed that sweetness was associated with larger, rounded shapes, while sourness and spiciness was matched with spiky forms.
Tell us…
Did you go along to the London Design Festival? What stood out for you? Share your observations in the Comments.
The power of touch
Sometimes, the feel of a material is just as important as how it looks, and that’s something that was explored at the Can I Feel It? exhibition by Cheeky Studio. Eight textile artists presented work made of materials such as fabrics, wool, cotton, silk, mohair, beads, spangles and optical fibres, using techniques including tufting and crocheting. The hosts wanted visitors to look beyond their usual assumptions about materials and discover the profound beauty of touch.
The Design You Can Feel exhibition, meanwhile, was centred on a lightweight, durable and tactile material used in ASUS laptops called Ceraluminum, but also looked further afield to furniture, lighting and installation design. Artists displayed a range of products that invited visitors to reconnect with the touch and feel of the materials.
Meanwhile, at Battersea Design District, ceramic designer Michelle Leung presented a collection of drinkware (pictured) exploring the idea that people experience taste based on the sensory aspects of the vessel they’re using. A test involving participants drinking cocktails from a variety of different shapes, for example, revealed that sweetness was associated with larger, rounded shapes, while sourness and spiciness was matched with spiky forms.
Tell us…
Did you go along to the London Design Festival? What stood out for you? Share your observations in the Comments.
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Regenerated classics
As the interiors industry continues to shift its focus from short-term trends to longer-lasting pieces, a number of exhibitors at LDF were championing the work of designers who have a timeless appeal.
Fashion design veteran Sir Paul Smith, for example, shone a light on the work of Aino and Alvar Aalto at the Artek shop in Mayfair. The Stool 60, Screen 100 (pictured), and Coat Rack 109 had been treated with a subtle variation of wood stains to recreate the Paul Smith Signature Stripe.
Furniture store Ligne Roset celebrated the modernist furniture and lighting designer, Pierre Guariche, with its Re-Edition collection, which pays attention to the detail and design principles of the original pieces while allowing them to fit into contemporary settings.
Meanwhile, at Dover Street Market, Labour and Wait hosted the UK relaunch of the iconic Rowac-Schemel stool, which was originally designed at the turn of the 20th century in Germany and was chosen for its durability and construction by Walter Gropius for his Bauhaus school.