Top Takeaways from Clerkenwell Design Week 2023 – Michael Feather
Our interior design team had a busy, inspiring and productive few days in London as part of Clerkenwell Design Week 2023 from 23-25 May.
Clerkenwell Design Week is the UK’s leading design festival that celebrates London’s creative hub with more than 160 showrooms, 600 events, thousands of products, installations, brand activations, topical talks and more.
Our Managing Director, Michael Feather talks about the most inspirational talks he heard and the most innovative products and designs he saw during the week.
Favourite Showroom
My favourite showroom was Guialmi. Not the biggest or flashiest showroom; however, this caught my eye with its simplicity. The gorgeous warm materials and detail of how the sit/stand desk overlapped a storage unit are all finished with an accent from the subtle LED lighting under the shelving unit – my dream office setup.
Forecast of an Emerging Trend
Affordability. When I asked dealers about prices, I was surprised to hear how affordable many products were. While sitting in an expensive chair or booth, I would expect it to be at a premium cost; however, this was not often the case. I anticipate that this will result in many businesses redesigning their office spaces because it will be more financially viable than in previous years.
Favourite product
Allsfar acoustic ceiling tiles. Really neat idea to be able to retrofit acoustic baffled ceiling tiles in an existing grid ceiling. Acoustic tiles exist, but increasing performance above noisy areas and chop-and-change locations is a standout feature. I can’t wait to see this on a project soon.
Buzz Topic
Keep Moving! Quite a lot of furniture and spaces are designed to keep us moving and be active, rather than sitting at a desk for long periods. I saw floor mats that make you move your feet, desks that remind you if you have been sitting or standing for too long, and stools that make you balance and sit up rather than slump. Many of these elements make a big difference to how the spaces operate rather than how they look visually, and this needs to be experienced to understand the impact on our working environments.