This weekend, the biggest and best names in furniture, product and lighting design will descend upon London for the fourth annual designjunction festival. Over 150 brands will be showcased over the four days, but there are six in particular we just can’t wait to see.
1. ByALEX
Alex Swain, the talented chap behind ByALEX, sums up his company’s approach to designing furniture with a three word mantra: Purity by Design. The simplicity of this statement is reflected in his most recent collection, The A Range, which is sure to be on show at the festival. Using The A Frame – one of the purest principles in engineering – as a starting point, Alex has effortlessly created a series of products that are both elegant and functional. The A Desk, pictured above, is one of our favourites. Its adjustable, tilting surface makes it an invaluable and versatile addition to any live/work space.
2. Innes Design
Since 2011, Innes Design have been marrying clean lines with bold, bright blocks of colour to create stunningly straightforward shelves, tables and units. Every single one of their pieces is handmade in their East London studio, and then painted by hand using a palette of punchy pigments. This approach enables their products to be fully customisable, with each item available in a wide variety of different colour and wood combinations.
3. Hand&Eye Studio
Through the unlikely pairing of terracotta and blown glass, Hand&Eye Studio have created one of the most eye-catching illuminations we’ve ever seen. The Duo table lamp (pictured above) is just one of many impressive items that have been carefully crafted by designer Tom Housden and his team. In addition to earthenware creations such as this, the Leyton-based practice have also worked with wood and metal to create products that form part of a small but stunning selection of lamps and lighting fixtures.
4. Laura Slater
Laura Slater produces memorable, pattern-based textile designs from her base of operations in West Yorkshire. With an interest in exploring the interaction between shape and colour, Laura combines collage, drawing and traditional printing methods to create an array of abstract arrangements, which have previously caught the attention of such stores as Harvey Nichols and Heal’s. We’re particularly fond of her recent Assemble/Configure collection (pictured above), which includes colourful cushions, lampshades and tea towels all screen printed by hand.
5. Plantus
Designed and handmade in Budapest, Plantus Planters are an urban gardener’s dream come true. Beautifully crafted from pine and painted aluminium, the lightweight modular system provides the green-fingered with a stylish way of growing their own fruit and vegetables, while at the same time doubling as a unique space divider. The product is available in three varieties, but we’re big fans of the Plantus Wall (pictured above). Plantus is just one of several Hungarian brands exhibiting as part of the Shapes of Hungary show at this year’s designjunction.
6. KAKKOii
Naming themselves after the Japanese word for ‘cool’ meant London-based brand KAKKOii had no option but to create products that are just that. It’s safe to say the succeeded with their series of chic and contemporary wireless speakers. The affordable, award-winning design is available in a wide range of colours and sizes, including the above green and gold variety, which forms part of their WOW BLING range.
At ICON Printing, we love to keep a close eye on what’s going on within the world of design, in London and Nationwide, and share some of our more inspiring findings here on our blog. Be sure to check back for more!