September 2005

BIDA REVIEW MAGAZINE

3BIDA Review September 2005

BRITISH INTERIOR DESIGN ASSOCIATION 3/18 Chelsea Harbour Design Centre Chelsea Harbour London SW10 0XE

Tel: 020 7349 0800 Fax: 020 7349 0500 Email: enquiries@bida.org Web: www.bida.org

BIDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2005

ChairmanAnnie Stevens

Vice ChairmanDiana Yakeley

Past ChairmanChristopher Vane Percy

Finance DirectorAnn Louise Little

Company SecretaryCPD/Events DirectorKarin Verzariu

Membership DirectorJulie Kent

Marketing DirectorDean Keyworth

Corporate DirectorsCaro HillIan Thompson

Exhibitions DirectorTina McFarlane

Education DirectorConstanze Von Unruh

Regional DirectorLori Pinkerton Rolet

BIDA OFFICE STAFF

Executive ManagerDavid Browndavid.brown@bida.org

Marketing AssistantAnnelise Fullbrookenquiries@bida.org

Membership ExecutiveJoy Whittakermembership@bida.org

CONTENTS

Noticeboard

Chairman’s Report, Annie Stevens

Committee Updates

What is happening in the Regions?

Review Promotion: Sinclair Matthews

CPD Reviews: Architecture in Paris & Tyntesfield

Design Trust: Introducing a Design Resource

Confidentiality...A word of warning

BIDA 2005 Fair Overview

BIDA Smart Space: The Daily Telegraph House & Garden Fair 2005

Past Chairman’s Club

BIDA Smart House Seminar

Building a future at 12,000 feet - The Druk White Lotus School

Antiques in Interiors: From period look to modern eclecticism

The New York Design Market

Autumn 2005 Exhibition Highlights: 100% Design & Focus

CPD Article: Innovative Lifestyle Technology by i.life solutions

Autumn 2005 Exhibition Highlights: Decorex

Decorex International 2005

Student Feature: Hotels with design inspiration

Doing Business in Russia

Review Promotion: Archer & Smith

BIDA Members Promotion: Aquasia Club Card

Directory of Corporate members

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Registered office: Sussex House 8-10 Homedale Bromley Kent BR2 9LZ Vat Reg No: GB318 3948 36 Co Reg No: 860708

Although great care has been taken in the compilation and preparation of this information to ensure accuracy, the BIDA cannot in any circumstance acceptresponsibility for errors, omissions or advice given in this publication.

NEW FULL PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS

Julia Roberts - Vivette Maison Designwww.vivette.comJuliet Taylor - Juliet Taylor Design LtdJustin Van Breda - JVB Limitedwww.j-v-b.comLisa Marie Humphreys - McCormick Architecture Ltd.www.mccormick-architecture.co.ukLizzie Bell - Lizzie Bell Interiors Ltd

UPGRADES FROM SENIOR ASSOCIATE TO FULLPROFESSIONAL MEMBER

Mark Smith – Smithcreativewww.smithcreative.netVerity Spencer - Verity Spencer Interior Designwww.vs-interiordesign.co.uk

NEW ASSOCIATE MEMEBERS:

- Colleen Bassett- Anne Webster- Jennifer Sheldon- Alison Richardson- Katie McCrum- Danai Tzafetta- Helen Mudie- Helen Hookway- Elizabeth Parry- Samantha Crabb- Gemma Burdett- Claire Hunt- Claire Geldeard- Staci Perkins Surla- Juliana Ronco- Jessica Brook- Haley Manning- Charlie Burt- James Daniel- Susan Dann- Nalina Giacopazzi- Norina Martorana- Susan Chalmers- Farbod Sarkeshiki- Mathilde Grouvel (Student Upgrade)- Nicola Lonsdale (Student Upgrade)

NEW AFFILIATE MEMBERS:

- Karel Wejand Ltd- Conrad Hotel

NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS

Cadogan Tate Fine Art Logisticswww.cadogantate.comTel: 0207 819 6600With offices in London, New York and Paris, Cadogan Tatehas been moving high value consignments domestically andinternationally for the last 25 years. Our experiences with amajor auction house has groomed us in the logistical handlingof diverse multiple item consignments to provide a seamlessservice to interior designers.

Stephen Morris Shipping PLCwww.stemo.co.ukTel: 0208 830 1919Established over 35 years, SMS specialises in the UK/worldwidemovement of fine art and antiques by air, sea and road. In-house packing, casing and storage complement a fleet ofmodern trucks continually covering Europe, collecting anddelivering for clients.

Armourcoat Surface Finisheswww.armourcoat.comTel: 01732 467 994   As the world's leading supplier of polished plaster, innovative surface finishes andsculptured effects, Armourcoat has become an integral part of some of the world's mostprestigious architectural and design projects. Armourcoat offer a unique range ofdecorative finishes which provide comprehensive, quality surface solutions for modernand traditional interiors.

Firefly Lighting Designwww.fireflylightingdesign.comTel: 01895 631 006 Independent lighting consultants who design lighting schemes for residential, hospitality,retail and corporate projects. Also specialise in designing custom luminaries.

DATES FOR THE DIARY

UK15-30 September 2005London Design Festival, Londonwww.londondesignfestival.com

22-25 September 2005100% Design, Earl's Court, Londonwww.100percentdesign.co.uk

25-28 September 2005Focus 2005, Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, Londonwww.chelsea-harbour.co.uk

25-28 September 2005Decorex International, Royal Hospital Chelsea, Londonwww.decorex.com

22-24 October 2005Salon International, ExCel, Londonwww.salonexhibitions.co.uk

7-13 November 2005Olympia Fine Arts & Antiques Fair, National Hall, Olympia, Londonwww.olympia-antiques.com

18-20 November 2005Urban Interiors,Business Design Centre, Londonwww.urban-interiors.com

INTERNATIONAL18-20 November 2005Urban Interiors,Business Design Centre, Londonwww.urban-interiors.comCersaie, Bologna, Italywww.cersaie.it

9-23 November 2005Singapore Design Festival, Various International venueswww.designsingapore.com

House & Garden Forum, Monday 26th September4.30-6.30pm, Chelsea Harbour Design CentreThe editor of House & Garden, Susan Crewe, will chair a forum of designers on ‘Twenty-first-century Living’, in response to the changes in the way we live, notably theenvironmental considerations that now challenge design. The forum will include apanel of six designers and architects, among them John Minshaw, Sophie Hicks andJames Gorst – who will discuss the implications and opportunities that these changesbring. The forum is aimed solely at interior design professionals, and will take placesduring Focus. Tickets cost £15, and include a Champagne reception. To book send acheque, payable to ‘House & Garden’, with your business card, to Anette Wildar, House& Garden Forum, House & Garden, Vogue House, Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU.This event is open to the interior design trade only.

Designer Lecture Series - Best Of British Art & DesignThe KLC are delighted to announce that they will be running a 2nd series of lectures in conjunction with the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre. From this autumn,

some of the leading designers of our times will be giving insightful and inspiring one hour talks that will run on the first Tuesday of every month at 12.00pm at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre. For further information,please contact 020 7376 3377 or visit:www.klc.co.uk/Part-Time/DesignerLectures/

Free Legal Advice Hotline:Hotline: 0870 164 8403Please use this number for your FREE 30min telephone consultation.

New BIDA Office Times:From 12th September 2005 the BIDA office hours will be changing permanently to:9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Telephone lines will be on from 9.30am to 5pm.

September - December 2005

Noticeboard4

Noticeboard

We read and travel and design according to our experiences. The most amazing experience forme during my time as Chairman of the BIDA has been relating age to concept. I have been indebtedto the work of the Inchbald School of Design, the London School of Design, KLC and all the otherUniversities and Colleges, which further professionalism within the interior design industry, takingthe creative talent and channeling it into a career.

Having looked at the quality of art and design produced by the children at several schools I amastounded by the vision and quality of the work produced. Street culture, fashion and new artall play a part in the creative process, combined with a passion for what one does. But good designis about more than just creative talent. This ability to analyse, implement, communicate and applythat talent is the mark of a successful and professional interior designer.

This particularly applies to my fellow Board members. An enormous amount of work has beendone by: Diana Yakeley; Christopher Vane Percy; Tina McFarlane; Ann Louise Little; Karin Verzariu;Caro Hill; Dean Keyworth; Lori Pinkerton-Rolet; Ian Thompson; Constanze von Unruh; Julie Kentand Sarah Ward and it has been faultless; without the support of the team, the BIDA could notpossibly be where it is today. Sadly, several longstanding members of the Board will be retiringfrom their directorships at the AGM in November this year. Tina McFarlane; Sarah Ward; ChristopherVane Percy and Ann Louise Little are all moving on!

We are delighted that Joy Whittaker will be returning to the BIDA as membership Executivefollowing her year’s maternity leave. We look forward to welcoming Joy back and to her takingmembership forward in the coming year. Our warmest thanks to David Hamlyn, for his abilityto have picked up the membership baton from Joy in the past 12 months – we wish him everyluck in the future. Further thanks must be extended to Annelise Fullbrook for coping admirablywith the unrelenting phone calls to the office and for handling difficult situations with such aplomb!Rachel O’Rorke will be starting her maternity leave in September - we welcome a boy or a girl- and look forward to her return in 2006.

During Rachel’s maternity leave we are delighted that David Brown will take her place in theoffice on a two day a week basis. David has an impressive background in management, and hasuntil recently been part of the senior team responsible for Southampton Solent achieving universitystatus. His experience in education, marketing and management will be highly relevant to theAssociation. His email address is david.brown@bida.org and he is looking forward to meetingmembers over the next few months.

It remains to say that my proposed successor – Diana Yakeley - is superb! A person of huge integrity,with a very clear and decisive attitude towards the progression of the design industry. I have nodoubt that she will meet each and every member’s exacting standards of the BIDA.

Yours sincerely,

Annie StevensChairman, BIDA

Chairman’s Report

Annie Stevens

5Chairman’s Report

Do your clients wake up this happy?

Savoir Bedset, upholstered in chocolate pony hide

A bed that’s made specifically for you is an investment that pays off every morning of your life.

7Committee Updates

CPD & Events The BIDA events and CPD programme for autumn/ winter ranges fromart history to building regulations. A full day’s visit to Oxford will includethe city’s oldest College, Merton, dating from 1263, Christ Church,founded in 1525 by Cardinal Wolsey, and the fine Gilbert Scott Chapelat Exeter College. We will also be offering a second chance to visit theMaison de Verre in Paris, which was very popular with our membersin May. We aim to give you more information about current ‘green’issues, and have therefore organised a tour of BedZed, the innovativezero energy development by the Peabody Trust at Beddington in Suffolk.

We will be asking you to put your walking shoes on for a London walkled by art historian Professor George Rome Innes, to examine the meritsof new extensions such as the National Portrait Gallery and the RoyalOpera House. Properties and usage of hard flooring will be studied atthe Stonell showroom, luxurious domestic appliances scrutinised at theWestye showroom (where we are also offered a delicious lunch preparedby a starred Chef), the RIBA/ BIDA Interior Design Services contract re-examined, and your knowledge of current building regulations updated.We will also offer opportunities to improve your business skills withRachel Smart’s series of business lectures and a brand new BusinessSurgery, giving advice for existing businesses.

We very much hope that you will find these events and lectures to be educationalas well as enjoyable and an opportunity to meet with others in the profession.Karin Verzariu & Diana Yakeley, CPD & Events Directors

EducationThe BIDA is once again holding a Student Competition in conjunctionwith the British Interior Design Awards. Final year students were invitedto submit a leisure design project and once again the entries have beento a very high standard. The closing date for entries was the 2nd ofSeptember. All short-listed entries will be published in idFX magazineprior to the Awards Ceremony.Constanze Von Unruh, Education Director

Exhibitions CommitteeThe success of the BIDA Smart Space at The Daily Telegraph House andGarden fair is covered elsewhere in the Review. Looking forward toSeptember, BIDA will be represented on a large scale at Decorex witha 85 square metre bar sponsored by Lightplan and showing the work andproducts of the members on a collage produced by Myfotowall. BIDAwill also have an information point at the entrance of the show for presentmembers and for the recruitment of new membership. In addition, BIDAwill be represented on a small information point at 100% Design.Tina McFarlane, Exhibitions Director

Regional CommitteeAs promised, the reorganisation of Regional areas is now complete. We’veidentified smaller geographic areas, with the best possible transportationlinks taken into account. Each of the 11 new regions has its own RegionalManager allowing us to facilitate local networking and CPD opportunities.Anne Stephens and Michelle Kauffman must be mentioned for their manycontributions to this endeavour, and I’d particularly like to thank our newRegional Managers for agreeing to take part. Please see the article on page9 in this issue which lists the designers who have agreed to undertake thisimportant role and for further information.Lori Pinkerton-Rolet, Regional Director

If you would like to become involved with one of the BIDA committeesplease contact the Director of the Committee.

If you are interested in being considered for a place on the BIDA Boardof Directors, please write to: The BIDA, 3/18 Chelsea Harbour DesignCentre, Chelsea Harbour, London, SW10 0XE.

Marketing CommitteeI would like to use this update as an appeal for your help. In the comingmonths, the Marketing Committee will be focusing on publicising themajor new benefits for members including the re-vamped website andthe new BIDA/RIBA contract to those designers who have not yet joinedthe association. We would love to know which benefits of membershipyou find most valuable so that we can put these at the top of the listwhen communicating to potential members. Examples of referrals youhave received via the BIDA website would also be very welcome. Pleasee-mail me your feedback to dean@armstrong-keyworth.co.uk or callme on: 020 7370 4242. Thank you.Dean Keyworth, Marketing Director

Membership CommitteeOur growing relationship with the RIBA and other Professional Organisations,together with the recent launch of the BIDA/RIBA Client Contract ‘ID/05’has helped us raise the profile of the working interior designer. If youhave not received your letter inviting you to become an RIBA AffiliateMember (at a special discounted offer to BIDA members of £45) pleasecontact Joy Whittaker, membership@bida.org

Following consultations with our wider membership over the past fewmonths, the Board are proposing that designer membership of the BIDAbe streamlined to only 3 designer categories: Professional Member,Associate & Student. A final vote will be taken at the AGM in November.

We are also currently in discussions to form a Group Insurance Schemewith a simpler application form for Professional Indemnity Cover andpreferential rates for our Members. We hope this will be a benefit forboth existing and new members.

Please don’t forget to put forward to Joy Whittaker, membership@bida.orgdesigner’s names for membership, your colleagues, friends and peers;it is imperative we grow our Association. With more members, the greaterresources we have to continue to grow from strength to strength!Julie Kent, Membership Director

Corporate CommitteeThe main focus of Corporate activity over the past few months has beenthe hugely successful seminar "Designing Tomorrow's Homes...Today". Wehad over 80 delegates for a full day at the Conrad Hotel in ChelseaHarbour. This is a format that we would wish to repeat and I would loveto hear from Corporate Members who would be interested in helpingto design a similar day around their particular sector. One of the benefitsof Corporate Membership is the website which is designed to be usedby designers (and public) as a resource directory of first class suppliers. Iam sorry to see that not all Corporate Members have applied to featureon the website. How do you hope to reach the BIDA marketplace if youare not there? I really urge you all to subscribe and to actively promoteyour press releases and product launches through the website and theoffice generally.Caro Hill & Ian Thompson, Corporate Directors

Committee Updates

TITCHMARSH & GOODWINFamily Cabinet Makers

Est. 1920

All from the same stable as their world renowned“English Oak Collection”

Titchmarsh & Goodwin - Trinity Works - Back Hamlet - Ipswich - IP3 8AL - EnglandTelephone: 01473 252158 Fax: 01473 210948 Email: teeangee@btinternet.com

Visit www.titchmarsh-goodwin.co.uk for further informationLondon Showrooms: 2/23 Chelsea Harbour Design Centre (NOT Oak)

Corporate Members of BIDA

With hundreds of BIDA members, associates and students located all around the United Kingdomwe recognise the difficulty some people have had in attending events taking place in the Londonarea. While many of our CPD opportunities do take place outside London, we are keen to establishmore networking and educational possibilities for our membership, and to build our regionalprofile with the public.

Throughout this year we have reorganised the Regional database into smaller more manageableareas with the assistance of telephone and e-mail feedback from many corners of the country.We have now established 11 Regional areas taking into account the best possible transport linksbetween counties.

Each new area has its own Regional Manager with whom members can share ideas and concernsfor their area. Lectures and CPD’s, social and networking events can now be planned to reflectlocal needs.

Our new Regional Managers are:

Devon & Cornwall (just what it says on the tin...) Nicholas GloverEngland Central (incl. Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, & Bedfordshire) Jane DobsonEngland East (incl. Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire & Norfolk) Emma Malone England North (incl. Leicestershire, Lincolnshire & Derbyshire) Richard Hewson-StubbsEngland South (incl. Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset & Hampshire) Jenny ReeveEngland Southeast (incl. Surrey, Kent, W. Sussex, & E. Sussex) Diana McKnightEngland West & Wales (incl. Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Shropshire & Wales) Verity Spencer

Northeast (incl. York, pt. E. Yorkshire, Durham & Northumberland) Pauline Dean

Northwest (incl. Cheshire, Lancashire, & West Yorkshire) Mark GilletteScotland North (incl. Angus, Aberdeenshire & areas north) Nancy BellScotland South (incl. Dumfries & Galloway to Perth & Kinross) Paul Douglas

If you do not see your exact county listed don’t worry, as all areas have been covered. This autumnall regional members will receive an e-mail from their Manager outlining our upcoming plans.Please take the time to reply and start a dialogue of ideas, or offer your assistance!

While the programme is getting started please do avail yourself of the many opportunities highlightedon our website at: www.bida.org. You can download from the OUTSIDE CPD section and fillin credits you have obtained, faxing them into the BIDA office on 020 7349 0500. Local lectures,trips to important country houses and other noted buildings are all considered for CPD points.The new website is invaluable and many countrywide events are listed, so please take a look.

Lori Pinkerton-RoletRegional Director, BIDA

What is happening in the Regions?

BIDA Regional Development for 2005-06

9What is happening in the Regions?

Ray Sinclair Matthews has been designing and makinghand made bespoke sofas and chairs for over 25 years.Trained at the London College of Furniture in Shoreditch(the old heart of the furniture Industry) gaining adistinction in Furniture Design. He spent part of histraining at Duresta in Long Eaton who instilled in himthe qualities that are needed to design and make fineupholstered furniture.

He opened his first shop at Parsons Green in Fulham,where he made one off sofas and chairs. From thissmall beginning he ventured out to the sticks inTwickenham, where he has made sofas and chairsever since. Along the way his Company with hisbusiness partner Sue Steane gained a Royal Warrantfrom the Queen for ‘Upholstered Furniture’, the firstI believe to be given to a sofa maker.

Sinclair Matthews take great pride and satisfactionin the making of their sofas and chairs. They start witha traditionally made kiln dried Beech frame withdowelled, screwed and glued joints. The frame is thencarefully upholstered using combinations of traditionalsteel springing, webbings and Hessians. Varyingdensities of CMHR foams are then fixed to thisfoundation to give the appropriate support that isrequired.

They use a variety of cushion fillings depending onthe model. These range from their superior CMHRfoam core with a heavy Dacron fibre wrap seat cushionto feather wrapped cushions and down and feathercushions for the ultimate in softness and comfort. Allthese various options will be discussed with you atthe time of ordering to give the degree of comfort thatyou require. What is proving to be most popular istheir feather wrapped seat cushion with a duck featherback. This gives an excellent degree of comfort withminimal maintenance. Their tried and tested upholsterycombination will give the longevity of use that isexpected of all Sinclair Matthews upholstery.

The styles of upholstery that they make range in stylefrom the traditional Howard, Richmond, and Grand

Cabinet (Image 3). This 3 seater large sofa wasphotographed at Blenheim Palace where the originalwas found. The stylish Cushion Back Knole(Image 1) was also photographed at Blenheim.

Their Contemporary designs range from the Italianinspired Santa Barbara (Image 2) through to the classicWoodstock and New Trenton designs. Thesecontemporary designs lend themselves especiallyeasily to corner arrangements and chaise end groups.Ideal for the home cinema. They can arrange for adesigner to measure the room and design the unitsto fit.

Their recent projects have included a Norwegiancruise ship with half a dozen fixed back Knole sofas,to a huge plasma screening room with Woodstocksofas and matching chairs. All of these projects havebeen specified by their interior design clients whowork closely with Sinclair Matthews. Over the yearsthey have become very adept at making sofas go intolarge rooms but with appalling access. They can makethe sofas with removable arms and legs and even incomponent form to ensure an easy delivery. As a lastresort they have been known to employ specialistremoval firms to crane sofas through windows intotop floor flats. Nothing is impossible for SinclairMatthews.

Over the past 25 years Ray has designed and madefurniture for Royal Palaces both here and abroad,large country houses, small cottages, large and verysmall London flats and houses. Their clients rangefrom royalty to pop stars, TV and radio presenters,and his most favourite English cockney Hollywoodactor. (Not many people know that!)

As an English furniture designer and maker, Ray andhis business partner Malcolm Perring would like toinvite you to their new showroom at 604 Kings Road,London SW6 where a large selection of sofas, chairsand accessories are on show. They also have a largefabric library from all the major fabric houses especiallysuited for upholstery.

Sinclair Matthews

Traditional Values Contemporary Style

10Review Promotion: Sinclair Matthews

11Review Promotion: Sinclair Matthews

1 The Cushion Back KnoleThis elegant sofa is available in 6 sizes. The 2.5seater large sofa shown here is covered in NinaCampbell’s Ottoman Chenille. The tie-backs arefrom Wemyss Houles. The antiqued space nailingto the frame gives the sofa a sharper look tocomplement the softness of the feather and downcushions. The Knole finials are fabric coveredbut can be supplied in a variety of wood finishes.

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2 The Santa BarbaraThe stylish Santa Barbara 3 seater Sofa shownhere is available in six sizes with a matchingchair and stool. This design is most adaptableto form complex seating arrangements from thesimple sofa to corner sofas, one arm sofas, chaiseends, the list is almost endless. We can offerturned wooden feet instead of the chrome legsshown here. We have chosen Titley & Marr’s‘Chenille Hopsack’ fabric for a soft andluxurious feel.

3 The Grand CabinetThe Grand Cabinet 3 seater large sofa shown hereis available in 6 sofa sizes with a matching chairand stool. This design has been reproduced froman original found in the Grand Cabinet room ofBlenheim Palace, hence its name! We have applieda fringe over a skirt to give the sofa an even moreluxurious appearance. This has been complementedwith a matching flanged cord. The sofa comes asstandard with duck feather seat cushions. We canalso offer a down and feather seat for an even softerfeel. We have chosen Osborne & Little Papiliofabric for a hard wearing and sumptuous feel.

CONTACT DETAILS:Sinclair Matthews Ltd.www.sinclairmatthews.co.ukRegistered Office: Crane House Gould Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 6RSTel: 020 8894 1041 Fax: 020 8755 2757London Showroom: 604 Kings Road, London SW6 2DXTel: 020 7013 0700 Fax: 020 7013 0701Opening times: 10-6 Monday to Friday and 10-4 on Saturdays

BIDA Day in PARIS. By Diana YakeleyOrganising a programme of CPDs and events has the greatadvantage of being able to indulge one's own interests on theassumption that they will be of equal interest to other people. The past few months have proved that to be true, I hope.  Thevisit to Paris was a case in point.

We decided to contrast the grandeur of Vaux with an iconicbuilding of the 1930's, the Maison de Verre.  Prior to this, someof us visited the Pompidou Centre where there was a superbexhibition of the work of architect and furniture designer, RobertMallet Stevens. Desperate for a drink, and in the interests ofdesign education, you understand, we checked out the interiordesign of the nearby Georges restaurant on the roof of thePompidou.  With the temperature close to 34 degrees centigradewe opted to sit inside, and marvelled at the graphic design ofthe menu, the uber cool blobby-ness of the architecture and theGallic disdain of the waiters. On to Maison de Verre which hadbeen a holy grail for me for years and where Karin Verzariu had,with the tenacity which would have impressed any self respectingbull terrier, managed to persuade a charming young architectto give up his Saturday morning to guide us around this incrediblebuilding, more of which will be written elsewhere. A mysterytour of the Paris Metro/RER, (not one member lost) and an(in)elegant baguette lunch on Platform 8, resulted in our groupof twenty arriving at Melun station much to the delight of thelocal taxi drivers who took full advantage of British economicsuccess to ferry us to the Château. We conducted a poll of thosevoting on the constitution that weekend. A torrent of colloquialand impenetrable French followed by way of explanation, butthe message was clear - Non, Non, Non.

So, over the period of two days we had learned about threearchitects and their work, one garden designer (Le Nôtre), thegraphic design information needed to make a humble menustealable (I did), that blobby loos don't work, international politics,and that other interior designers are really delightful people tospend time with especially after a glass of Rosé. Oh and that taxidrivers have strong views on economics, politics and interiordesign. Let's do it again soon.

Paris: Maison de Verre. By David PerrinThough one of the ‘other halves’ on the trip and at most a consumerof design rather than a grand purveyor of it, even I knew the visitwas special the moment we entered the old courtyard in SaintGermain and saw the glass front of the Maison de Verre. There,too, still above it, was the old-style top floor apartment jackedup during construction in the 1930s because the tenant declinedto make way for architect Pierre Chareau’s bold building.The front of opaque glass bricks rises three storeys in all. Directedat it are two searchlights which shine through at night to illuminatethe interior. Inside, I was expecting the rooms of a steel framebuilding to be regular and rectangular. What surprises is howvaried the spaces are, opening up in different ways on each floor

and between floors. This is especially so in the impressive firstfloor living space, to which a broad staircase climbs and whichlooks down into the rear part of the house. On the ground floorthe office, waiting room and examination room (still frighteninglyfull of its 1930 equipment) designed for the gynaecologist clientalso interconnect intriguingly.

The house is made and finished of materials which would fit afactory – rubber, glass, aluminium, steel, perforated metal sheets,and so on. They are all the very essence of the unfinished andyet here combine so amazingly to be at once fiendishly functional,very liveable and distinctly graceful. One imagines that all theadvances of designing and making planes, boats and trains wentinto the making of this home.

Another striking feature is the ingenuity of the tiniest detail –catches which open heavy doors to massive metal cupboardsat the gentlest touch, screens and shelves which swivel and liftin several combinations in the bathroom.

The doctor’s family still own the house. His daughter now residesin the hold-out tenants’ top floor flat and regularly uses the houseitself. You can feel strongly how much of a home it still is. Thismay be why the Maison de Verre, pioneering architecture thoughit is, is still not a state-supported monument. It needs work andsuch as happens is paid for by subscribing architects and “Friends”around the world.

If BIDA events such as this Paris visit are intended to educate,this visitor for one has had his eyes opened about design’s impactby this brilliant building.

Note:The BIDA is currently a “Friend” of the Maison de Verre and weare arranging a second guided visit to coincide with the Maisonet Objet exhibition in January 2006. Access to the Maison is onlypossible via pre-arranged guided tours. Karin Verzariu, Director,CPD & Events.

Paris: Vaux-le-Vicomte. By Nico SpringmanIt is no easy matter to get about eighteen people to meet in thevast complex that is called the Gare de Lyon in Paris, but the twogroups that had toured the Maison de Verre in the morning dideventually link up. With baguettes and bottles of water weclambered aboard our train to Melun, where we were luckyenough to find a fleet of four taxis - and one private car (thankyou Ana and Stephen!) to transport us to Vaux-le-Vicomte.

It is a truly special and awe-inspiring place and I constantlymarvel at what Nicolas Fouquet and his team of Louis le Vau,Charles le Brun and Andre le Nôtre achieved. Both the chateauand the gardens are spectacular and it was the only virgin sitethat le Nôtre ever worked on.

We arrived in baking hot sunshine, looked for shelter from the sunwhile hearing a little about the Château, the various families thathave been involved with it and some social history of C17th France.

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It was alleged by Colbert to Louis XIV that Fouquet had funded thisgreat work at the expense of the State Treasury. Perhaps we shouldall heed the cautionary tale and not try to outshine the boss - orin modern day parlance, perhaps not to outshine out clients! Certainly,we should not invite them to our homes and give out truly spectacularparty bags, without expecting some retribution!

After climbing the wide steps to the front door of the PianoNobile, we went immediately upstairs to the private apartmentson the floor above. There we were able to see rooms preparedfor Nicolas Fouquet, and his second wife, Marie Madelene.Fouquet's rooms are laid out much as they would have been,but those belonging to his wife still show alterations commissionedduring the C18th. To walk between these suites of rooms, youhave to pass a display of engravings and paintings illustratingFouquet's trial. Having been acquitted, it must have been terrifyingto find the King had ordered you to be incarcerated in an Alpinefortress for 19 years while at the same time, having to wear aniron mask to hide his identity – the inspiration for AlexandreDumas' "Man in the Iron Mask"!

Taking a small service staircase up two floors, we congregated bythe servants’ bedrooms in the attic (hot in summer, so surely freezingin winter?) before going through the roof space, climbing stairsover historic beams and the dome of the Salon, to emerge onto awalkway above the domed roof, from where we were able to enjoyspectacular views over the gardens and the surrounding estate.

Back on the Piano Nobile, we wandered through the StateApartments that had been laid out for Louis XIV and his motherAnne of Austria. The richness of the decoration has to be seento be believed – well worth the visit alone. In the basement wefound the kitchens and stillrooms, the cellars and store roomsthat are needed to keep a huge establishment going. Downthere, several rooms have been given over to a display of thework of le Nôstre – including an example of his coat of armsfeaturing snails and cabbages! A huge model of the estate isilluminated from above with different colours and designs, whichis well worth viewing properly before walking outside.

The gardens are enchanting – the client and landscape architectreally understood the power of perspective. Please check it outfor yourselves! Go and see it on the days when the fountainsare working and the day is sunny and bright; if you stand betweenthe sun and the Gerbe fountain you will see their last surprise!We would all like to be as talented as them!

We enjoyed a drink and light supper in the restaurant and thenwhile some of us returned to Paris, the others remained to viewthe Château and gardens by candlelight. The colours of courseappear more muted and the shadows are accentuated, but theatmosphere is amazing. When I emerged into the night shroudedgarden, I could hear Cherobimo singing from "The Marriage ofFigaro" wafting through the darkness from the stage in the garden;my favourite place, my favourite opera, old and new friends – whatmore could I ask for? Then I remembered; two taxis to Melun in orderto catch the last train back to Paris. By a wing and a prayer we did!

BIDA visit to Tyntesfield. By Brian LawrenceI and fellow BIDA member guests was privileged to attend aprivate tour of the ground floor of Tyntesfield and its grounds.The house is currently being restored by the National Trust. Thestory of the acquisition, in 2002, is as much a miracle as theproperty itself, the Trust having raised over £320 million in 50days and reached a complex agreement with many parties,including the executors and the Inland Revenue, to save whatis one of the last major High Victorian houses to survive largelyunaltered since its heyday.

The original house, built in 1813, was bought by William Gibbsin 1843 and it was he, being the richest “commoner” in VictorianEngland, who transformed the building into the magnificentexample of Gothic Revival architecture that stands today. Havingaccumulated his fortune from the guano trade in Spain and SouthAmerica, it was some twenty years after acquisition that Gibbsembarked upon the remodelling of his North Somerset homewith its breath-taking views over an extensive park.

Even if impressive Gothic Revival architecture does not appeal,any visitor will marvel at the quality and intricacies of the externalstonework. Upon entering the house it is the grand scale of whatwas a private family home that is awesome. The interiors stillcontain many of the original fittings, furniture and even wallpapersall of which were made to enhance its Victorian splendour. Inthe Grand Hall the atmosphere of the property is captured by thefamily portraits and again one is surprised by the grandeur andquality of the stonework, wood-carving and immense fireplaces. The task of running such a home is almost impossible to imaginein modern times, but the Victorians seem to have managed witha barrage of nineteen household servants, excluding those involvedin the up-keep of the stables, the gardens and the estate in general.

A visit to the Billiard Room is a must to marvel at the very ornateand centrally heated billiard table which was also connected,via an antiquated system, to an electronic scoreboard.

Not to be ignored is the splendid Gothic design family chapel nextto the house. In itself a Grade I listed building, it features inlaidmarble floors, stained glass and carved wooden fittings. The architectof the chapel was Arthur Blomfield, a son of the Bishop of Londonand a prolific designer of churches. The Gibbs family had a longconnection with the Oxford Movement and William Gibbs wasthe benefactor who paid for the building of the chapel at KebleCollege, Oxford. There is so much of interest at Tyntesfield itselfand in the history of the family that lived there – I can highlyrecommend a visit. For those who missed out this time, it is wellworth reconsidering if the opportunity arises again in the future.

For more information please go to:Pompidou Centre: www.centrepompidou.frMaison de Verre: www.hometown.aol.com/hazeej/chareau.htmlVaux-Le-Vicomte: www.vaux-le-vicomte.comTyntesfield: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

13CPD Reviews

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invited UK retailers. Eureka 2005 retailer participants are DesignersGuild, John Lewis and Watts & Co. Each company has pickeddesigners from Design-Nation’s membership to fulfil briefs fora range of products, which include furniture, glassware, silverware,ceramics, lighting and rug designs.

Designers involved in Eureka 2005 include Rock Galpin, who hascreated a modular sofa system for Designers Guild. John Lewishas commissioned 3 designers, Mark Gabbertas has designed anentire domestic storage/display system including audio visualsolutions, Afroditi Krassa has created a task light and Lucian Taylora range of black glass silver tableware (candlesticks, bowl andexecutive/christening spinning top). Chichi Cavalcanti, AneChristensen and Michael Ruh who are working on briefs set byWatts & Co. Highlighting the international reputation of Britishcontemporary design, this list includes of some of the most excitingand innovative product designers currently working in the UK.

The Eureka Project encourages retailers to commission newdesigns for production, most Design-Nation members also workto commission on interior design projects for hotels, restaurants,bars, retail stores and private homes. Rock Galpin was commissionedto produce the entire interior scheme for the Bombay SapphireExperience, London. Afroditi Krassa was commissioned toproduce the interior for the recently-launched ‘Itsu’ chain ofrestaurants, the first of which opened in Hanover Square, W1. Members can be commissioned to produce architectural glassfeatures (Kate Maestri, Rupert Scott Glass Ltd, Louise Watson orSara Whale), metalwork for the interior or exterior (John Creed,Wendy Ramshaw), lighting solutions (CJ O.Neill, Diffuse, JonaHoad or Tom Kirk) or furniture (Fred Baier, Stephen Richards,Simon Smith, Andrew Tye, Katie Walker or Rowland Ziervogel).Advice can be given if there are specific requirements for aproject, simply get in touch to commission some of the bestdesign talent working this country – bida@designnation.co.uk

www.thedesignnation.co.uk (showcase of work by selected designers)www.thedesigntrust.co.uk (educational resource with guidancein how to set up in business)www.eurekacollection.co.uk (showcase of 2004/5 productscommissioned by UK retailers)

The Design Trust, a charity, uses its working name Design-Nationto promote the excellence of British design, both nationally andinternationally, and provides business support to designers wishingto set up in business. Established in 1994 by Peta Levi MBE, thecharity has twin aims of promoting the excellence of British designand encouraging sound business practice. It has been a pioneerin British design having launched and developed the New DesignersExhibition, an annual national graduation show from 1985 to1991. The Design Trust has now become associated with theCreative Industries Unit (which incorporates Furniture Works)within the Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design atLondon Metropolitan University, where the charity is now based.

Design-Nation is a group of some of the most talented designersworking in this country, selected by independent panels of judgeswhich have included Tomoko Azumi, Cressida Granger, JasperMorrison, Dorothy Hogg, Robin Levien, Jeremy Myerson, JanePriestman, Frances Sorrell, Professor Norma Starszakowna andPaul Dyson. The intention is to develop the leading online resourcefor anyone wishing to buy, source or commission good design.In February 2005, 26 designers were selected to join Design-Nation. A new catalogue, incorporating the expanded resourcewill be launched during the London Design Festival (15 Septemberto 2 October). The catalogue will be available, along with therevised Business Start-Up Guide for Designers and Makers, atthree exhibitions in September: Design-Nation’s stand C53 at100% Design (23-25 September, Earl’s Court), Design-Nation’sstand D82 at Decorex International (25-28 September, RoyalHospital Chelsea) and at the Eureka exhibition (21 Septemberto 2 October the.gallery@oxo, Oxo Tower Wharf).

The Design Trust provides business support through the websitewww.thedesigntrust.co.uk and the Business Start-Up Guide forDesigners and Makers. The Guide targets recent graduates andyoung designers thinking about setting up in business, but whofind the prospect daunting. It covers the main topics that a fledglingbusiness must address and provides continuous signposting tobusiness support agencies and services. The guide is availableonline as a free pdf or you can order a bound copy for £5.The Guide should be read in conjunction with The Design Truste-newsletter, published bi-monthly with topical information aboutbusiness support services around the UK and awards and competitions. You can sign up for our email alert service at the website, andreceive notification when the latest newsletter goes live.

We organise various networking events at which industry includinginterior designers, architects and specifiers, can meet our memberswith a view to commissioning them to work on projects. Eurekais a pioneering networking project now in its second year thatbridges the gap between designer, manufacturer and retailer,stimulating the demand for innovative and commercially viableconsumer products. Promoting excellence in the commercialproduct design process, the products in the Eureka Collectionare created by Design-Nation members, based on briefs from

Design Trust

15Design Trust

Introducing a Design Resource

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Following an initial meeting with a potential client recently I was asked to sign a confidentialityagreement. I would be happy to, was the reply as I am acutely aware of the need for such documentswhen dealing with affluent and high profile clients and completely understand the wish for privacyand protection. The substantial document duly arrived by the next post, setting out the manyclauses and in a language employed by only the very best lawyers.

The temptation was to sign and send back to the Project Manager and start the ball rolling onwhat seemed like an interesting and substantial project. I like to think I am discrete and honourableand not given to phoning the Sun for a quick gossip, and Max Clifford is not on my email listso why not sign. But a little warning bell sounded and I thought it worth passing by our solicitorfor comment. A phone call later and the advice was under no circumstances should you sign -liability for 25 years, responsible for the actions of others beyond your control, inability to relyon information passed to you by the client - it went on and on. I rang the project manager to saythat the Agreement was too onerous and I could not sign it in its current form. "All the otherconsultants have signed it" was the response. Well, perhaps they did not bother to spend severalhundred pounds checking whether the requirements were fair and reasonable, or even workablefor a designer who needs to impart certain information to suppliers in order to carry out work.Hungry as I am to carry out new projects, the warning from my solicitor could not be ignored.

Our new contract, ID/05 has a clause which should cover the client's concerns adequately:Clause 6.4 states:

"Neither the Client nor the Designer shall disclose to any other person information identified inwriting as confidential unless reasonably necessary:

1 for performance of the Services; or

2 in order to take professional advice in relation to the Agreement or the Services; or

3 in order to obtain/maintain insurance cover as required by the Agreement, or

4 because of disputes arising out of or in connection with the Agreement; or

5 as required by law.'

This, it seems to me, strikes the right balance in protecting the Client’s confidentiality withoutimposing unworkable restrictions. Be very careful not to sign anything without understandingthe full implications. Ignorance is no defence and when things go wrong, the sweetest clientswill look to anyone and everyone on the team to go for when things go wrong. We have ourinterests to protect too, so take care and if in doubt, take advice.

Diana YakeleyFellow, BIDA

Confidentially....A word of warning

17Confidentially....A word of warning

Olympia Fine Art, Design and Antiques Fair 1st – 6th March 2005The British Interior Design Association was delighted to support the Olympia Fine Art and Antiques fair. This spring, in an unprecedented move towards the contemporary the fair took on a rather differentapproach to its traditional display of fine art and antiques, with a much more design-led theme.

With over 200 dealers exhibiting at the fair the stand displays exhibited a broad range of the moretraditional high quality antiques, but were interspersed with some stunning contemporary, design-ledpieces. This unprecedented mixture of antique and contemporary pieces made for a very interesting andrather unique feel to the fair and certainly drew a greater number of visitors from the interior design world.We very much hope that this will be repeated in future years.

The BIDA sponsored champagne bar also proved very popular amongst visitors – including David Dickinson,of the television series ‘Bargain Hunt’, who was featured on television recently sitting at the BIDA barduring a visit to the fair!

Annie Stevens, BIDA chairman was invited to judge the best stand design, which was awarded to AlanWalker Ltd, a barometer specialist for their very simple, yet hugely effective display.

BADA Fine Art and Antiques Fair 9th – 15th March 2005We were delighted to be invited to participate in the judging for the British Antique Dealers’ Association(BADA) Fine Art and Antiques Fair at the Duke of York Square, Kings Road, Chelsea, London SW3. Over100 top fine art and antiques dealers exhibited at the show this year, which proved to be a huge success.

In addition to making a number of smaller awards for outstanding pieces, the BIDA was delighted toaward the prize for best stand design to Karel Weijand - specialists in antique and decorative carpets -for their beautiful, contemporary display of handmade, antique and contemporary carpets and rugs ofextraordinary quality.

PULSE by Top Drawer 22nd – 25th May 2005Pulse is traditionally the first of the summer design shows. This year over 800 exhibitors participated inthe show that covered both halls at Earls Court, with the entire space devoted to interior accessories andgifts. The BIDA were invited to give two seminars as part of the overall lecture programme at the fair.Two of our long-standing and highly regarded members agreed to host two seminars: Susan Llewellynof Susan Llewellyn Associates lectured on “Trends – The future of Interior Design”, which exploredhow retailers, producers and forecasters are able to predict what the consumer will want at given time.Guy Oliver, of Oliver Laws Design drew on his historical background to lecture on “A short History of20th Century British Decorators and Decoration”.

Both seminars were very well received by visitors to the show and we were delighted to have been askedto participate in PULSE 2006.

artLondon 2005 8th – 12th June 2005artLondon, London’s leading contemporary Art Fair returned for its seventh year at Burton’s Court, StLeonard’s Terrace, Chelsea, London SW3.

The BIDA were delighted to be invited by the organisers of artLondon to host an exclusive BIDA members’evening for the second year running, providing our members with an exclusive drinks reception and theopportunity to visit the show.

This year, over 80 leading UK and international galleries exhibited at the fair, combining the elegant andthe edgy, and showcasing a range of top quality paintings, sculpture, photography, works on paper andceramics, with prices ranging form £300 – to over £100,000. Christopher Vane Percy, Past Chairman,BIDA and Diana Yakeley, Vice Chairman, BIDA were invited to judge each category of exhibitor this year,including a Gold and Silver award for Best Stand Design. The Gold award for Best Stand Design wentto Verlat, with the Silver award going to Hackelbury Fine Art.

We very much look forward to being able to support artLondon again in 2006.

BIDA 2005 Fair Overview

19BIDA 2005 Fair Overview

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2005 has been a memorable year for the BIDA, as it markstwo very important anniversaries in our history – firstly, wewill be celebrating 40 years since the foundation of theAssociation –originally the IDDA – and second, it marksour 10th year of participating in the Daily Telegraph House& Garden Fair at Olympia.

Each year, for the past ten, it has been a tradition that ateam of BIDA designers under the supervision of TinaMcFarlane, oversee the design and coordination of a‘showhouse’ – encompassing inspiring room sets andcutting edge design. This year, to mark our involvementover the past decade, the show house took the theme of‘Smart Space’. A step away from the traditional BIDAshowhouse, it focused on educating visitors about theprocess of interior design, highlighted recent design trendsand the use of new materials and technology.

The design and coordination of ‘Smart Space’ was carriedout by Sally Dernie and Brenda Gibson, with the helpof a few words of advice from House & Garden veteranTina McFarlane. Eight BIDA designers were invited todesign the room sets (as listed below), for their broadrange of skills and experience: from long–standing industryfigure, George Bond, to Associate Members Emma Sims-Hilditch and Cara Louise Cunniff. The showhouse wasdesigned according to several distinct areas:

Meet and Greet: designed by project managers BrendaGibson and Sally Dernie to create an eye-catching, invitingreception area. Modern materials – chrome, perspex andPVC – were juxtaposed with organic influences – a rosebower of paper and wire mesh (no green fingers required)and a fantasy of soothing pools of languid, calming waters.

Relax and Recline: designed by George Bond at OmegaDesigner Workshop Ltd. This was George’s second House& Garden Fair, last year creating a town garden. This year,George created a living area, combining an eclectic mixof styles with an overarching modern theme, using neutraltones, and a range of accessories with a twist!

Cook and Create: designed by George Khachfe at PoliformUK Ltd. George Khachfe was responsible for bringingPoliform, cutting edge Italian designed furniture into theUK. Recently, George introduced Poliform’s sister kitchencompany to the UK and used pieces from the stunningVarenna collection to create a superb kitchen area in theBIDA Smart Space.

Eat & Entertain: designed by Kitty-Lynne Edwards-Jonesof Kitty-Lynne Jones Interior Design. Kitty specialises incontemporary classical style, creating elegant and timelessinteriors, with imaginative use of space and colour. Trueto form, Kitty’s design for the dining area inspired andteased the imagination, disguising intrigue and surprisewithin a conventional, soothing backdrop.

Surf and Play: designed by Dean Keyworth of ArmstrongKeyworth Ltd. Based on a broad experience of workingwithin a range of styles, Dean created a dual-purposearea – acting both as a home office and a relaxing mediaroom, balancing masculine walnut bespoke furniturewith a colourful, floral wallcovering.

Sleep and Seduce: designed by Emma Sims-Hilditch ofEmma Sims-Hilditch Interiors. Emma’s sympathetic use ofcolour, light and texture created an inspiring bedroom.Incorporating femininity and sophistication, the gentle colourpalette chosen offered a harmonious and restful environmentwithin which to sleep, work and relax.

Preen and Pamper: designed by Cara Louise Cunniff ofDevereaux Designers Ltd. Bringing together classical withcontemporary, beauty with practicality and fusing the bestof British with international influences, Cara’s design forthe bathroom this year explored the creative use of texturesand materials to add a unique dimension to the sculpturedbathroom - a place to relax, luxuriate, preen and pamper.

To celebrate notable developments within interior designand design technology over the past decade, the BIDAshowhouse included an interactive element for the first timethis year – Explore & Inspire - where visitors were encouragedto sample a range of interior design products, from lightingcontrols to home gym equipment. Six BIDA corporatemembers: i.life solutions, Amtico, Technogym, Leax LightingControls, Floors ‘n’ More and Robert Allen; took up thechallenge to showcase their products within the interactivearea, providing visitors with the opportunity to experiencefirst hand, some of the products utilised in the six room sets.

As well as having a very positive reception from the public,Smart Space proved extremely successful for those designersand suppliers who took part. Cara Louise Cunniff’sbathroom attracted dozens of leads, including aninternational project and corporate member Reed HarrisTiles reported that a large percentage of enquires on theirown stand was generated from visitors seeing their productin the show house bathroom.

BIDA Smart SpaceThe Daily Telegraph House & Garden Fair 2005

20BIDA Smart Space

George Bond, one of the room designers, found hisexperience of participating in the BIDA showhouseinvaluable: “Working under the umbrella of the BIDAteam was a joy and removed many of the pressures Ifelt when working alone last year. I had the freedom toget on with the actual building up of my set. Sally Dernieand Brenda Gibson applied their project managementskills with great success over the many months of planning,and throughout the build-up and running of the Fair,greatly easing the way for all of us participating”.

Susan Crewe, Editor of House & Garden said, “As ever,the BIDA apartment was one of the most popular andinspiring elements of the Fair. The celebratory 'SmartSpace' combined sophisticated interior design withintegrated technology and enabled visitors to experiencefor themselves the fusion of these two elements”.

Our warmest thanks to Brenda, Sally and Tina, our sixdesigners for their inspirational room sets and to thosecorporate members who participated in the interactivearea, for making this year’s house a great success.

It remains to say that it is with great regret that wesay goodbye to Tina McFarlane, who will be steppingdown as Exhibitors Directors at the AGM in November.There is no one better than fellow designer AnnieStevens, Chairman of the BIDA, who has known Tinafor many years to make the following tribute:

Over the past ten years Tina has put on her hardhat and managed the organisation of our exhibitionstands with humour and tenacity, on budget andon time. Her lovely and talented daughter, Carolineis a tribute to her mother’s skills and my childrenhave greatly benefited from her baby minding talents.

Tina’s husband Rob has also committed a hugeamount of time to the BIDA for which we areenormously indebted. As a formidable team bothpersonally and professionally, they have committedthemselves to a daunting restoration project inFrance. I will be there to help at any stage in thiscourageous project.

Tina, the olive tree is still standing for you – givenby the BIDA with our huge appreciation in 2003. Wesend you all our love and best wishes for the future.We will all miss you.

All my love,

21BIDA Smart Space

Meet and Greet: Brenda Gibson and Sally Dernie

Relax and Recline: George Bond

Surf and Play: Dean Keyworth

Preen and Pamper: Cara Louise Cunniff

Eat & Entertain: Kitty-Lynne Edwards-Jones

Sleep and Seduce: Emma Sims-Hilditch

Cook and Create: George Khachfe

The Past Chairman’s Club (PCC) is now in its third year, althoughit has no formal powers. The ten members of this ‘upper house’have either been a past Chairman of the IDDA or a Past Presidentof the IIDA; they are consulted by the Board of the BIDA fromtime to time on particular issues. With their pool of knowledgeand experience, the PCC can offer views on current issues, aswell as explaining the history and reasoning behind decisionstaken in the recent past.

As our association settles into its first year with a Chairman, PastChairman and Chairman elect, each serving a one year term,continuity has been established between the three as the outgoingChairman automatically heads the PCC and remains on the Boardfor one further year.

This year the PCC has met on three occasions. The main topicunder discussion has been the ‘Fellows’ issue and our views onthis sensitive issue have been passed on to the Board. We allfeel confident that BIDA members will, at last, have the chanceto finally rectify this anomaly at the AGM.

In April, this year, the PCC and the Trustees of the V&A jointlyhosted a champagne reception and private view of the much-acclaimed International Arts & Crafts Exhibition. The eveningproved to be such a huge success that we hope to repeat it againnext year. On a personal note, I would like to thank Jane GordonClark for her help and enthusiasm while working with us toarrange this special evening.

On behalf of the PCC, I would also like to thank JacquelineDuncan for hosting most of our meetings, and my colleagueswho give their time for the benefit of our members. To helpstreamline our meetings, we have recommended to the Boardthat it would be more practical for the PCC to meet twice a year,during the spring and autumn. We also feel that on certain issueswe would like to use our discretion, and consult members whohave a particular knowledge or insight on the subject underdiscussion.

Christopher Vane PercyPast Chairman

Chairman of the PCC

Past Chairman Club Members:Simon Cavelle, Jacqueline Duncan, Rosemary Hamilton, Tessa Kennedy,Gordon Lindsay, Stephen Ryan, Henrietta Spencer-Churchill and PhilippaThorp.

Past Chairman’s Club

22

Past Chairman’s Club

Mikuniso room set. © Morley von Sternberg.

M.H. Baillie Scott, window. Britain, 1920.For the music room of Dr R.K.,Mannheim, Germany.© Morley von Sternberg.

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In May this year, the BIDA in association with the RIBA andCEDIA launched the first of a series of day long seminars, aimedat interior design and architectural practices working within thehigh-end residential market.

The seminar day - ’Designing tomorrow’s homes …Today’ –focused on the specification of home technology. The day wasdevised with the specific aim of ensuring that design professionalshave adequate grounding in the field of home technology andmanagement systems to control their specification. In addition,the seminar provided an opportunity to educate the professionin the complex wiring and cabling required to ‘future proof’ aproperty and therefore ensure the ability to change the specificationin years to come.

Even the most experienced interior design professional all toooften finds themselves at a disadvantage when called to briefelectrical contractors on wiring specification or to co-ordinatethe variety of manufacturers required to put such a specificationtogether and, more importantly, to oversee this installation. Allto often an architect or designer may step back from theresponsibilities involved and the client and main contractor canbe left to pick up the pieces.

Part of the motivation in a client retaining either an architect orinterior designer is usually to ensure that they receive a designthat couldn’t be bought on the ‘high street’. With the increasein home cinema installations and availability of AV equipmenteveryone can pretend to be an armchair technology expert. Fora designer, there are many questions that need to be asked whenspecifying home technology: if technology is present in oneroom, why not in others? Is it a matter of budget or confidence?The client’s interests can only be best served when he/she is fullybriefed on current and future technology advances. As the oneprofessional on any job with the constant contact to the end user(the client) it is imperative that interior designers have at theirfingertips knowledge of the latest technology and can specifyit in accordance with the clients brief. It is more than ‘toys forboys’ but an opportunity to build and design energy efficienthomes that won’t require total re-wiring as improved technologybecomes available to all.

The course consisted of a series of 6 course modules, designedto give delegates a crash course in everything you need to knowabout smart technology in enough detail to be able to presentto clients and to keep control of project specification.The seminar was opened by Angela Brady, Partner of the well-established architectural practice, Brady Mallalieu Architects;and followed by a series of course modules:

• Designing Future Ready Homes – Simon Williams, Vice Chariman of CEDIA• HVAC & Energy Management – Phil Longhurst, Director,

Smart Kontrols• Lighting Controls & Design – Jon Goss, Commercial

Development Manager, Leax Lighting Controls• Sound & Vision – Mike Entwistle – Managing Director,

I-Life Solutions Ltd• Intelligent Controls for the future - Adam Joliffe & Chris Smith, Accurro Ltd• Project Supervision for Interior Design & Coordination

of specification – Chris Westhead, Project Coordinator,Gordon Lindsay Design Ltd

The seminar day is the first of a series of events designed by theBIDA to extend our members education and to keep designprofessionals one-step ahead of the market. The seminar alsoserved to extend links between the BIDA, and the RIBA andCEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association),relationships that we hope will continue to grow in the future.All delegates who attended the seminar day were awarded atotal of 6 CPD points.

The day was kindly sponsored by CEDIA; i.life Solutions; Technogym;Leax Lighting Controls and AMX Limited. For information aboutfurther seminar days planned for 2005/6, please contact the BIDAoffice on 020 7349 0800.

Contact Information:Angela Brady RIBA, FRIAI, FRSA Tel: 020 8880 1544www.bradymallalieu.comSimon Williams Vice Chairman, CEDIA Tel: 01462 627377www.cedia.co.ukPhilip Longhurst Director, Smart Kontrols Ltd Tel: 01825 769812www.smartkontrols.co.ukJon Goss Commercial Development Manager,Leax Lighting Controls Ltd Tel: 020 7501 0880www.leax.co.ukMike Entwistle Managing Director, I-Life Solutions LtdTel: 01727 758888www.ilifesolutions.co.ukAdam Joliffe & Chris Smith Accurro Ltd Tel: 0870 240 6110www.accurro.comChris Westhead Project Manager, Gordon Lindsay Design LtdTel: 01379 586799

Designing Tomorrow’s Homes...Today

25Designing Tomorrow’s Homes...Today

Smart House Seminar May 2005

The BIDA is delighted to announce its support of the Druk WhiteLotus School project. Earlier this summer, the BIDA launched aChristmas Card Design Competition and are actively encouragingthose associated with design and education to submit entries. Thewinning design will be judged at Decorex 2005 and will becomethis year’s official BIDA Christmas card. The entries will be on displayat Decorex International 25th – 28th September and will be for saleto visitors. All profits from this competition will support the latestdevelopment phase of the Druk White Lotus School.

The School lies high in the Indian Himalayas in the remote kingdomof Ladakh, where, in centuries past, people lived off the land andin harmony with nature, their lives peaceful and sustainable. ManyLadakhis still live the traditional, rural life of their ancestors andvillage traditions survive, but are under threat to change. In the lastthirty years global influences have reached Ladakh and are beginningto erode the traditions and values that have for centuries held thissociety together.

Ladakhi people realise they cannot turn back the clock. However,they want to educate their children to be secure in their own identity,to adapt to change without losing their cultural heritage and to earna living in a sustainable way. So they approached the head Lamaof the region and their spiritual leader, His Holiness the twelfthGyalwang Drukpa. The Druk White Lotus School is being developedunder his guidance and vision with the assistance of Drukpa Trust,a UK registered charity.

The school buildings are designed by young architects and engineersfrom the international, London-based consultancy Arup, withsubstantial local and voluntary inputs. In 2002 the Nursery & InfantSchool was voted the Best Education Building at the prestigiousWorld Architecture Awards and scooped the award for the Best AsianBuilding; it was also joint winner for the Best Green Building, beatingstrong contenders such as The Eden Project, UK. The judges said:“In addition to the school’s environmental aspirations it providespupils with excellent premises. Who would not want to be educatedin a building like this?”

For the construction, both modern and traditional materials andmethods are used to withstand the extreme climate. Thick stonecavity walls and mud roofs provide insulation, large window areasprovide passive solar heating and solar panels provide electricity.Solar chimneys eliminate odour in the dry latrines, producing fertilizerand minimising water needs in the high desert climate.

The result is a school that combines the solidity and timelessnessof the Ladakhi monasteries, with light, airy, spacious interiors,appropriate to education.

The Nursery and Infant School was opened in September 2001 andthe Junior School in November 2004. Each year up to 60 childrenjoin the school and there are now over 250 girls and boys aged 3-9 years of age. The next phase of building, the Lower Senior School,scheduled to open in November 2007, will provide four specialistscience laboratories with ‘prep’ rooms costing £85,000, a sevenclassroom block at £75,000 and a third residential block for fiftychildren at £68,000. The Drukpa Trust is now actively seeking fundsfor this construction. By 2011, when the whole school is complete,it will provide for 780 children up to the age of eighteen years.

The School offers all-round academic and vocational opportunities– including health education, cultural studies, creative studies andinformation technology. Recently, an Education Development Fundhas been established to provide teacher training and curriculumdevelopment work and help the school and its staff to continue todeliver an education that is both relevant and excellent.

The Drukpa Trust in the UK, whose main patron is HH the DalaiLama, has set itself the task of raising funds, designing and constructingthe school, and has worked with local partners in implementing theproject.

Laurent Videau, a recent visitor to the school from France, had thisto say: “We were extremely impressed by everything we saw, fromthe architecture, building materials, organization of the rooms,the teachers, the decoration…everything seemed to be perfectand unique. We were touched and totally seduced by the extremefamily atmosphere which seemed to emanate from each room.The children seemed so happy there. It was incredible - therewas a feeling of happiness, a thirst in learning. I have never seensuch a thing and certainly would never have expected to find sucha cozy and comfortable place in these isolated and deserted lands”.

27Building a future at 12,000 Feet

Building a future at 12,000 Feet

Druk White Lotus School is a unique educational project focused on:‘nurturing children’s’ creativity and self-reliance with wisdom’.

Please visit www.dwls.org for more details and pictures.

To enter the competition please email: mail@dwlsdesign.co.ukClosing Dates for entries: 24th September 2005.

For further information please contact: Crissy HumphriesTel +44(0)1420 542615 or email: crissy@dwls.wanadoo.co.uk

Entry deadline 5 October 2005

The categories are:� Interior Designer of the Year

� Residential Interior Design Project of the Year

� Commercial Interior Design Project of the Year

� Kitchen Designer of the Year

� Bathroom Designer of the Year

� Student Designer of the Year

I would recommend to all students thatthey enter the British Interior DesignAwards. It has been tremendous for mycareer and it is a wonderful feeling to getsuch recognition from the industry. It wasa fantastic honour and a fantasticevening – not only fun, it was also agreat opportunity to network. So, all you students, get designing for this year’sawards! Jessica Brook

‘

’

AWARDS NEWS

Jessica Brook wonthe student awardat last year’s

British Interior DesignAwards and, as anyonewho was there will tellyou, seemed to get theloudest cheer of thenight. Since her victory,Jessica’s career hasgone from strength tostrength. She is nowworking at leadinginterior design companyFox Linton Associatesand is the lead designer on the revamp of The Dorchester in London. She has just returned from Alicante where she is working on another project.

For more information on how to enter, please visit www.britishinteriordesignawards.co.uk or e-mail Andy Tyrrell at atyrrell@wilmington.co.uk

What would winning an award mean for your business?Enter the UK’s top awards scheme that recognises the true talent and professionalism within the interior design community. Show your industry just what you’re made of.

� Technology Integration and Lighting Design of the Year

� Best Surface Innovation of the Year

� Best Furniture, Lighting or Accessory Product of the Year

� Best Kitchen or Bathroom Product of the Year

� Best Fabric Collection of the Year

� Outstanding Contribution to Design Award

sponsored by:

HOW DO YOU MAKE

A NOISE?By winning a British Interior Design Award

britishinteriordesignawards

Antiques in the Home: From period look to moderneclecticism – 20 years of antiques and design

Twenty years ago, antiques were much in demandas customers were in search of an authentic periodlook for their homes. After the so-called ‘modernisations’of the 1970s, we were far more aware of preservingor restoring original features to homes, and decoratorsoften found themselves searching for complimentaryGeorgian or Regency dining tables, chairs, sideboardsand serving tables, or period consoles, sofa tables,bérgères and bookcases for the drawing room.

For those wanting a fresher look, it was also the timethat painted furniture first became popular – whetherthe architectural Scandinavian designs in grey andcream, or rustic French armoires and tables accentedwith Provençal textiles and rugs.

Sourcing all these antiques was not necessarily veryeasy. Despite the fact shops could be found in everytown and village in the country, it involved a greatdeal of travelling. The auction houses were still, inthe main, the preserve of dealers. Smart city antiquesshops could be daunting and pricey. Most antiquesfairs had a dateline of pre-1837.

In the Autumn of 1985, a West London dealer namedPatricia Harvey, realised that she and her dealerneighbours were being visited more frequently byinterior designers looking for more unusual objects,and less expensive, practical antiques for their clients– items that were at the time excluded from mostmajor antiques fairs. She initiated the first ever fairdedicated to designers’ and decorators’ needs, TheDecorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, which celebratesits 20th Anniversary this October.

In the intervening 20 years, designers and privatebuyers have quite radically changed their attitude toantiques in a number of ways. Designers were thefirst to realise that not all period pieces for decorativepurposes had to be ‘the best of the best’ or rarest;they also realised that less obvious items from thepast could be used in new ways to create interestingaccents, ‘talking points’, in the home – military drumsconverted for use as coffee tables, or vintage luggageand leather trunks, for example.

Antiques in Interiors

The Decorative Fair brought together imaginativeantiques dealers with eclectic tastes who found anddisplayed these more unusual items, alongsidecontinental furniture and practical English antiques,which designers found to be an invaluable source.

The co-ordinated, ‘true to period’ look becameoutmoded during the rise of minimalism, and withour Swedish friends encouraging folk to ‘chuck outthe chintz’, antiques appeared to fall from favour.

However, interior designers and discerning privatebuyers still know that a home can be made quiteunique by the inclusion of a work of art or just a fewwell-placed antiques; today, we are in the era ofindividualism, and antiques as ‘icons’ – contemporaryschemes are given an exciting and unexpected liftwhen you find a wonderful period bookcase in a starkwhite room with a dramatic modernist chandelier.A flavour of the Orient can be achieved with an antiqueBuddha figure or exquisite porcelain pots – either talland freestanding - lit creatively from below, or a rowof smaller pieces on a mantelpiece. With loft-livingcame large expanses of wall, ideally suited to a giantclock face or ship’s wheel used as decoration, or asingle large painting or print.

Other changes in 20 years include the acceptanceof twentieth century design within the antiques world.A host of enthusiastic young dealers have expandedinto this area; from Art Deco to modernist post-warand 60s pop design, all can now be found at manyfairs and specialist shops.

The definition of an antique being an item over 100years old no longer holds true: in effect, almost anyone-off or limited edition item of sufficient qualityand design merit can be found at many fairs anddealers’ shops, dating up to the 1980s.

The most important aspect of sourcing and usingantiques today is that we are no longer afraid to mixand match; now decorating schemes can includeantiques, 20th century design and contemporaryfurniture together in an exciting and individual newlook.

The Decorative Antiques Fair

30Antiques in Interiors

31Antiques in Interiors

Top Tips- Build your buying confidence by making friends with reputable dealers (members of trade associations such as BADA or LAPADA, or those who exhibit at vetted fairs) whose style you like: they will also source items for you. Members of trade associations also

abide by a code of retail practice offering the same standards you would expect from major high street retailers.- Use a dealer’s knowledge: they will have many years of experience in their field. Ask their advice – it’s free!- Quality pieces speak for themselves and offer a better long-term investment. Buy the best your client can afford. Look inside cupboard doors and drawers, check for replaced backs or woodworm. Reputable dealers will tell you if a piece has undergone major restoration or had part of it replaced. Original condition can be important, but you can also find less expensive pieces that may have been re-painted or re-varnished – original good condition will be reflected in a higher price.- Use antiques in unexpected combinations: contrast antique lighting with contemporary furnishings or vice versa; use contemporary

textile designs to upholster a Victorian Chesterfield.- If you find a piece of upholstered furniture you like but the fabric is wrong for a scheme, don’t be afraid to ask a dealer to change

it. It’s much easier to change the textile than find the same style of furniture in the right colours.- Re-invent and recycle: antiques are ecologically sound! You can find a multitude of new uses for old objects: some dealers convert

ceramics and carved wood or stone into imaginative lamp bases for example.- Antique and vintage textiles offer a wealth of creative possibilities: use to edge curtains or create colourful room-dividers; loop large shawls to accent windows; frame fragments of textile as pictures; thread a pole through a kimono or sumptuous kaftan to hang as art with a great shape.

Where to Buy & Source- There are a number of source books for antiques available at good book shops.- When you’re in a hurry, there is nowhere better than a fair, as they offer a wide variety of dealers, usually from all over the country,

under one roof. You can easily compare like with like, price with price.- Reputable dealers you have built a relationship with will become a superb source for your needs.- In London, the well-known emporia, especially for accessories, are Alfies Antiques Market (NW8), Grays Antiques Market (by New Bond Street tube), and Antiquarius (Kings Road). The London Silver Vaults in Chancery Lane are the best place to find traditional

antique and reproduction as well as contemporary silver cutlery and table accessories. The other main areas in London are Camden Passage(off Upper Street, Islington), Portobello Road, Kensington Church Street, Pimlico Road, Lillie Road (Fulham) and Church Street, Marylebone.

- In the regions, you will find some growing antiques centres offering high quality as well as decorative antiques. Tetbury is now a mecca in the Cotswolds, and Petworth and Arundel in the South East.- Auction houses may sound appealing, but remember you pay commission (often 15% or more) over the hammer price, and items

are sold ‘as seen’ – there is no redress once you have purchased. Regional and local auction houses can offer extremely good value for money if buying country pieces or basic practical antiques – you can ask to go on their mailing lists for catalogues, but

it requires a keen eye and plenty of experience to acquire good pieces in this way.- The Antiques Trade Gazette is the industry’s weekly newspaper, advertising fairs and auction sales. It is on sale at selected newsagents.

Their website also lists all forthcoming events, offers the chance to search for auction lots, and provides a useful starting point for finding specialist dealers. www.antiquestradegazette.com

Quotes from designers:‘Today, more people buy as collectors, acquiring an eclectic mix, which creates a style with personality. Antiques offer very good value, compared tosome modern or reproduction designs. European antique furniture has also become more popular, as it is slightly more decorative and a good price.The key is to buy what you like: it is better to have a gap in your scheme until the right piece comes along.’ Henrietta Spencer Churchill, Fellow, BIDA.

‘Every decade, fashions for the use of antiques have changed. Today’s younger buyers are collecting 20th century art and design, whichmakes them comfortable with furniture of the same period. There is an international clientele who appreciate and will always buy the veryfinest antiques, but in all cases it is important to buy pieces that give amusement. Designers should build up a rapport with dealers to developtrust and a good working relationship.’ Christopher Vane Percy, Member, BIDA.

Decorative Antiques & Textiles FairTuesday 4 - Sunday 9 October 2005Venue: The Marquee, Battersea Park, London SW11Open: Tuesday 12pm – 8pm Wednesday 11am – 8pm Thursday, Friday & Saturday 11am – 7pm Sunday 11am – 6pmEnquiries: +44 (0)20 7624 5173Website: www.decorativefair.com

At the Autumn Fair, 4-9 October 2005, we will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary. Changes to the Fair over that time have been subtle yet steady,and reflect trends in the interior design market: from the ‘country house’ look of the mid-1980s to the growing interest in painted French andScandinavian furniture, from the acceptance of the ‘new antiques’ in the 1990’s which came with the demand for Art Deco and mid-twentieth centurydesign classics by a new, younger buyer, to today’s introduction of specialist producers of contemporary design in textiles, accessories and furniture.

SPRECIAL TICKET OFFER FOR BIDA MEMBERS:Free ticket (includes a Fair Catalogue on arrival) for all BIDA members (1per member). Please apply before 1st of October to:Pippa Roberts, Pippa Roberts Publicity & Communications. Tel: 020 7923 3188 pr@pipparoberts.com

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The New York Design Market

While it would be reasonable to assume that theprosperity of the New York design arena, longacknowledged as an international bellwether, is solelycontingent on the exploits of its native sons (anddaughters), to do so would be way off the proverbialmark. In point of fact, the inspiration on which itrelies for its success has traditionally originatedelsewhere.

We have always been open to the innovative andfresh. As a matter of fact, we thrive on and encourageit, regardless of the source. Anyone who is creativeknows that repetition and formula are anathema.

This article is a primer for those U.K. interior designerswho have entertained the thought of penetrating ourdesign market. What’s more, I have good news foryou: we’re ripe, we’re ready, and we’re very receptive.

Clearly, the defining event that has influenced ourmarket and its direction was 9/11 and its tragicaftermath. At this writing, nearly four years on, weare finally in an advanced recovery stage and witha stable economy. Whereas there was formerly nofunding for any capital projects – “survival” and “stasis”were the operative words then – today there is anabundance of construction and renovation in theresidential, commercial and hospitality sectors alike.

While, as a design public relations specialist, I havemy own “take” on the state of design affairs in mycity, I decided to ask two major players in it for theirs.

Mica Ertegun is the president of MAC II, (125 East81st Street, New York, New York 10028.Tel: 001.212.249.4466) a distinguished interior designfirm based on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. She’sespecially struck by what has transpired here in thepast 18 months. “Forget English tables and Frenchchairs,” Ms. Ertegun stated. “Art Deco has, yet again,taken New York by storm.

“People are reverting to sophistication. While theretro craze dominated the design scene beginning inthe 70s, especially among our younger clients –

a trend, incidentally, that was fashion-inspired andstill exists – we’re once again seeing a resurgence ofwhat originators like Erté made popular.” She added,“People live in a different way in 2005. Today,everything is simplified, compact. The focus is onoptimizing minimal space, since apartment dwellingis so prevalent.”

Ms. Ertegun, herself Turkish born, was also anxiousto emphasize New York’s warm reception for colleaguesfrom abroad. “It’s an open field. We’re always onthe prowl for new ideas because in the end, it makesall of us look good.”

Barbara Barran, a former English professor whosespecialty is Shakespeare, his work and his times,decided to forsake the academic sphere to realize alifelong dream. In 1999, she established Classic RugCollection (www.classicrug.com), of which she is thepresident and chief designer. According to her, “Thekey words today are ‘natural’ and unusual,” says theexclusive worldwide licensee who translates all ofthe celebrated Gee’s Bend quilts into rugs. “I find itfascinating that fibres not ordinarily associated withcarpeting, such as hemp and alpaca, are assumingpride of place in the floor covering playing field.

“I’m using a lot of hemp, hand-knotted from Nepal,because of its distinctive texture and strié effect fromthe vegetal dyeing that is used. And this year at ICFF,our equivalent of your Decorex, I introduced

21

34The New York Design Market

a 50/50 alpaca/wool blend [the wool adds loft].Alpaca dyes as beautifully as silk, and the colourpossibilities are endless. The natural colours are themost popular, however, with a border of colour thatminerals bring to mind, as in my “Icicle” collection.”

Talk about crossover, and with no consultation, Ms.Barran’s vision somewhat coincides with Ms. Ertegun’s: “Alpaca shag has a decidedly retro look and is stillgoing strong.”

In addition to the observations of Ms. Ertegun andMs. Barran, there are several other options you maywish to consider when thinking about invading andconquering the New York design market:

• Representation here is vital. You will probablyneed a New York showroom (either your

own or one you can rent/share with someonewho is not a competitor); an aggressive,

experienced representative; and a viable website.

• Count on visits to your New York HQ. Thereis no substitute for personal interaction.

• Consider participation in major U.S. designindustry shows, like ICFF here in New York.Other key design markets, like Atlanta,

Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, have theirown shows.

• Advertising in major high-end U.S. consumershelter publications, like Dwell, MetropolitanHome, Traditional Home, Interior Design,

Luxury Living, and Fine FurnishingsInternational is a wise investment. Your

prospective clientele is a slave to these publications.

• Obtain a list of the leading residential NewYork architects (contact Mary Burke at:

b.design@erols.com She’s chair of the interior design committee at AIA).

• Hire a New York-based publicist. No, it doesn’t have to be me!

Most of all, exercise patience, difficult though thatmay be. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither areany flourishing ventures. While you’re playing thewaiting game, get to know our city, one that hasalways been very welcoming to our British brethren.

Good luck. We look forward to seeing you in the Big Apple.

MEREDITH RICH is a New York-based public relations designspecialist and journalist. She can be reached at:meredithrich@earthlink.net

3 4

1 "Icicle" from our Alpaca Collection. It's 35 knot hand-knottedwool and alpaca (50/50)., made in Peru. A 6'x9' rug retails for$2500. Custom sizes and colors are available.

2 "Intermezzo"--hand-woven Peruvian wool, made in Peru. Size:10'x12'. Based on an Art Deco marquetry chest.

3 "Szalon"--hand-tufted New Zealand wool, made in the US. Size: 5'x7'.Adapted from the facade design of the Szalon Gallery in Los Angeles.

4 "Landhaus Primavesi"--hand-woven alpaca, made in Peru. Size:10'x12'. Based on a Wiener Werkstadt design.

35The New York Design Market

Earls Court 2, Warwick Road, London SW5 9TA UKOpening Information: Trade Only: Thursday 22- Saturday 24. Public Day: Sunday 25 September.Now in its 11th year, 100% Design promises an exciting line-up of established manufacturers and designers,side by side with scores of first time exhibitors and upcoming design talent. The show will build on itstried and tested successful formula of ensuring the exhibition hall is packed with brand new designs,all of which have been selected by 100% Design’s professional advisory panel. For event informationvisit: www.100percentdesign.co.uk

TOP FLOOR UK LTD (Stand No: J14)Tel: ++ 44 (0) 20 7795 3333 Web: www.topfloorrugs.com'ETOILE' is part of a brand new soft-furnishing range to be launched at FOCUS and 100% DESIGN.Designed by Esti Barnes, the rugs and throws echo some of Esti's most popular rug designs.

Brian Yates (Stand No: K22)Tel: 01524 35035 Web: www.brianyates.comUlf Moritz Scala wallcoverings - available exclusively from Brian Yates. These amazing new wallcoveringstranscend design boundaries in an exciting and opulent collection of refined colour and texture.  A uniqueinclusion is the creative use of tiny clear beads, this avant-garde effect provides varying light-reflecting qualities.

Savoir Beds‘100% Guaranteed’ part of 100% Design: 104 Wigmore Street, London W1U 3RNTel: 020 7486 2222 Web: www.savoirbeds.co.ukCelebrating its centenary, Savoir Beds have launched their first bed frame, which is meticulously handcraftedusing top quality materials including horsetail in the headboard (no foam at all) and is both sleek and contemporaryin design. Superking size (shown) retails at £2,250 plus 7m fabric with the usual trade discount available.

Chelsea Harbour Design Centre and participating showrooms in Chelsea, LondonOpening Information: Trade Only: Sunday 25 - Tuesday 27 September. Public Day: Wednesday 28th September.Chelsea Harbour Design Centre is delighted to be hosting FOCUS 2005. This Interior Design and DecorationExhibition offers the perfect opportunity to view the new collections from over 100 of the world's finestinterior and decoration companies. For event information: Tel: +44 (0)20 7225 9149Email: carolinefoster@chelsea-harbour.co.uk

William BrintonFirst Floor, Central Dome Tel: 0207 3490020 Web: www.williambrinton.comWilliam Brinton has opened a new showroom in Chelsea Harbour. A new, all product brochure availablein September. Woven Wilton, Axminster and tufted carpets. We also do bespoke rugs and runners.

Summit FurnitureThird Floor, North Dome Tel: 020 7795 3311 Web: www.summitfurniture.comChella Fabrics by Summit. With the ‘’all environment’’ approach, Chella is sure to delight designers andtheir clients. Exterior and interior transitional area can remain luxurious and comfortable using these elegantlydurable fabrics that are not only practical but easy-care machine washable for today’s lifestyle.

Abbott & BoydFirst Floor, North Dome Tel: 0207 351 9986 Email: sales@abbottandboyd.co.ukAbbott & Boyd will be showcasing a new range of organic natural cottons and wool from DominiqueKieffer. Gaston y Daniela will bring plain shantung silks with semi plane shears and coordinated silktraditional checks and stripes. There is also a new range of wall covering from Elitis.

Bella FiguraGround Floor, Sourth Dome Tel: 020 7376 4564 Web: www.bella-figura.co.ukBella Figura will have a dramatic showroom for Focus 2005, showing traditional lighting with a twist. Afabulous glass chandelier in gold leaf, oversized lanterns and colourful ceramics are just a small overviewof what’s new. The Charles collection of lighting from Paris, exclusive to Bella Figura in the UK this year,features hand sculpted shell table lamps illustrating the Charles philosophy of sculpture and light. Bella Figurawill also be exhibiting at 100% Design (Stand No: L43), showing a much more contemporary lighting collection.

36Autumn 2005: Exhibition Highlights

100% Design

FOCUS

Autumn 2005: Exhibition Highlights100% Design & FOCUS

Courtesy transport by Renault Grand Espace leaving from Sloane Square SW1, via selected showrooms and Decorex, to the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre SW10

T H E U L T I M AT E I N T E R I O R D E S I G N E V E N T

For event informationTel: +44 (0)20 7225 9149 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7751 5850

Email: enquiries@chelsea-harbour.co.uk

OCUS | 2005at Chelsea Harbour Design Centre and participating showrooms in Chelsea, London

Sunday 25 to Tuesday 27 September STRICTLY TRADE PROFESSIONALS ONLYWednesday 28 September - PUBLIC DAY

10am - 6pm - FREE ENTRY

THE LAUNCH OF OVER 120 NEW INTERIOR DESIGN COLLECTIONS

Forum discussions on 21st Century Living (trade only)Photographic exhibition curated by eyestorm.com

Champagne and Sushi Bar, Absolute Taste Café and Restaurant Car parking spaces available and valet parking

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Company Profile Explainedi.life solutions are an established technology companyspecialising in high quality, fully integrated solutionsfor the home. Our exclusive services enable theluxury lifestyle to be complemented by state-of-the-art technology.

i.life solutions: the basicsWe offer ‘best in class’ engineering and installationservices to executive, celebrity and sports professionalsin their homes in the UK, Europe, Asia and the USA.

Our business has evolved over the last 10 years fromdesigning and building corporate boardroom solutionsfor FTSE 100 companies (www.ccomm.co.uk) inEurope, the USA and the Far East to providing integratedtechnology in the home. Our engineering skills,services and products still satisfy the most demandingcorporate environments.

Innovative Lifestyle Technology Suite: St AlbansWe have a discrete appointment only ‘InnovativeLifestyle Technology Suite’ located in St Albans whereyou can consult with an engineering lifestyle specialistand experience the latest in home solutions technology.

i.life solutions White Paper Programme ExplainedOur ‘White Paper’ programme is designed to provideyou with a comprehensive and measured understandingof all relevant aspects of Smart Home Technology.With regular, free technology information ‘WhitePapers’ we hope more designers, architects and propertydevelopers will have the confidence to oversee andmanage technical installations within a home, drivethe specification and ensure that the best interests ofthe client and the overall design are consideredat all times.

Evolving technologies, increased product availabilityand lifestyle enhancing solutions have led to soaringconsumer demands for integrated technology in thehome. The residential installation market is already

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growing fast and is set to grow even faster. Researchshows consumers are constantly in search of a singlefirm who are able to solve all these problems. i.lifesolutions are able to provide a comprehensive rangeof integrated technologies for a diverse range of customers.

Interior Designers, Architects and Property Developersare beginning to recognise and understand theimportance of integrated lifestyle technology for today’shigh-end discerning consumer, although many willstill find it challenging to specify and project manageall the technical requirements that this involves.

Often it is the client themselves that will drive theneed for technology with intuitive control with requestsfor a Home Cinema room, Multi-Room Audio Systemsor fully integrated systems even encompassing security.At that point it is likely that a number of professionalswill find themselves working along side each otheron an installation but perhaps without someoneoverseeing the integrity of the aesthetic design. Weunderstand the importance of a professional teamapproach, effective project management andengineering co-ordination, regular team meetingsshould be attended by all creating synergy and thebest possible solution for the customer.

Plasma Vs LCD is the first White Paper within a 6month programme which aims to provide you withthe knowledge you need to introduce technology toyour designs at the consultation stage. If you wouldlike to be part of the i.life solutions White PaperProgramme or require information ahead of the timeschedu le , p l ea se s end an e -ma i l t owhitepapers@ilifesolutions.co.uk stating thedocument you require. If you require further assistanceor explanation or advice please feel free to call meon the details below.

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38Innovative Lifestyle Technology

PLASMA VS LCD WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?LCD and plasma screens are both ‘hang on the wall’ technologies. But you may be surprised to know that’s pretty muchall they have in common. They work very differently, and as a result have very different pros and cons.

Plasma: the basicsPeople first started using plasma screens as TV’s as far back as 1997, at which time their hang-on-the-wall design was widelyhailed as the holy grail of home entertainment. Plasma pictures are made up of individual pixels, each one of which sitsat the front of a tiny chamber filled with gas (a mixture of neon and xenon). At the front of each of these chambers arephosphors; at the rear of each chamber is an electrical source. This electrical source is used to ionise the chamber’s gasinto generating ultraviolet light – light which excites the phosphors into glowing in the way required by the picture. Thereare three sub-pixels – red, green and blue – for each plasma dot, giving you a potentially enormous palette of colours.

LCD: the basicsContrary to what you might think, LCD technology has been around longer than plasma. It’s just that plasma’s affinitieswith larger screen sizes gave it a head start over LCD, which has only recently started to break free of its traditional PCshackles. LCD TV’s work like this: A liquid containing individually controllable crystals is suspended between two transparentpanels. And when these crystals are activated by voltage, they align themselves so that they either allow a certain amountand polarity of light (produced by a fluorescent tube behind the panel) to pass through the panel, or else block it off. Boththe lit and unlit crystals create visible pixels that together compose the final image on the screen.

Plasma ExplainedGrey scale response/contrast. Plasma technology can deliver superior grey scale subtleties – giving more detail in darkpicture areas.

Response times. Response time is the amount of time, measured in milliseconds (ms) that it takes for a pixel to go fromactive to inactive and back to active again. And although recent LCD screens have made big improvements in this area,plasma is still considerably better, so its pictures generally suffer less blurring over fast movement.

Size. LCD is catching up, but it’s still cheaper for manufacturers to use plasma for really big screen sizes – certainly 42inand above – than it is for them to use LCD. On the other hand, plasma isn’t really viable at sizes smaller than 32in.

Viewing angle. LCD screens frequently boast viewing angles of anywhere up to 175°. But our experience suggests thatthese figures are very optimistic, as LCD pictures generally start to lose lots of contrast and colour at angles much less thanthose quoted. Pretty much all plasma screens, on the other hand, retain their quality up to around 160°.

Colour saturation. Plasma traditionally scores here because of the way it blocks light, turning off pixels when they’re notneeded so that no stray light can dilute its colours. With LCD technology there’s always some stray light in the mechanism,which adds a greying influence to colours and thus makes authentic tones more difficult.

LCD ExplainedNo Screen Burn. Plasma screens are susceptible to something called screen-burn, which occurs when a bright image –or bright image part, like the Sky News channel logo – is left permanently on screen for an extended time. What happensis that the constant saturation ‘tires’ plasma’s phosphors, leaving a permanent shadow of the bright image behind. LCDtechnology is pretty much immune to this problem.

Screen Life. We’ve seen some industry claims that LCD can last up to twice as long as plasma (around 40 years at fourhours use a day vs 20 years at four hours use a day). It does seem that LCD can last a bit longer than plasma.

Slimness. Because there’s no need to have either gas-filled chambers in an LCD screen or plasma’s heavy glass fronts, LCDscreens tend to be slimmer and lighter than plasma ones.

Brightness. LCD technology can generally deliver brighter pictures than plasma.

Power Consumption. LCD’s generally use less power than plasma TVs because they don’t need to power hundreds ofelectrodes to stimulate phosphors.

39Innovative Lifestyle Technology

TheINTERIOR DESIGN SHOW

for interiordesign professionals

W A L L T O W A L L E X C E L L E N C E

Sun 25th – Weds 28th September 2005 The Royal Hospital, Chelsea London SW3Tel: +44 (0)20 7833 3373 Ticket hotline: +44 (0)1923 690638

www.decorex.com

Presenting:

Autumn 2005: Exhibition HighlightsDecorex International 2005 & Hotel@Decorex 2005

The Royal Hospital Chelsea Sunday 25th - Wednesday 28th September

Sandberg (Stand No: C79)Product: Hand printed fabricTel: 0800-967 222 Web: www.sandbergtapeter.seVinga is a hand printed fabric depicting twelve Swedish lighthouses together with theircoordinates. The edge is decorated by signal flags conveying that this is the ‘’Sandberghandprint 2005’’.

Rebecca Scott International (Stand No: D106)Product: Transatlantic chandelierTel: 0207 352 3979 Web: www.rebeccascott.co.ukTransatlantic is a clean and contemporary collection that includes a mix of chandeliers,wall sconces, floor and table lamps. The chandelier featured, is made of iron in a sleekbronze finish with smoky mosaic mirrored glass tiles and a suspended round taupe shade.H45CM X W60CM.

Christopher Wray (Stand No: C60)Tel: 020 7751 8702 Web: www.christopherwray.co.ukWorking with top European furniture design houses, Christopher Wray's latest collectionsinclude contemporary and classic furniture, together with lighting. The looks encompassurban chic and new glamorous takes on classic designs. 

Karel Weijand Ltd (Stand No: AA22)Tel: 01252 726215 Web: www.karlweijand.comAlthough becoming increasingly difficult to find in such good condition, we will be showingan extremely beautiful and rare antique Persian 'Bidjar' carpet, made between 1880-1890.Totally hand made with hand spun wool and vegetable dyes.

Stark Carpet (Stand No: B50)Tel: 0207 352 6001 Web: www.starkcarpet.co.ukSONET MODERN COLLECTION:  An intriguing mix of irregular squares and rectanglescreates a modern mosaic in nine multi-coloured designs. Woven in the traditional Aubussonweave the collection mixes high and low tapestry textures for unique depth and dimension.

Limestone Gallery (Stand No: G200)Tel: 020 7735 8555 Web: www.limestonegallery.comSolid carved Ellipse bathtub in Bianco Neve, the whitest limestone in the world and matchingbasin. This will be accompanied by the launch of a new marble to our collection, PompeiiRed. We will feature a shower enclosure in this material but have no images as yet.

Lutron EA Ltd (Stand No: D88)Tel: 020 7702 0657 Web: www.lutron.com/europeLutron is introducing a new range of affordable domestic dimming solutions at Decorex, SivoiaQED, an electronic drive for controlling roller blinds and LCP 128, a self-contained systemideal for use in commercial applications.

Alma (Stand No: C77)Tel: 020 7377 0762 Web: www.almahome.co.ukAlma is the leading supplier of hides and will be launching a new service supplying exquisitetiles cut from semi-precious stones such as Tiger’s Eye, Labradorite and Rose Quartz.

For event information Tel: +44 (0)20 7833 3373Web: www.decorex.com

41Autumn 2005: Exhibition Highlights

Decorex International

The British Interior Design Association (BIDA) aredelighted to be supporting Decorex again this year.The show will run from 25th – 28th September at theRoyal Hospital, Chelsea, London, SW3. Decorex willbe playing host to over 250 exhibitors and is expectedto be attended by over 15,000 visitors. As ever, visitorsto Decorex will be inspired by beautiful fabrics,imaginative lighting, luxurious bed linens, innovativefurniture and bespoke products and services, all underone roof in the heart of Chelsea for only four days.

As well as a large number of exhibitors, the vastexhibition interior will have special feature areasdesigned by Marston & Langinger, House & GardenMagazine and The English Home magazine in additionto the spectacular champagne bar once again thecreation of Spina Design - a focal point of the exhibitionand well worth a visit during the show!

For the fourth year, Hotel@decorex, aimed at designprofessionals specialising in projects for the Four andFive Star level of the hospitality market, takes placealong side the show. A new dimension this year isthe addition of - Antiques & Audacity – one of theUK’s leading design-focused antiques fairs. Antiquesand Audacity will host thirty-five antique andcontemporary art dealers, exhibiting stunning art,decorative furniture and objects for interiors.

BIDA @ Decorex 2005

This year the BIDA are delighted to play a moreprominent role in Decorex International. The dramaticBIDA Bar, designed each year by our ExhibitionsCommittee, is being generously sponsored by LightplanLimited - specialist lighting designers workingpredominantly in the high-end residential marketworldwide. Lightplan, who recently became corporatemembers of the BIDA, have completed over 700projects since their inception in 1983 by ManagingDirector John Roberts. Lightplan have a high profileclient portfolio, with projects ranging from prominentGovernment buildings, Royal residences and a largecelebrity clientele, to public buildings such as churches,art galleries, museums, and private collections.

Further sponsors who have kindly contributed to thedesign of the BIDA bar include Myfotowall.com,(exhibitors in 2004) who have provided the inspirationalwall design featuring the work of BIDA members andAlto concepts, who have donated the startling flooring.Our warmest thanks go to all our sponsors who havecontributed to the BIDA Bar.

To complement an already very full agenda at Decorex,the BIDA will be a hosting a number of events andactivities for visitors to enjoy throughout the four daysof the show. We will be holding ‘Designer Days’ fromMonday to Wednesday, which will include a seriesof eighteen lectures including those hosted by CEDIA,Lalique, Christina Fallah Designs and Lightplan Ltd,Anthony Thompson, West One Bathrooms and Villeroy& Bosch. The lectures will cover topics includinglighting product and design, bathroom design for thetwenty-first century, carpets and rugs, designingintegrated future ready homes and the use of glassin design and architectural features.

The lectures are designed to educate and to promotethe best of British design and will form part of theoverall conference programme at Decorex. All lectureswill be held in the lecture theatre in the main exhibitionhall. The BIDA will award one CPD point per lectureto members. Please remember to complete an OutsideCPD form and submit it to the BIDA to be awardedyour points. A full list of the lectures planned for showcan obta ined on the Decorex websi tewww.decorex.com and in the exhibition catalogue.

On Tuesday 27th September at 5.00pm, the BIDA willbe hosting a debate in the Decorex lecture theatre,open to all visitors entitled: ‘What sells Houses?’.The debate panel will consist of well-respected figuresdrawn from the media, property development, interiordesign, architecture and construction industry andwill be chaired and hosted by the BIDA in conjunctionwith a media partner.

42Decorex International

25th - 28th September

43Decorex International

We very much hope to see many more of our membersat Decorex this year. Remember all BIDA designermembers have free admission and catalogue. Pleasecome and visit us at the BIDA Stand (G197) or relaxwith a coffee or sandwich at the BIDA Bar, situatedclose to the main show entrance. We look forwardto seeing you there!

SPONSORS DETAILS:Lightplan Ltd: John Roberts, Managing DirectorTel: 020 7584 1240Web: www.lightplan.org

Myfotowall.com: Stephen Armitage, Managing DirectorTel: 01484 344 096Web: www.fotowall.com

Alto Concepts: David GriersonTel: 01275 372211Web: www.altpoconcepts.co.uk

est

1979CHRISTOPHER CLARK WORKSHOPS LTD

sovereign way, trafalgar industrial estate, downham market, norfolk PE38 9SW

tel: (01366) 389400 fax: (01366) 389417 info@christopherclark.co.uk www.christopherclark.co.uk

SPECIALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS

In the last two editions of the BIDA Review magazine we have invitedstudent members to contribute their thoughts on a topic related tointerior design. In December 2004 a number of students suggestedexhibitions they believed to be a ‘must see’ for designers. In the AprilReview, Sandra Dingler contributed a piece on the Maison & Objetin Paris. This time round, post summer holidays, we invited studentsto tell us about hotels they have visited that stood out for theirinnovation or unusual design. Perhaps, the following hotel reviewsmay provide you with the perfect place to stay on a business tripor just a good excuse for an Autumn get away!

Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa. By Francesca AntonI won a holiday for eight people to The Hilton Arcadia Resortand Spa in Phuket Thailand. All flights, accommodation andmeals included. Yes! it does happen! After one tsunami, twopregnant couples dropping out, and no airline tickets for collectionat Heathrow, four of us made it there.

The Hilton Group is not an organisation I associate with pleasantdesign, style or sophistication. However, I was really impressed- this is big interior design refurbishment done well. It hascharacter, combining an Asian theme with the practical needsof modern (mainly business) travellers.This 685 room hotel islocated on the west coast about one hour from Phuket airport.It consists of several very large concrete buildings and 3 swimmingpools spanning a landscaped area interlinked by paths.

The rooms are spacious and comfortable, neutral in colour withpolished flooring and Thai mural details painted on sliding doors,joining the bedroom and en suite bathroom. Luxurious designand Thai woven textiles and artefacts provide character, oftenlacking in big hotels. Each room has all mod cons.

There is a charming traditional Thai Spa area and choice of severalrestaurants located within the hotel complex. It is a stroll acrossthe road to the beach or alternatively there is a lush, cooler greenoasis around the central pool area. The hotel boasts a wideselection of facilities, including a huge modern conference space,fitness, gym and entertainment areas. I would recommend thishotel to families, executives working in Asia looking to escapethe city for a weekend, or European travellers, with at least a weekspare. It’s not trendy or ‘boutique’ but a good hotel chain experience.I like the idea of good interior design being a priority, but youstill pay for it. I am sure well thought through design refurbishmentwill pay off for the Hilton Group in the long term.

Website: www.hilton.comArchitect renovation by: Archiate67 Soi 91 Charansanitwong Rd. Bang-O Bangkok 10700Tel: 662-8855001, Mobile : +661 8247888 Fax : 662-4248702E-Mail: archiate@asianet.co.th

Hudson Hotel, New York. By Mel DelauneyThe Hudson Hotel, designed by Philippe Starck, shows howdesign can create a hotel, which is fabulously cool, but affordable.From an unprepossessing entrance at street level, we sweep upescalators lit in acid green, to emerge blinking in the oversizedreception area. Lighting is low, but dramatic. Enormous modernchandeliers create a focal point. In the background is the insistentbeat of some unidentifiable, vaguely bacchanalian music.

The sense of dreamlike decadence continues in the bar, whichis buzzing with a vibrant crowd of New-Yorkers. This space isa masterpiece of eclectic chic - a glass floor and perspex chairscombine with gilt pilasters and a hand-painted ceiling.

A similar dreamlike quality pervades the other public areas. TheCafeteria, with long oak tables and bench seating, recalls an IvyLeague refectory; the Library is reminiscent of a Gentleman’sclub. Both have soaring ceilings and hugely over-scale furniture,inducing an Alice-in-Wonderland feel.

The tiny bedrooms are intimate and cocooning. Wood panellingevokes the snug cabins of ocean liners, while allegorical imageson the bedside lamps continue the air of fantasy.

The Hudson Hotel is a destination in its own right, but withcentral New York just an escalator-ride away!

Hudson Hotel, New York. 365 West 58th Street, New York 10019Tel: 212 554 6000; Fax: 212 554 6001; Reservations 800 606 6090Website: www.hudsonhotel.com

45Student FeatureStudent Feature

Hotels with Design Inspiration

Things have certainly changed since my first visit,back in January 1980, when Russia had won the bidto stage the Olympic Games and was hosting themin Moscow. The Games were in danger of beingsomewhat sparsely attended, since just before ChristmasRussia had seen fit to march into Afghanistan, promptingPresident Jimmy Carter to call on Americans to boycottthis most prestigious of sporting events. There wasgeneral soul-searching as to whether one shouldfollow the American example, but Sarah, my daughterand business partner, decided to take the view of theBritish team-we would go by The Magna Carta, notby Jimmy Carter!

We had always been fascinated by Russia, its pasthistory, its culture and its potential as a rich and uniquesource of design, poised so tantalisingly between Eastand West. Our bookings were made, our visas obtainedafter endless time and trouble, and we were not goingto take a political stand-we were off on a creativeand cultural exploration. We flew Aeroflot, in itselfa rather frightening experience, as when Sarah feltunder her seat and then under mine, there were nolife jackets! On arrival, we spent many hours in PassportControl and Customs being grilled by stony-facedguards as to our motives in visiting Russia, but eventuallywe were “Escorted” to our hotel,

The decoration of The Intourist Hotel appeared tohave been designed by a reform school or some similarinstitution and our welcome matched the grimsurroundings. On each floor sat a large, stern Russianlady, monitoring all movements of the guests. Therooms were sparsely furnished with a bed, table, chairand cupboard, the whole thing tastefully decoratedin battleship grey with touches of pea green! Comfortwas at a minimum but I am glad to say we had beenforewarned about some aspects of this, and had takenalong our own bathplugs! For some strange reasonthese luxuries were never supplied at that time. Butthere was one very welcome and all important luxury---the rooms were blissfully warm! They also appearedto be bugged. When we asked a question at theReception desk, they artlessly repeated back to usexactly what we had said to each other back in theroom! Or maybe not so artlessly!

Doing Business in Russia

We proceeded to the Dining Room for our first mealof boiled cabbage, potatoes in a white sauce of somekind and small meatballs, which we declined, beingvegetarian. There was also some rather dry bread.

By then, it was about 9 o’clock at night and thick withsnow outside, surely a sensible time to retreat to ourwarm rooms and some much needed rest before theadventures of the next few days. Instead, full of excitementand arm in arm we sallied forth into the crisp cold dryair, snowflakes falling around us in the magic night.“We’re being followed”, Sarah whispered nervously.

“Never mind”, I said. Let’s be brave, we have nothingto hide, after all”. So arm in arm we marched on toRed Square and a sight which is still with me, the vastsquare almost empty apart from the guards standingsentinel at Lenin’s Mausoleum, the only sound ourfootsteps crunching in the deep snow and over it all,the stars. It was breathtaking, awesome, and utterlyunforgettable. During the next few days there weremany more such moments, far too many to describeat length, but among them were our visit to St Basil’sCathedral and the train journey to Leningrad (nowonce again St,Petersburg) that magnificent 18th centurycity. Unforgettable too was the astonishing beauty ofthe exquisite palace of Pavlovsk, designed by theScottish architect Charles Cameron (possible 18th

century forbear of my partner, Jane-Ann Cameron.,who illustrated this article for me) Left a near ruinafter WW2,Pavlovsk and its extensive gardens havebeen lovingly restored and are a “must” for designers.

So that is how our love affair with Russia started, ata freezing time of year in a very cold political climate.But now Russia has opened up and you may well bethinking that you would like to do business there,and wondering how to go about it.

Opportunities abound. The Russian appetite for Westernluxuries and quality was established by Peter the Greatin the 17th century and is as keen as ever. It is importantto start with sound research and learn somethingabout the country, its peoples and culture. It is notactually necessary to speak Russian as so many peoplespeak English, In order to help you make your plans,here are some useful facts and some helpful pointersas a starting point for you to expand on yourself.

by Susan Llewellyn

46Doing Business in Russia

Bolshoi Theatre

Temple of Friendship

The Catherine Palace

47Doing Business in Russia

The Basics10 million people live in the capital city, Moscow, making it Europe’s second largest citySt Petersburg has a population around 5 million, making it the fourth largest city in EuropeReal personal incomes have risen 12% a year since 1998Former President Gorbachev’s policies of Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring) unleashed the forces that wouldlead to the dismantling in 1991, of the old USSR.with its 15 member republics.,

The MarketOne of the fastest growing markets for luxury goods in the World (along with China)There are 400 furniture shops and showrooms in Moscow, plus over 2,000Design and Architectural practices.The country has its own editions of; Elle Décor, Architectural Digest, Wallpaper Magazine, 100% Design which takes placein Russia—is in its third year.Moscow has more billionaires than any other city on earth! She also has the Rublyovka suburb where the houses are sopricy that a helicopter is thrown in like an up-grade carpet in other countries!

Where to Start?What are you offering?Research, research, research. A good starting point is the UKTrade and Investment Information Centre and the British Chamberof Commerce.The Moscow Times is published in English a copy may be useful.Find out about appointing an agentBear in mind that corruption is rife. Ideas are often stolen, so plan your strategy to protect yourself.People are well-informed, knowledgeable ,and well-travelled. They are looking for UNIQUE ideas.

Business Meetings in Russia - What to Expect/EtiquetteRussians like face to face meetingsBusiness breakfasts are not a part of Russian Culture (My theory is too much vodka the night before!)Dinners are where deals are sealedThe dinner is usually in a restaurant. Expect an evening of lavish entertainment. If you are host they will expect the same.Toasts are a big part of Russian culture—expect dozens of them during the meal-declining alcohol will cause offence. Youshould only begin eating after the first toast.

PracticalitiesYou will need a visaA letter of invitation from an organisation in Russia with whom you are doing business or simply communicatingBA fly direct to Moscow and St. PetersburgThe weather -cold winters and hot summersIn Moscow the cold starts in October with temperatures below zero until March /April. It can drop to 3.C.It is not as badas it sounds as it is “Dry cold” Hotels are beautifully warmFor safety use a reputable taxi service or you can be badly ripped offThere is a growth market and room for us all. It is an extraordinary, vast and exciting country which fascinates all whoexperience it.

25 years on from that first visit I am as enthusiastic as ever and my partners, Jo Macleod and Jane-Ann Cameron, sharemy enthusiasm – and should we have enough interest we plan on holding a forum to discuss possibilities. Do contact usif you are interested.

The opportunities are there but it does take patience, perseverance and lots of luck! So make up your minds to get startedand never take ”Niet” for an answer!

Susan LlewellynS U S A N A S S O C I A T E Se-mail: info@susanllewellynassociates.com

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Designers and makers of High Quality Bespoke Furniture,Specialist Joinery, Chairs & Upholstery.

Archer & Smith LtdThe Manor House

ChiseldonSwindonWiltshireSN4 0LN

tel:fax:

(0)1793 740375(0)1793 741110

email:website:

info@archersmith.comwww.archersmith.com

Archer & Smith are makers of high quality furnitureand specialised joinery, working closely with leadingArchitects, Designers and Decorators and using thefinest quality materials. Each piece of furniture isindividually made to the client’s exact requirements,using modern technology only where this offers asuperior standard to more time honoured, traditionalmethods.

With a trading history of some 50 years, Archer &Smith are one of the finest cabinet makers in the UKand have built up an enviable reputation for makinghigh quality bespoke furniture, specialist joinery,chairs and upholstery. Over the years, the companyhas built up a team of highly skilled and professionalindividuals. The company are based in a historicQueen Anne Manor House set in the heart of theWiltshire Downs.

Working closely with some of the world’s best knownand renowned designers and architects their work isextremely varied, supplying bespoke pieces of furniturefor a range of clients, including exclusive hotels;luxury private residences; royal palaces; super yachtsand British embassies around the world. Additionally,their clients include many famous individuals fromthe world of business, sport and entertainment, whoseprivacy is respected at all times.

A combination of their modern, well equippedworkshops and their commitment to ‘traditionalapprenticeships’ – which helps to preserve thecontinuation of highly skilled cabinet makers for thefuture - Archer & Smith Ltd have successfully managedto bring together time honoured cabinetry skills whichcan be used to satisfy a very wide spectrum of stylesand tastes, using many modern finishes and techniques,making them one of the most innovative furniturecompanies in the UK.

Customer service and satisfaction are a key part ofArcher & Smith’s continued success, as the vast majorityof their work comes from recommendations, referralsand continuing business relationships, some of whichhave been in place for over 20 years. Understandingthat each and every client’s needs and preferencesare different and accommodating this, ensures thatthey are able to establish a good business and workingrelationship with each of their clients.

Review Promotion: Archer & Smith

49Review Promotion: Archer & Smith

In addition to their well established bespoke furnitureservices, Archer & Smith Ltd have recently developedan exclusive collection of furniture, which was launchedat Decorex International last year. The collection wasdesigned as a joint design initiative, working inconjunction with well-respected UK designer CharlesBateson. The collection exudes both quality and luxuryand although contemporary in style, draws on classicand period designs for its inspiration. The finest qualitymaterials are used, including exotic veneers, vellum,marquetry, mother of pearl and pewter inlays, witheach piece made to exacting standards, the first piecesof the collection have been extremely well received.

Building upon this success, further pieces will beexhibited at Decorex International again this year.

For further information regarding Archer & Smith Ltd, pleasecontact James Young at Archer & Smith on: 01793 740375,by email at: james@archersmith.com or visit their websiteat: www.archersmith.com

members benefit from complimentary car parking fora maximum of three hours when dining at Aquasia.

Conrad London is London’s first all-suite hotel andhas 160 spacious and contemporary suites and sixPenthouse apartments with all the facilities of a topfive star hotel. All suites boast optimum connectionsand high-speed internet access to meet all businessrequirements, satellite & cable TV, a complete soundsystem and an in-room safe.

The whole of the top floor is taken up by six vastpenthouses. Traditional in design, the penthouseshave a large reception and living area, a dining roomfor hosting private receptions or meetings, ameeting/boardroom, large bedroom, separate dressingarea and huge balcony - the balconies in the Imperialand Presidential suites are large enough to host anal fresco drinks party for up to 25 people. The viewsfrom the balconies are spectacular reaching right upthe river to St. Paul’s and Canary Wharf. The bathroomsin the Imperial and Presidential suites are exceptionaland contain the largest in-room Jacuzzi baths of anyLondon hotel, complete with separate saunas.

Conrad London also has a fully air-conditioned, purposebuilt conference centre featuring 14 different businesssuites with full AV equipment and High Speed 4mbInternet Access, designed to meet all conferencerequirements for up to 200 delegates. The conferencefacilities team are happy to put together any specialevent requirements BIDA members may have.

Other highlights of the Conrad London include arrivaland departure by boat from Chelsea Harbour pierand a health and fitness club which is open to non-residents at a day rate of £15. This includes a fitnesscentre, sauna, solarium and 17 metre swimming poolwith natural daylight. The resident beauty therapistoffers a number of wonderful spa packages (advancebookings required) from LA Stone Therapy toReflexology and an Oxygen Booster Facial. Aquasiahighlights include live entertainment at regular eventssuch as the popular Champagne Sunday Brunch andSunday Lounge Nights, and traditional afternoon teaby the marina.

For BIDA members interested in applying for theAquasia Club Card, please send your name, companyname and address and contact telephone numbersto fax: + 44(0)207 376 8492or email: lonch-salesadm@hilton.com

Set in the heart of Chelsea Harbour, the Conrad LondonHotel is ideally located between the marina and theChelsea Design Centre and is the perfect venue forany BIDA members wishing to stop for breakfast,lunch or dinner, client meetings, or an overnight stayduring the many shows taking place at the DesignCentre and elsewhere in London.

The award winning Aquasia Restaurant Bar and Terraceoffers Asian/Mediterranean cuisine, a comprehensiveselection of cocktails with a 1am late license, andspectacular views of the marina with al fresco diningon the terrace.

Aquasia is the perfect place to invite clients and friendsand we are delighted that Conrad London has extendeda special invitation to all BIDA members to join theexclusive Aquasia Club, membership to which isstrictly by invitation only. There is no joining fee andthe Aquasia Club Card gives members a 20% discounton food and 10% discount on drinks when diningin the restaurant from the à la carte menu. Membersalso receive 10% off food and drink in Aquasia Bar,and transport needn’t be an issue as Aquasia Club

BIDA Members’ Promotion

Aquasia Club Card

50BIDA Members’ Promotion

VEEDON FLEECEA custom weaving house specialising in hand woven carpets

Contemporary and classical commissions undertakenusing muga, pashmina, silk, veedon or best Tibetan wool

T: +44 (0)1483 575758 F: +44 (0)1483 535790www.veedonfleece.com veedon@veedonfleece.com

BIDA Corporate Members BIDA Corporate Members September 2005

AntiquesBaskerville Bindings www.leatherboundbooks.comChesney's www.chesneys.co.ukColefax Group Tel: 020 7493 2231Restall Brown & Clennell Limited www.rbc-furniture.co.uk

Art / Artist & MuralistsAmity Europe Ltd www.sarahstillman.co.ukHelen Barnes Murals & Trompe' L'Oeil www.helenbarnes.comLupe Gallery www.lupegallery.comMark Ram Tel: 020 8881 0245Nicola Thwaites Specialist Decorating www.nicolathwaites.comTones Specialist Decoration & Paper-Hangers Tel: 020 7624 4936

Audio Visual SystemsGibson Music Ltd www.gibson-music.comi.life solutions Ltd www.ilifesolutions.co.ukLEAX Lighting Controls ww.leax.co.ukMartin Kleiser Limited www.martin-kleiser.com

Bathroom Products and InstallersAvante Bathroom Products www.avante-bathroom-products.co.ukConnaught Kitchens www.connaughtkitchens.co.ukLimestone Gallery Ltd www.limestone.co.ukPorcelanosa Group Ltd www.porcelanosagrupo.comSmallbone & Co. (Devizes) Limited www.smallbone.co.ukWest One Bathrooms Limited www.westonebathrooms.com

Beds and Bedding ProductsA J Tear & Company Limited www.glanmar.co.ukChalon UK Limited www.chalon.comHYPNOS LTD www.hypnos.ltd.ukPoliform UK Ltd www.poliform.itSavoir Beds Limited www.savoirbeds.co.ukSimon Horn Furniture Limited www.simonhorn.com

Blinds & ShuttersArcher & Smith Ltd www.archersmith.comBeverley Dixon Draperies www.dixondraperies.comBlind Fashion Limited www.blindfashion.comBlinds Company, The www.theblindscompany.co.ukChelsea Artisans Soft Furnishings Limited www.bida.orgHunter & Hyland Limited www.hunterandhyland.co.ukHunter Douglas Ltd www.luxaflex.comJCL Interiors Ltd Tel: 01279 651844Jon Rhodes (Curtain Makers to the Trade) Tel: 01263 731888London Curtain Company, The www.thelondoncurtaincompany.comShutter Shop, The www.shuttershop.co.ukSue Whimster Curtains and Interiors www.suewhimster.com

Building & Architectural ServicesSymm & Company Limited www.symmgroup.com

CarpetsAlma www.almahome.co.ukAMAZED & Amazing Rugs Ltd www.amazed-rugs.co.ukAnthony Thompson Ltd www.anthonythompsonltd.comASJ Carpet Planners Limited www.asjcarpets.comFloors 'n' More Ltd www.floorsnmore.co.ukJAB International Furnishings Limited www.jab.deKarel Weijand Ltd www.karelweijand.comSGP Carpet Service Limited www.sgpcarpets.co.ukSignature Carpets www.signaturecarpets.co.ukStark Carpets www.starkcarpet.co.ukTop Floor UK Ltd www.topfloorrugs.comWilliam Brinton www.williambrinton.com

Cleaning ServicesPilgrim Payne & Co Limited Tel: 020 8960 5656

Curtain Makers and Soft FurnishingsBeverley Dixon Draperies www.dixondraperies.comChelsea Artisans Soft Furnishings Limited www.bida.orgCubbins + Company www.cubbins.co.ukHoward Chairs Limited www.howardchairs.comHunter & Hyland Limited www.hunterandhyland.co.ukJCL Interiors Ltd Tel: 01279 651844Jon Rhodes (Curtain Makers to the Trade) Tel: 01263 731888London Curtain Company, The www.thelondoncurtaincompany.com

53

RESINA DESIGNS www.resinadesigns.comSue Whimster Curtains and Interiors www.suewhimster.comWhitchurch Silk Mill www.whitchurchsilkmill.org.uk

Curtain Poles and AccessoriesMcKinney & Company www.mckinney.co.ukRESINA DESIGNS www.resinadesigns.com

Decorating ServicesNicola Thwaites Specialist Decorating www.nicolathwaites.comSymm & Company Limited www.symmgroup.comTones Specialist Decoration & Paper-Hangers Tel: 020 7624 4936Armourcoat Surface Finishes www.armourcoat.com

Decorative Items & AccessoriesAlma www.almahome.co.ukChristopher Clark Workshops Ltd www.christopherclark.co.ukCubbins + Company www.cubbins.co.ukInterdesign UK Ltd www.interdesignuk.comKLJM Ltd (Mulberry Leejofa, G.P & J Baker) Tel: 01202 266999Lalique Ltd www.lalique.comMcCormick-Weeks www.mccormickweeks.comPoliform UK Ltd www.poliform.itRebecca Scott International www.rebeccascott.co.ukRESINA DESIGNS www.resinadesigns.comRestall Brown & Clennell Limited www.rbc-furniture.co.ukSandberg www.sandbergtapeter.comVaughan Limited www.vaughandesigns.comVenetia Studium Ltd www.venetiastudium.com

ExhibitionsDecorex International Limited www.decorex.com

Exterior LandscapingRandle Siddeley Associates www.randlesiddeley.co.ukWoodhams Limited Tel: 020 8964 9818

External & Conservatory FurnitureGloster Furniture Limited www.gloster.comSummit Furniture Europe Ltd www.summitfurniture.comTom Faulkner www.tomfaulkner.co.uk

Fabric & TextilesAbbott & Boyd Ltd www.abbottandboyd.co.ukAmity Europe Ltd www.sarahstillman.co.ukBrian Yates (Interiors) Limited www.brianyates.comBrunschwig & Fils www.brunschwig.comChristopher Norman Ltd www.christophernorman.comChristopher Wray www.christopherwray.comColefax Group Tel: 020 7493 2231Coromandel Crafts Limited www.coromandel.co.ukInterdesign UK Ltd www.interdesignuk.comIsle Mill, The www.islemill.comJ. Robert Scott www.jrobertscott.comJAB International Furnishings Limited www.jab.deJon Rhodes (Curtain Makers to the Trade) Tel: 01263 731888KLJM Ltd (Mulberry Leejofa, G.P & J Baker) Tel: 01202 266999Lelievre (UK) Limited www.lelievre.co.ukMalabar www.malabar.co.ukNobilis-Fontan Limited www.nobilis.frNya Nordiska Textiles Ltd www.nya-nordiska.comRobert Allen Europe Ltd Tel: 020 7352 0931Silk Gallery Limited, The www.silkgallery.comVaughan Limited www.vaughandesigns.comWhitchurch Silk Mill www.whitchurchsilkmill.org.uk

Fireplaces and AccessoriesArcher & Smith Ltd www.archersmith.comChesney's www.chesneys.co.ukHallidays UK Ltd www.hallidays.com

Fitness Equipment and InstallersTechnogym UK www.technogym.co.uk/consumer

Flooring - HardCampbell Marson & Co Ltd www.campbellmarson.comFloors 'n' More Ltd www.floorsnmore.co.ukLimestone Gallery Ltd www.limestone.co.uk

54BIDA Corporate Members

Reed Harris www.reedharris.co.ukSurface Tiles Ltd www.surfacetiles.comVictorian Woodworks Contracts Ltd www.victorianwoodworkscontracts.co.uk

Furniture - UpholsteredA J Tear & Company Limited www.glanmar.co.ukAlma www.almahome.co.ukArcher & Smith Ltd www.archersmith.comArtistic Upholstery Limited www.artisticupholstery.co.ukBrunschwig & Fils www.brunschwig.comChelsea Artisans Soft Furnishings Limited www.bida.orgChristopher Clark Workshops Ltd www.christopherclark.co.ukColefax Group Tel: 020 7493 2231Hart Villa Interiors Ltd Tel: 01608 658744Howard Chairs Limited www.howardchairs.comInterdesign UK Ltd www.interdesignuk.comJ. Robert Scott www.jrobertscott.comJCL Interiors Ltd Tel: 01279 651844Jon Rhodes (Curtain Makers to the Trade) Tel: 01263 731888KLJM Ltd (Mulberry Leejofa, G.P & J Baker) Tel: 01202 266999London Curtain Company, The www.thelondoncurtaincompany.comMartin J Dodge Limited www.martindodge.comNobilis-Fontan Limited www.nobilis.frPeter Dudgeon Limited www.peterdudgeon.co.ukPoliform UK Ltd www.poliform.itRebecca Scott International www.rebeccascott.co.ukRestall Brown & Clennell Limited www.rbc-furniture.co.ukTitchmarsh & Goodwin www.titchmarsh-goodwin.co.uk

Furniture and Cabinet MakersArtistic Upholstery Limited www.artisticupholstery.co.ukCarew-Jones & Associates Limited www.carewjones.co.ukChalon UK Limited www.chalon.comChelsea Artisans Soft Furnishings Limited www.bida.orgChiselwood Limited www.chiselwood.co.ukChristopher Clark Workshops Ltd www.christopherclark.co.ukChristopher Wray www.christopherwray.comDavid Linley & Co. Ltd www.davidlinley.comGloster Furniture Limited www.gloster.comHallidays UK Ltd www.hallidays.comHart Villa Interiors Ltd Tel: 01608 658744Howard Chairs Limited www.howardchairs.comInterdesign UK Ltd www.interdesignuk.comJ. Robert Scott www.jrobertscott.comLalique Ltd www.lalique.comMartin J Dodge Limited www.martindodge.comNobilis-Fontan Limited www.nobilis.frPage Lacquer Company Limited www.pagelacquer.co.ukPoliform UK Ltd www.poliform.itRebecca Scott International www.rebeccascott.co.ukRestall Brown & Clennell Limited www.rbc-furniture.co.ukSimon Horn Furniture Limited www.simonhorn.comSmallbone & Co. (Devizes) Limited www.smallbone.co.ukTitchmarsh & Goodwin www.titchmarsh-goodwin.co.ukTom Faulkner www.tomfaulkner.co.ukVaughan Limited www.vaughandesigns.com

Joinery WorkshopsHallidays UK Ltd www.hallidays.comSymm & Company Limited www.symmgroup.com

Kitchens, Products and InstallersChalon UK Limited www.chalon.comChiselwood Limited www.chiselwood.co.ukConnaught Kitchens www.connaughtkitchens.co.ukCrabtree Kitchens www.crabtreekitchens.co.ukDecorex International Limited www.decorex.comPoliform UK Ltd www.poliform.itPorcelanosa Group Ltd www.porcelanosagrupo.comSmallbone & Co. (Devizes) Limited www.smallbone.co.ukWestye Group Europe Ltd, The www.sub-zero.eu.com

Library & BindingsBaskerville Bindings www.leatherboundbooks.com

LightingBella Figura www.bella-figure.co.ukBrighton Collection, The www.thebrightoncollection.comBrunschwig & Fils www.brunschwig.comChristopher Clark Workshops Ltd www.christopherclark.co.ukChristopher Norman Ltd www.christophernorman.com

Christopher Wray www.christopherwray.comGibson Music Ltd www.gibson-music.comInterdesign UK Ltd www.interdesignuk.comJ. Robert Scott www.jrobertscott.comJohn Cullen Lighting www.johncullenlighting.co.ukLalique Ltd www.lalique.comLight IQ Ltd www.lightiq.comLutron EA Ltd www.lutron.comRebecca Scott International www.rebeccascott.co.ukVaughan Limited www.vaughandesigns.comVenetia Studium Ltd www.venetiastudium.com

Lighting - Dimming and Control SystemsLEAX Lighting Controls www.leax.co.ukLutron EA Ltd www.lutron.com

Lighting DesignersJohn Cullen Lighting www.johncullenlighting.co.ukFirefly Lighting Designs www.fireflylightingdesign.com

Paint Manufacturers / DistributorsCole & Son (Wallpapers) Limited www.cole-and-son.comSto Ltd www.sto.co.uk

PhotographyLupe Gallery www.lupegallery.com

Shipping AgentsAnglo Pacific International Plc www.anglopacific.co.ukCadogan Tate Fine Arts Logistics Ltd www.cadogantate.comStephen Morris Shipping PLC www.stemo.co.uk

Stone, Granite, Marble, Glass & TilesAmtico Company Ltd, The www.amtico.comArmourcoat Surface Finishes www.armourcoat.comChesney's www.chesneys.co.ukHelen Barnes Murals & Trompe' L'Oeil www.helenbarnes.comLimestone Gallery Ltd www.limestone.co.ukPorcelanosa Group Ltd www.porcelanosagrupo.comReed Harris www.reedharris.co.ukSurface Tiles Ltd www.surfacetiles.comSymm & Company Limited www.symmgroup.comWest One Bathrooms Limited www.westonebathrooms.com

Trimmings & PassementerieAbbott & Boyd Ltd www.abbottandboyd.co.ukBrunschwig & Fils www.brunschwig.comChristopher Norman Ltd www.christophernorman.comColefax Group Tel: 020 7493 2231JAB International Furnishings Limited www.jab.deJon Rhodes (Curtain Makers to the Trade) Tel: 01263 731888KLJM Ltd (Mulberry Leejofa, G.P & J Baker) Tel: 01202 266999Nobilis-Fontan Limited www.nobilis.frSilk Gallery Limited, The www.silkgallery.comSmith & Brighty Passementerie www.smithandbrighty.comTroynorth Limited www.troynorth.co.uk

Wallcoverings & WallpaperAbbott & Boyd Ltd www.abbottandboyd.co.ukAlma www.almahome.co.ukAmity Europe Ltd www.sarahstillman.co.ukBrian Yates (Interiors) Limited www.brianyates.comBrunschwig & Fils www.brunschwig.comChristopher Norman Ltd www.christophernorman.comCole & Son (Wallpapers) Limited www.cole-and-son.comColefax Group Tel: 020 7493 2231Hamilton - Weston Wallpapers Limited www.hamiltonweston.comHoward Chairs Limited www.howardchairs.comJAB International Furnishings Limited www.jab.deKLJM Ltd (Mulberry Leejofa, G.P & J Baker) Tel: 01202 266999Lalique Ltd www.lalique.comLelievre (UK) Limited www.lelievre.co.ukMalabar www.malabar.co.ukNobilis-Fontan Limited www.nobilis.frSandberg www.sandbergtapeter.comSilk Gallery Limited, The www.silkgallery.comSto Ltd www.sto.co.uk

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