Spring in my step Part 3

It's Friday again - how did that happen?  

I didn't realise how much I'd covered at Surface (please pardon the pun) - what an amazing array of surfaces.

Upstairs in the galleries was a little enclave of surfaces to watch out for. And this is where Peagreen were hiding:

Peagreen are a Winchester-based surface design studio

ALPI showcased their 'ALPIlignum' range of reconstituted wood which is 'peeled off'"controlled-origin species logs", dyed by immersion in non-toxic dyes and then "reconstituted" by overlapping the dyed sheets to form a new log.

I was stopped in my tracks by Jack Trench Bespoke Kitchens. 
The beauty is definitely in the detail..
Pleasingly clean lines, most successfully utilising the warmth of wood detailing,aligned with more contemporary surfaces.

What's not to love?

Playdec had a healthy buzz around its stand, with it's fabulous textural wall coverings on show.

Here are a few more photographs of textures I liked:

On the left is glass lit from behind. The glass has a grid pattern which allows for a contemporary presentation.

Spring in my Step..part 2

Before another month has disappeared.. here is a round-up of the rest of my Surface experience:



The most beautiful Italian stone wares from E90 Italian Stone Factory, which works with marble, granite, stone, Quartz, stone resin and marble cement to create everything from construction to bespoke bathroom items:

I fell in love with the gorgeous glass at Rough Old Glass and cannot wait to use some of this in a project:

And I honestly felt like Alice in Wonderland when I walked into Daedalian Glass Studios' stand. I did not know what was possible until I saw some of these glass panels. The skill and design genius that goes into each and every bespoke item is breathtaking:

Quirky way of displaying surfaces at Geaves who provide specialist surface solutions for retail, commercial and domestic interiors.

Mundy Veneer showed off an incredible birch bark veneered surface available as wall panels which just made you want to reach out and touch...

Through the window GLAAST was looking good with a fabulously conceived stand. 

Visit Spectral Lighting for out of the ordinary light fittings. Loved these circular lights and can imagine them creating a huge impact in any space.

I dropped in on a talk on Concrete for a while. This is such a versatile surface treatment and the talk took a tour through applications from flooring options (for example 'stamped' concrete flooring which can be used inside and outside) to architectural use, with some pictures of spectacular buildings.

ARMATILE showed off some great geometrics:

Another eye-catching stand was that of TRENDCOR:

PANELSTONE

Spring in my step.. part 1

It is March and officially Spring. 

There should be a spring in my step.. mentally there is but physically I'm a long way off after my third bout of sickness in as many months... what a long Winter it's been.


My creative side is still buzzing but maybe a little more gently.

I loved my first visit to Surface last month and will definitely be going next year. 
I'm particularly fond of this area of London with it's buzzy bars and restaurants and quirky finds. 

Sadly, I was unable to linger after the show and, in particular, missed the after show party kindly hosted this year by ATRIUM (I must visit their new Showroom soon). 


Had I stayed on I would have fitted in a sneaky coffee/meal at Kipferl and visited chocolate shop Paul A Young and then would have had a little browse amongst the cool shops in Camden Passage.  

Always the same: 

too many wants and not enough time.

BUT...

This show is a must-visit for anyone involved in the industry who wants a bite-size view (and feel) of what is available and possible.

As with all the best products, the top displays paired uber-practicality with painstakingly cool design.

Cliq Designs - fabulous and imaginative quilted accoustic panels to transform any space and lift it from the obvious to the super-cool. Here is a product that addresses the fine balance between look, feel and performance:

 

This panel has been used to great effect to soften chatter and clatter in Spago restaurant and champagne bar in Lytham St Anne's.

Finsa - 
some great materials here with 
endless applications and 
beautifully showcased.


This company is the oldest chipboard and MDF manufacturer in the Iberian Peninsula, founded in 1931.


Finsa manufactures a wide variety of wood-derived products; most recently, amongst others, melamine faced chipboards and MDF and wood veneer; with a strong environmental policy and attitude towards sustainability.

Plenty was on display at Surface, with no end to imaginative use of colour and shape, and pattern to catch the eye and show off each surface possibility:



The flexibility of HI-MACS in terms of colour, shaping and textural interest was amply demonstrated:

SO many different colours are now available as this surface constantly evolves:

 

My absolute favourite was the DecorEco display of James Latham:






It is not difficult to imagine how fabulous an interior could evolve around the application of one of these textural products:

James Latham had 

many different products 
on display:



















There were gorgeous tiling displays at 
Italian Marca Corona



The ever popular hexagon was used to pull us in to look:

 

By this stage I started to feel that there were more products than I could ever use in a lifetime in my projects and my creative synapses were flooding with ideas. Accompanied by another coffee, this was truly my kind of day.

BluePrint Ceramics:

SILO

Cosentino 

had a truly impressive stand

which revelled
in a simplistically gargantuan display of this Spanish company's Silestone product.

Stunning and living up to Cosentino's catchphrase of "imagine & anticipate".

 

Loved the vibe in Vicalvi Contract

These guys provided water (desperately needed by now) with their details printed on the label(clever marketing)and were on hand to be the most helpful of the day. 

It is always nice to be approached with a smile - thank you!

particularly liked this 'Mews' collection,
designed by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby

Wonderful products too, including 
'Aplat by Wilmotte' paint range

... all of it supremely tempting.

part 2 to follow...