100% Design

100% Design is now in its 18th year (how old does that make you feel?) and continues to be a key event in the design calendar attracting thousands of interior designers, architects, and retailers from around the world.

The new show is now divided into four distinctive areas (Interiors, Office, Kitchens & Bathrooms and Eco, Design & Build) and will be crammed full of features including a stunning main auditorium designed by Paul Cocksedge. The show also features an ambitious seminar programme, with livelinks with studios from countries as far afield as Indonesia and Tanzania.
The newly devised show will have an immediate impact, we are assured, and each of the four shows will have an industry hub – a dedicated space for industry content alongside networking and business opportunities.

Hundreds of products will be launched at this year's show by leading brands and another 200 by new designers exhibiting in the Emerging Brands section of the show.

Business networking will of course play a key part of the event – and this year’s show boasts dedicated industry hubs and bars and even the first Michelin Star restaurant at a design event.

100% Office will be the first show dedicated to office and workspace design staged as part of the London Design Festival. Picking up on the overall show’s theme of Future Living, 100% Office will
be occupied by leading brands, including Herman Miller, Boss Design, Lammhults, Kinnarps. Johanson Design, Abstracta, Materia and many others.

To read the full article from Mix Interiors September 2012 issue click the icon below

And speaking of Herman Miller, with a strong heritage in researching and designing products for the workplace, if anyone has gained insight into what people need around them to make them work more efficiently, collaboratively and comfortably, then it’s probably Miller. As the demands placed on the workplace increase, every element of the working environment needs to support the way we work more efficiently – and storage is no exception.

The thinking behind the company’s latest innovation, Stem, started with storage and the space it uses. The goal was to make space work harder for both the business and the user. Stem achieves this by using systems furniture thinking to provide a multifunctional, integrated solution that can be used to divide, connect, store and save.

Inspired by simple office needs, Stem’s modular units are made up of steel frames modelled on A4 binders, with differing dimensions which can be easily reconfigured. With the increasing popularity of agile working, Stem acknowledges the need for changes in space within the office.
Stem can be used as a simple storage solution or, when put at the centre of the office, can become an integrated furniture solution that puts storage at the centre of planning, rather than at the end.

With a wide range of materials, colours and finishes, Stem presents architects and designers with new possibilities to enrich office environments, making them more beautiful, functional and personal. Unit tops can be finished in wood or glass, whilst back panels can be dressed in steel, wood, pinnable board, woven blankets or even wipe boards. Doors can be mono, slider or
tipper and made of acrylic, wood, steel or glass.

So what are some of the other ‘100% Must-Sees’? Well, Flo Plus is a dual screen dynamic monitor support system from Colebrook Bosson Saunders that has been designed to meet the ever increasing demands of dual monitor workers. As the modern working environment continues to evolve with both technological and environmental change, these demands ensure that the design of technology support and integration products is becoming ever more important.

Powered by Flo Spring Technology, with a lifetime warranty and four patents pending unique to its design, Flo Plus can support monitor weights of between 6- 18Kg and be easily positioned into an
ergonomic position by using the adjustable handle.

The genius of Flo Plus is the unique engineering that creates the self-balancing head. This means that by adjusting the tension feature in the back of the forearm with an allen key, the spring can be tightened or loosened to hold the screens in the perfect ergonomic position without it drooping, and yet still be flexible enough
for the next user to easily adjust the screens into position using their fingertips.

Flo Plus completes the Flo family range which now offers robust, durable and flexible support from tablets and laptops to regular and heavy monitor screens.

Lyndon Design will be unveiling further collaborations with award-winning furniture designer, Mark Gabbertas. Taking centre stage will be two new stunning soft seating upholstery collections and these will debut alongside the recently launched Triad and Metro table collections, also designed by Mark Gabbertas.

Part of the Boss Design Group, Lyndon Design will exhibit alongside its sister brand, Boss  Design. Whilst both brands will showcase their very latest furniture collections, Lyndon Design will also unveil ambitious growth plans as it celebrates 30 years of design and manufacture.

The new Triad and Metro table collections, designed by Mark Gabbertas, mark the company’s first venture into occasional furniture and coffee tables, and are testimony to Lyndon’s innovative
product design and manufacturing capabilities.

Comprising three different sized occasional tables, the Metro collection takes its inspiration from several existing ranges that are modular in design to form ‘cube’ arrangements, giving a wide range of layout options with striking design appeal. Available in popular finishes, Black American Walnut and European Oak, all Metro pieces come in an impressive showwood finish that is complemented by a glass top in a range of colourways.

The Triad occasional table collection features a bold yet elegant three splayed-leg design arrangement that cleverly unites a circular table-top with square edge detail. Each of the collection’s three tables incorporate an unusual ‘dish-effect’ courtesy of a 7mm bull-nose recess designed to ensure that items stay on the top surface – a practical and elegant design detail perfect for commercial applications.

Indeed, the Boss Design Group will be showcasing products in both the Office and Interior halls.
The Interiors stand will feature new upholstery from Boss Design and Lyndon, whilst the Office stand, we're told, will feature an exciting new collaborative offer. New Boss Design products launching at the show include the Optima meeting chair and elegantly sculpted Cuba table. The new collections will be available to view alongside a range of classic portfolio pieces.

Boss Design Group Sales Director, Marc Le Peltier, tells us: ‘We are really excited to be part of 100% Design this year. The new format is going to be a great platform from which to launch new products and showcase selected pieces from our existing portfolio.’

Ergo will be showing its latest edition to the Koncept lighting family. Sobre is designed for open spaces such as libraries, government buildings and public venues. The lights are a free-standing solution providing consistent, energy-efficient lighting for extended work surfaces. Meanwhile, the company will also be showing its latest design development with the Mosso light and X-Stream arm alliance.  This combination provides the user with a flexible illuminated working environment
and optimises the space capacity keeping desks clear. The Mosso, like many products from Ergo Koncept, has won numerous design awards, resulting in both a functional device with aesthetic elegance.

Abstracta, part of leading Swedish furniture design company Lammhults, will unveil the Bits Wall at this year’s show. Designed by Anya Sebton, Bits Wall is a functional sound-absorbent wall panel that can be shaped into attractive pattern formations, stimulating users’ creativity. Using a triangular shape not only produces an aesthetically pleasing appearance, but also effectively blocks sound waves. The soundabsorbent panels are made from moulded polyester fibre and covered with fabric – and would surely make a great addition to any noisy office space.
Isomi will be showing off its new Mono Collection, a highly versatile range of reception desks and seating, at 100% Design. The launch follows the success of the 2011 Kin Collection, reinforcing the company’s reception space offer.

A unique solution for architects and interior designers, the Mono Collection is modular at the point of specification, allowing for complete design and spaceplanning adaptability, together with swift
and seamless installation on-site.

The elements of the Mono Collection can be tailored to suit any space, offering the quality and flexibility of a bespoke solution, without the cost and time commitment of producing a custom
developed and manufactured product. Formed from a pre-engineered kit of parts, all of the tooling has been rigorously pretested, assuring dependable delivery and the highest quality of finish.

Conceived by Paul Crofts, the Mono Collection desks have been thoughtfully designed to meet a range of forwardlooking requirements. The desks can be configured as left or right handed, feature ergonomically positioned sign-in platforms, space for built-in storage, and the facility for
a fully DDA compliant recess. The Mono Collection continues to a seating range, comprising of a thermoformed solid surface base with a tailor-made premium fabric upholstered seat.

The Parker Chair was one of four Casala products to pick up Red Dot Awards for product design. The frames are made of flat steel which highlight Parker’s aesthetic value. This high-quality material, available as a star base or in two cantilever frames, provides an exceptional solution for
restaurants, boardrooms and managerial suites. What’s more, Parker will be just one of a host of intriguing Casala products on show at this year's 100% Design.

CMD will be showing a unique desk to floor cable management spine that offers exceptionally quick and easy installation, plus a large cable carrying capacity and a great aesthetic appearance. Spring like expansion from 150mm to 1300mm working length means it is suitable for various desk set-ups. We think the smart design is a fantastic alternative to the usual ugly wires that run around an office.

Amtico will exclusively preview an astonishing 78 new products at the show, which are set for launch in January 2013. The new Signature Collection epitomises the Amtico’s high quality design aesthetic and includes a new range of wood, stone and abstract finishes that can be cut into
unique, bespoke and custom designs. The Amtico stand will feature a striking floor design, which has been created showcasing products from the new Signature collection and also demonstrates
the unique, bespoke nature of Amtico’s Signature products.

An Amtico wall display made from the entire Signature collection of 188 products has also been designed and will feature alongside video displays, product samples and mood boards.

100% Design will be collaborating with The Furniture Makers Company to promote British Design Excellence through the Design Guild Mark. T

he Design Guild Mark, introduced by The Furniture Makers Company in 2008, recognises and rewards excellence in the British design of furniture in volume production. This year, seven of the 27 awarded products have been selected for display at the exhibition, including David Chipperfield’s Piana Alessichair for KI, Sebastian Conran Associates’ Aerofoil Desk and Bureau for John Lewis, David Fox’s Magic Stool for Boss Design, Marc Krusin’s Krusin Chair Collection for Knoll International and Simon Pengelly’s Theo Chair and Range for Chorus Furniture.

Speaking of design talent, it’s great to see Deadgood back on show in London with some exciting new product developments.

EXTL Lights are a pair of small multifaceted pendant lights, produced in aluminium and finished with a matt black anodised lustre. Both lights are manufactured out of a single length of 3mm
thick aluminium, dissected at varying angles allowing for two styles to be produced from one section of extruded material. Each light consists of five identical profiles which are bound together with a black silicon band. This highly engineered solution effectively demonstrates both the efficiency and precision of this time honoured industrial process.

The range is part of an ongoing series of collaborations through which Deadgood aim to build on their burgeoning reputation for developing great British design.

The latest additions to Lintec Graphic Films’ range of innovative window films, Vitroflip and Vitroshift, are certain to attract the attention of visitors as they enable the creation of ‘moving’ images, text or colours. As print density and opacity can also be customised, it offers endless possibilities for specifiers when needing to create eyecatching images. Dot-on-dot, Lintec’s vignette film, allows for a contemporary edge with the ability to print a pattern in two different colours. This film is already proving popular for use on office partitions, as it allows the opportunity
to create different ambiences on the different sides of the glass. For example, the outfacing image can be printed in a neutral, calm colour to fit in with the rest of the office decor, while the reverse image can be printed in a bright, lively colour.

Vitrocolour, an ultra-clear polyester film, transforms glass into vibrant advertising, design and corporate identity opportunities. As the non-PVC film offers excellent seethrough vision and allows for images of photographic quality to be printed in vibrant colours, it is proving very popular
with designers. Most importantly, the film’s hard coating provides excellent scratch resistance and durability, and removes in one piece.

Material Lab will be showcasing the latest innovative surfaces and materials at this year’s 100%, turning its exhibition space into an unusual pop-up gallery of new products and trends. It will be teaming up with its partners Coba Europe, Formica Group, Johnson Tiles, Karndean designflooring, modulyss and Tektura to create an interesting space of recycled crates and stands to mirror the look and feel of a gallery exhibition.

Jim Biddulph, Projects and Materials Coordinator at Material Lab, tells us: ‘Having a strong presence at 100% Design to promote and champion the wealth of talent we have available at Material Lab is priceless. To get in front of an international audience and showcase the very latest materials and innovative surfaces really helps us to reach out to the wider design community. We
hope our ‘pop-up’ gallery exhibition will entice people to find out more about our partners and the interesting products they have available.’

Armourcoat will introduce ArmourFX custom-made decorative wall panels, evolved from the company’s renowned range of applied seamless wall finishes. The panel systems include finishes and substrates suitable for all applications; from retail to residential, hotel to healthcare. Armourcoat’s specialist designers and artisan plasterers can create integrated custom wall panel systems or design statement single artwork pieces. ArmourFX panels are delivered direct from
a single source workshop in custom-made packaging to ensure safe arrival on site.

International Pavilions at 100% Design continues to be an intrinsic part of the show, with stands organised by national and regional trade and cultural bodies, hosting over 200 individual designers. For the first time this area of the exhibition will be brought together as both a curated part of the show and a distinctive stand-alone destination – enhancing the impact of the pavilions and assisting navigation of the show.

100% Design has carefully selected a range of countries and companies to showcase leading global design products, and provide a platform for key movers and shakers from countries across the world including China, Chile, Argentina, Korea, Austria, France, Hungary and Italy.

The show has also strengthened its commitment to international young designers by creating a dedicated area called Emerging Brands at this year’s event. You can check out the conflicting
wallpaper designs of Kirath Ghundoo, multi-disciplined design duo Plant & Moss, graduate and environmentally intelligent furniture designer Julio Thomas with his range of product  manufactured from cardboard tubes and many more. This year’s collection of handpicked exhibitors will showcase a diverse range of products and concepts from the UK and overseas.

We hope that’s whetted your appetites. 100% Design will be held at Earl’s Court
from September 19-22. See you there