This article was published 15 yearsDuring Open House London this year, I was lucky enough to have a quick explore of Banbury Studios, the home of theatre company Graeae. Graeae describes itself “as a force for change in world-class theatre, breaking down barriers, challenging preconceptions and boldly placing disabled artists…
Confessions of a Design Geek
here’s one I made earlier :: klc project 2
This article was published 15 yearsIt’s taken me eighteen months (not a lot less than I initially estimated I could complete the entire course in!), I’ve got married and moved house in the process, but I have finally, finally finished Project Two of my klc Diploma in Interior Design! (I…
Confessions of a Design Geek
interview :: grace bonney
This article was published 15 yearsFor anyone with even a passing interest in design, Grace Bonney needs no introduction. Her blog, Design*Sponge, is one of a handful that set the gold standard by which all others are measured. And in fact was the blog my friend Paul pulled up on his…
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: sitting the light fantastic
This article was published 15 yearsSitting slap bang in the middle of the Geffrye Museum garden, Kei Ito‘s installation is an adventure in scale and perspective. It was apparently inspired by the imagined journey of one of the storks on a 19th Century gasolier in the museum, as it comes…
Confessions of a Design Geek
creative spaces :: people will always need plates
This article was published 15 yearsIt’s no secret that I love People Will Always Need Plates, so I was very excited when they kindly invited me to see their studio, which is nestled in the top of their gorgeous home. After tea and homemade cookies (oh yes!), we headed up…
Confessions of a Design Geek
here’s one I made earlier :: letterpress
This article was published 15 yearsI was recently very privileged to be in the last group of students to study letterpress in Central Saint Martin’s Southampton Row building. Privileged to be learning a skill that played such an important part in history, privileged to using hard to find and beautiful…
Confessions of a Design Geek
interview :: michael c place
This article was published 15 yearsI might have mentioned in the past that I’m a huge fan of Helvetica – the typeface and the film. The thing I loved most about the latter was the utter passion and conviction displayed by those interviewed. One of my favourite people in the…
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: designersblock
This article was published 15 yearsI hadn’t been to designersblock before and it was my last stop on a very busy London Design Festival weekend, so there was a danger of ‘design fatigue’ setting in. Luckily there was no chance of that at this show. Unusual curation, a fantastic location…
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: 100% design
This article was published 15 years100{ff546b69e23b1524d799f96c6ba7a638e1f677053b0a2a1568b05315fd5f8fc7} Design is one of my favourite events of the London Design Festival and 2011’s offering didn’t disappoint. Here’s a very quick canter through the things that caught my eye. A sneak preview of &then design my absolute stars of the show, but more on them later……
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: origin
This article was published 15 yearsI was so happy that I made it to Origin this year, having missed it last year. Focused on contemporary craft, it’s got a slightly different vibe from other shows at the London Design Festival and features a wonderful array of everything from understated craftsmanship to the…
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: tramshed
This article was published 15 yearsThis year was the first time I’ve made it to Tramshed, so it was lovely to see a mix of designers I was familiar with and some that were new to me. It’s primarily a trade show (supported by the Society for British Interior Design)…
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: tent top ten
This article was published 15 yearsNow in its fifth year, Tent London is the star of the Shoreditch Design District during London Design Festival. It presents an edgier side to the festival and is a great place to spot new talent. Here’s my top ten… This article was published 15…
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: london transport museum x squint
This article was published 15 yearsI am a long time fan of Squint and I love a bit of design geekery, particularly London Transport Museum design geekery, so you can imagine my delight to hear that the two were collaborating. As with all the best collaborations, I had no idea…
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: interviews launch party
This article was published 15 yearsLast night was the launch party for my new book, Interviews. It’s been the light at the end of the tunnel through many late nights working on the book, so it was amazing to finally get there, and be able to raise a glass to…
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: installations at the V&A
This article was published 15 yearsI went to explore the V&A this weekend; ‘hub’ of the London Design Festival. I will come back to The Power of Making exhibition in another post. Today, I want to tell you about two of their installations. First, the Textiles Field designed by Ronan…
Confessions of a Design Geek
out and about :: noma bar, cut it out
This article was published 15 yearsLondon Design Festival is here! With so much going on (133 events on the first day alone) it’s impossible to shake the feeling that you’re missing something. But one thing I’m very glad I did get to see is Cut It Out by Noma Bar…
Confessions of a Design Geek
here’s one I made earlier :: interviews
This article was published 15 yearsA few months ago I was chatting to William Shaw, Web Editor for London Design Festival about an interview I had done for him. “You do know you’ve got a book on your hands, don’t you?” he said. I stared at him blankly. He went…
Confessions of a Design Geek
creative spaces :: maggie’s cancer caring centre
I found my visit to Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre London inspiring and humbling. Most of all it was an important reminder of what design is for. It’s for making people’s lives better, and I can’t think of a better example of that than Maggie’s.
Confessions of a Design Geek
interview :: fine cell work
Fine Cell Work is a social enterprise that teaches needlework to prison inmates and sells their products. Prisoners work while locked in their cells, and while the earnings give them hope, skills and independence, the work itself seems to give them some sort of peace. I spoke to Elena Hall to find out more.