Highlights from Clerkenwell Design Week 2023

This year’s Clerkenwell Design Week was certainly one to remember. The sun shone and the showrooms delivered a plethora of beautiful furniture and finishes to swoon over.  Around every corner were the trending colours, sustainable materials and biophilia sprouting high and low, ripe for interior design inspiration.

With great difficulty we have narrowed down our main highlights of this year’s exhibition visit to bring you our most inspirational moments of Clerkenwell Design Week 2023.

Keep reading for a whistle-stop tour of the main attractions from our visit this year.

Keeping it British

Within the beautiful, vaulted crypt The British Collection displayed an array of exquisite British furniture brands. The space was filled with handcrafted items alongside sophisticated and elegant products with intricate design features seen throughout.

One particular brand that couldn’t go unnoticed was Dare Studio.  It was impossible to not fall in love with their impeccably sleek designs and craftsmanship.  The effortless simplicity of the products gave nod to iconic mid-century furniture but with a modern twist displayed in the angled legs and warm wood tones.

Bio Bricks

The design team were extremely impressed by a new emerging eco furniture solution product and received very big tick in the sustainability box.  Morph Bricks is an innovative modular construction system made from recycled materials with a playful reference to the well-known Lego brick. The bricks come in two available finishes; one made of recycled car parts and the other being a bio-polymer made from wood pulp and post-consumer vegetable oil- making this a carbon zero product. This company has gone one step further in creating a cradle-to-cradle mentality. When customers no longer require their products, Morph Bricks will collect and recycle the materials to provide a truly circular economy.

Due to the versatile nature of the component bricks, end users and designers alike can achieve flexible adaptations to suit the ever-changing needs of commercial sectors. Individual bricks can be re-configured to create a wide range of solutions. From coffee tables to partition walls – the possibilities seem endless!

The modular black bricks provide a modern and sleek aesthetics for office interiors; however, if it is a more playful look you desire then fear not, the bio-polymer cubes are available in a variety of colour options.

Astounding Acoustics

Allsfar are fast becoming one of the leading brands in acoustic solutions and their showroom didn’t disappoint when delivering eye-catching statement acoustic solutions.  The composition of various products were carefully arranged to create a show stopping scene.  Upon entering the showroom, visitors were welcomed with an impressive curved lighting scene that was nestled perfectly between ceiling suspended baffles and interlinking with structural arches.

A walkway of acoustic planters were handsomely lit with acoustic BLOM light shade pendants above. Whilst the first floor of the showroom boasted towering dark blue tones and strong architectural lines, the basement level was softer and playful with contrasting pinks mixed with cool greys. Allsfar demonstrated acoustics should go beyond a functional necessity that blends into a background; instead they should be embraced and form part of a design aesthetic. What office wouldn’t want a giant 3D pink flamingo acoustic?

Our interior designers were suitably impressed by one of their new products, FIKA, a mycelium acoustic wall tile. The tile is made from hemp and mycelium (which is a fungus) making the product not only sustainable but also biodegradable.

Trending Colour Palettes

There was plenty for the eyes to feast upon when it came to colour palettes featured amongst the furniture, flooring, wall coverings and accessories throughout the exhibition.

A firm favourite amongst the manufacturers was the combination of muted clam greens and tranquil pinks which in turn successfully created restful spaces with wellbeing in mind. Frovi featured these trending colours throughout their impressive new showroom whilst assigning deep accent tones to individual collections and retained a zoned identity.

In contrast to the above, Ocee & Four Design displayed bold primary colours throughout their décor. Davison Highley, partnered with Innerspace Cheshire, opted to delight their visitors with a sense of summer. The refreshingly citrus pops, cascading foliage and warm Tuscan tones emulated a sumptuous courtyard evening overlooking an Italian sunset. Sound inviting? Keep reading to find out about this impressive installation.

An Abundance of Biophilia

Biophilic design certainly isn’t a new trend; however, the team saw it continuing to flourish in abundance at Clerkenwell Design Week.  We couldn’t get enough of the versatility and innovative new ways this beautiful concept is being incorporated into the commercial interior design sector.

Frovi never fail to impress when it comes to their inclusion of the natural environment.  From living walls to bamboo furniture, Frovi always finds a new and exciting way to bring the outside in. The versatile capabilities of their Relic Cloud delivers a design that not only supports the central suspension of hanging of baskets but the leg frame is the perfect canvas for foliage to trail effortlessly down. The high level canopy of this collaborative table takes on many functions- not least it’s striking appearance.

Undoubtedly, the first-place award for the most impressive and awe-inspiring installation goes to Innerspace Cheshire. Their hand crafted and naturally preserved foliage was exquisitely suspended like a halo floating the luxurious Davison Highley’s collection- it truly was a sight to behold.  But if that wasn’t enough, Innerspace Cheshire really went the extra mile by installing one of their iconic trees that stood with grace and elegance amongst the powerful pops of colour seen in the surrounding soft seating. Sit back with a glass of your favourite tipple, serve up the olives and take a moment to soak in their breath-taking design.

Not Forgetting a Few Other Favourites…

• Milliken Flooring, for their latest Northern Soul range of carpet tiles and hosting an awesome party with a bit of funk and a bit of a soul!
• Orn Furniture opened their first ever permanent showroom in time for Clerkenewell design week. It was exciting to see the company achieve such a milestone accomplishment and their furniture looking so beautiful in situ.
• Tables Place Chairs, for its elegance in furniture design and inspirational showroom.
• Reconnecting with Naughtone and being inspired to specify their furniture in upcoming projects.

Thank You for Reading!

It’s safe to say that this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week didn’t disappoint, and our interior designers have been inspired by all the latest products and trends on offer.  Whilst they’re chomping at the bit to integrate them into their schemes, we hope you have also been inspired to see how you can update your workspace too.

Are You Thinking of Updating Your Office Space?

Is your office space in need of some updating? Then the Rap Interiors team could make this a reality for you, seeing your office refurbishment through from concept to completion.  With no doubt you’ll have a workspace that will be the envy of your competitors.

To arrange a consultation, call one of our friendly team on 0333 600 1234 and we’d be happy to help.  Alternatively you can complete the form below.