This year I went to Biennale Interieur for the first time. Run as a not-for-profit organisation, it is a biannual showcase of good design in the Belgian city of Kortrijk. The Expo provides the commercial side of the event and cultural events around the city support it. More on the latter next week, first, the Expo. Above – I loved the contrast of concrete and copper in this little table lamp by Alice Viallet. Svampe’s shade is mobile so you can direct the light as you wish. It was shortlisted for and exhibited as part of the Interieur Awards.
Also shortlisted and also by Alice was Nested Tables. They remind me of a dance step I learnt when I was learning Lindy Hop, a type of swing dancing! Someone who knows more about Lindy Hop might be able to tell us which step!
Belgium-based Serax, run by brothers Axel and Serge Van den Bossche, was another discovery. The brand works with designers who usually create limited edition or hand crafted pieces and make them available to a wider audience at a more affordable price. This is Feeling by Marie Michielssen.
As someone who’s always drying her hands on the tea towel, TwoTowel by Anieke Branderhorst for Netherlands-based Vij5 is a must-have! It’s a new kitchen product – half tea-towel and half hand towel. Ingenious!
French design brand La Chance were showing a really exciting selection of work, including Bolt by Stockholm-based Note Design Studio.
…and Salute by Sebastian Herkner. I love the contrast between the luxe granite and the fluoro-yellow.
Belgian design brand Per/Use were showing some great work by new designers, some of which they’d picked up at graduate shows just a year ago. I particularly liked Siblings by Frederik Delbart, the glass shade of which can sit on a variety of wooden stands.
A showcase of previous Biennale Interieur Designers of the Year included Wand, a room divider by Stefan Schoning Wand for Bosq.
Bram Boo is another previous winner and this is Mate for Bulo, a series of desks with bold geometric privacy screens which double up at the back legs. Simple, yet effective design.
2014’s Designer of the Year was Marina Bautier and this is her Lap Shelving for Case Furniture – I love the bucket shelves. And last but not least, I loved this colourful modular storage unit by Koenraad Ruys for Moca.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- out and about :: art house, designblok
- out and about :: openstudio designblok
- out and about :: superstudio, designblok
- out and about :: tent london, LDF14
