Decorex celebrates forty years. What are the main theme and events?
Decorex began as a collaboration with the IIDA, the interior design association now known as the BIID and throughout the years has worked with a huge amount of designers, this year will be no different. We’re excited about the new partnerships, from our exciting entrance installation bringing together the disciplines of floristry, fashion, set and interior design to interactive spaces for visitors to experience the senses of touch, sight, smell and sound.
Some previews?
Decorex will have over 400 exhibitors this year, established and new additions. We look forward to welcoming Genevieve Bennett with her beautiful leather wall panels and new rug collection, Dedar with their colourful patterned textiles, French company Valombreuse with their ranges of embroidered linen and Amy Kent with her ‘Art on Rugs’ collaboration with her sister. Future Heritage, an area focusing on contemporary and collective craft, curated by Corinne Julius, brings 16 new makers. They all make bespoke work from ceramics and brass to unique lighting and 3D conceptions.
In the last few years, have been hosting companies with complete furniture collections (like Sicis last year): is this a trend that will be repeated or is part of a specific project that will expand the category?
I think there has been a lot of companies exhibiting a wide range of furniture within their collections over the past few years, not something that we purposely seek, but a natural occurrence when manufacturers look to diversify their offering within the industry to produce a full collection. Exhibitors such as Tom Faulkner, Hyde House and Julian Chichester all present full collections of furniture from tables, chairs, lighting and storage solutions.
Decorex is the destination for finding inspiring and ideas about luxury interiors.Which are the main trends 2017-18 about materials, colors…?
Greenery is this year’s Pantone colour, following on from Decorex’s 2016 campaign colour, and as one of our brand ambassador’s, Simon Hamilton commented: “I’ve seen it getting stronger and more diverse as we integrate the exterior within our built environments to improve our health and wellbeing”. Pink has been everywhere this summer and continues to be firmly on the list of trends to appear. Whether pastel, dusky, millennial, bright or exotic, we anticipate pink will be a reoccurring theme at this year’s 40th anniversary show. Natural materials have also been prevalent in the lead up to the event in the form of ceramics, wood, glass, marble, wools and linens, including a table made by blending aged barn wood with marble by Barn in the City or wall lights made with sweet chestnut and brass by Faolchu. Each year we welcome Colourhive, a colour trends consultancy, to speak about the colour trends for the following seasons, so definitely worth a listen on Wednesday 20th September at 1pm in the Seminar Theatre.
In forty years, approximately, how has the interior style changed? In the last years, has the British interior designer’s approach changed and how? And, consequently, this has led to a change in the event Decorex?
These days consumers are exposed to a lot more of the design world, through magazines, online and broadcast media. They therefore are more knowledgeable of the market and what is out there for them. Interior designers need to stay ahead of the game, offering clients unique and bespoke pieces for their homes or hotels, whilst also learning about current and future trends to aid their projects. Decorex features many exhibitors who work on bespoke commissions, or will be launching brand new products during the show and can therefore help the interior designer stay ahead in a competitive market.
To maintain strong your specialization in a very large festival in terms of proposals, what are your initiatives?
We are the opening design destination event of the London Design Festival and feel we have a strong offering for our community of interior designers, property developers, retailers etc. Aside from the collaborative installations, bars and lounges we have an expansive collection of exhibitors, both our loyal group of returning brands and the new companies who will also present their own launches, new materials and techniques. We aim to present a fresh approach each year, ensuring no two years are the same in order to grown our visitor audience annually and to excite and inspire our community.
Finally, do you have a waiting list of exhibitors? How are they selected?
We have a rigorous application process at Decorex, ensuring we commit to our brand values of a distinctive offering for our loyal following of visitors and exhibitors within the luxury market.
