Clerkenwell Design Week 2023: highlights from day three

With the third day already upon us comes the third highlights hurrah for Clerkenwell Design Week 2023. Running the gamut of furniture, materials and colour (with a hint of maximalism), here’s some of our favourite picks that cover unmissable themes from the past few days.

Innovation

Founded by entrepreneur Pablo Vidarte, Bioo’s award-winning Bioo Lux could be found at Light; the world’s first lamp that can be switched on and regulated through human contact with a living plant. With a cork base and plant in the centre, the plant pot acts as the touchpoint for the lamp which dissolves through its main translucent porcelain section containing the plants, basking rooms in warm lighting. A clever way of incorporating home automation by blending science with nature, Bioo Lux is made using naturally and ethically sourced fine materials and incorporating Bioo’s latest technology.  

Continuing the technical theme, Dyson had numerous activations throughout CDW including the launch of their HEPA Big+Quiet Formaldehyde Purifier at Old Sessions House. Proudly proclaiming to be their quietest yet most powerful air purifier yet, HEPA Big+Quiet is designed for professional use and to increase the air quality in shared spaces. Even on full power the air purifier operates at 55.6 decibels emphasising how the product has been acoustically engineered with a low-pressurre, high-velocity system that gives a kick without disruption.

Texaa were big and bold this year with their acoustic installation at Spa Fields in the form of an interactive sensory tunnel. Here they presented Vibrasto, their clever flexible acoustic cladding that can be stretched to fit walls, ceilings and furniture. Available in three thicknesses to suit various requirements, it’s hard to not be impressed at the flexibility of a material that offers designers so much scope with their creativity. Available in 30 colours, designers can also handpick between a range of colours varying from Prairie green, to neutral tones with Ivoire and Cumin, and softer shades Bleu Menthe and Vieux Rose.

Meanwhile, British design company Dare Studio shared two of their new products as part of the British Collection at Crypt on the Green – Rowan, an oversized statement light chair and the innovative and space saving Henka, a metamorphic chair which transforms from chair to steps in one swift motion.  

Modern Craft

We visited Mater to take a look at the relaunched Conscious Chair 3162, designed initially in 1958 by Danish furniture designer and architect Børge Mogensen and Esben Klint. Made out of FSC wood and Matek, the chair is a great example on how technology has been used to recycle fibre-based waste materials and turn them into an item of purpose. This is the first time that a Børge Mogensen design has been relaunched in a different material other than the original and is part of Wastedream, an installation that centres upon Mater’s patented waste material, Matek.

Further along at the British Collection, Sebastian Cox displayed his first lounge chair made from UK-grown wood and upholstered using entirely natural non-toxic materials. His other key pieces shown in British Collection included the Quartered coworking table, featuring four dramatic legs carved from a single trunk and a new tabletop edition of the Chalara light, created in collaboration with British retailer and manufacturer, SCP. Nearby, British furniture artisan James UK aired Emel, a modular sofa with a laidback aesthetic designed by James UK’s founder, James Harrison. Handmade in the UK using a blend of traditional techniques and modern technology, Emal is suited to all commercial environments, both formal and informal and comes both high or low backed with oak, walnut or stained ash timber legs.  

Curiousa & Curiousa stole the limelight with their chandelier from the Wave Collection boasting an original appearance made up of a multitude of coloured glass segments that derive a calming glow. Proudly ‘made by many hands’, Curiousa is made using free-blown glass to celebrate and nurture traditional British craft and skills including brass parts designed and previously 3D printed in-house before being turned in solid brass by a local engineering company. The result? A showstopping exhibition made all the more impactful thanks to its dark backdrop that appeared consistently busy.

Collaboration

In Light, The Monkey Puzzle Tree touts the north of England with their collaboration between former textile buyer (and founder) Charlotte Raffo and a series of Yorkshire artists who have designed and produced local fabrics and wallpapers. Starting their designs with an original piece of art, The Monkey Puzzle Tree prides itself on bringing art to interiors that is completely unique – while supporting local artists via royalties.  

International architecture and interior design practice Jestico + Whiles presented ‘Fata Morgana’ in their exhibition at Sutton Yard; a multi-sensory journey through a wave tunnel made out of seaweed paper (a byproduct of Notpla and GF Smith’s industrial practices) in collaboration with StudioFractal and Architainment Lighting. It’s easy to see why this installation has been so popularly shared on social media with visuals that appear visceral. Named after sea mirages, the tunnel leaves a lasting impression and skillfully blurs the boundaries between make-belief and reality.  

Marking four decades of involvement with tile specification, Parkside partnered with Brighton-based visual artist Lois O’Hara to launch their collaboration at CDW ‘23. Known for her larger-than-life, maximalist murals that brighten public spaces including workspaces, window displays and even tennis courts, O’Hara has transformed Parkside’s Clerkenwell Sustainability + Design Studio into an art installation of colour and intrigue. Also celebrating in their Cowcross Street showroom, Fritz Hanzen introduced their first outdoor furniture line with Skagerak. Designed in collaboration with Hugo Passos and Aurelién Barby, the collection resides within a garden installation made specifically for this year’s festival. 

For more CDW 2023 highlights, look out for the latest edition of Mix Interiors magazine, due to drop mid-June. Sign up to our weekly newsletter to be the first to read the new issue and for the latest new and highlights from the world of commercial interior design.