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OW Hospitality’s “Style Studio” is pleased to announce the release of their newly created Axminster carpet line, the Watercolors Collection. This innovative collection features many breathtaking designs in a spectacular color array and will be the key focus of the OW Hospitality booth at Hospitality Design Expo in May. OW Hospitality’s “Watercolors Collection” is an exhilarating study of blending and fashion color play. “The influence of watercolors on paper ranges from spectacularly intense to the soft subdued depending on technique, said Amy Jaekal, OW’s Style Leader, “as with painting by adding a dab more water to your brush, colors blend and flow; mixing together to create all new hues. As artists, we in the OW Style Studio wanted to put this timeless art into our medium. And so we did. Who says you can’t paint with wool?”

“The Watercolors Collection is based on trends we have identified throughout the fashion industry. This beautiful technique allows us to create fantastic contemporary or transitional designs. We are delighted to launch such cutting edge and fashion forward line to the hospitality flooring market”, said Michael Riley, President & CEO of OW Hospitality.

Style Seating is delighted to announce Model DE9H, an aluminium frame stacking chair which is both lightweight and aesthetically pleasing.The contoured seat and back means it is comfortable for use as a banqueting and conference chair with a black or chrome recessed hand grab for ease of relocation.

DE9H is available in 3 aluminium profiles with a choice of 11 contract quality upholstery fabric colours. It also has a fixed and retractable linking system.

Designed to be a focal point of the contemporary bathroom or wet room, Bagno Design introduces the Kyoto Shower Column. With an extremely thin 2mm profile that echoes the trend for minimalism in the bathroom, the multi-functional Kyoto Shower Column from Bagno Design delivers a powerful performance, with two body sprays on the vertical length of the column. These combine with a large overhead shower spray, guaranteeing complete saturation and an invigorating showering experience for the user.

The shower panel also features a three ways diverter alongside a hand shower and holder, all presented in an all-in-one column that offers seamless design in a high quality chrome finish.

Guaranteed to be a statement piece in the family bathroom, open-plan wet room or compact en-suite, the Kyoto Shower Column from Bagno Design is both sleek and contemporary. With all the fittings neatly concealed behind the wall, Kyoto creates the ultimate shower experience in the most stylish of ways with thermostatic control for safety and comfort.

Dimensions are 1500mm high x 100mm wide.

Heritage Silverware has restored and returned a piece of dining room history to one of Britain’s most magnificent hotels.The Birmingham-based family business painstakingly repaired a beautiful roast beef carving trolley for The Grand Hotel in Brighton – 35 years after it was first manufactured by Heritage Silverware Managing Director Martin McDonagh.

Used regularly in the busy dining rooms of the stunning 200-bedroom Victorian seafront hotel – renowned for its classic British cuisine – the trolley was included in the multi-million pound refurbishment programme by owners Devere Group.

Locating and using the original old dies and tools, which are now held at the Heritage Silverware’s unassuming factory in Small Heath, the company completely dismantled the carving trolley before remaking missing, broken and worn parts then polishing and re-silvering the iconic piece which is now back in use.

Martin McDonagh said: “It was a privilege to be involved in such a unique project. I clearly remember the first time I delivered the trolley to The Grand. We are delighted to continue our close links with the hotel.”

Devere Group has also placed an order with Heritage for over 4,000 pieces of new silver cutlery and holloware as well as a complete new set of china for the hotel’s famous afternoon tea service.

Paul Boyce, Director of Devere Group said: “We were delighted to award this contract to a British company that we have worked with for many years.

“The team at Heritage have always listened and understood our briefs, come up with the most innovative ideas and produced the highest quality products. We look forward to continuing our successful business relationship with them.”

Heritage Silverware was founded in 1976 and includes London’s exclusive Ritz and Dorchester hotels, as well as The Orient Express amongst its clients worldwide.

The recession has driven down prices but Signbox say there is always a price to pay. They have just issued a 10-Point Checklist to help clients avoid the inevitable pitfalls of choosing a contractor solely on price.

One of the inevitable consequences of a prolonged recession is the pressure on prices – with too many companies chasing a smaller pot of work it has driven down prices. Too often companies respond to tenders with such low prices they simply defy commercial logic. And when this happens there is usually a price to pay – as Benjamin Franklin once famously said, “The bitterness of low quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”What frequently happens is that to keep to such low prices contractors cut corners, using both inferior materials and workmanship. So the client doesn’t get the standard of work they expected or indeed specified in the tender. But by then it’s too late.

Mark Bartlett, Managing Director of Signbox Ltd, comments, “During this recession we have seen companies go in so low on price just to secure work we know they cannot possibly cover their costs let alone make a profit. It means there is always a price to pay – we have been called in on contracts where clients have regretted taking the lowest price because the quality of work provided was so poor.

“Of course companies that keep tendering for work with low prices like this usually end up failing – sometimes before they have completed the contract. And it also means they’re not around to resolve any problems that always arise when work is engineered down to a low price.

“When choosing contractors we would ask clients to consider using this 10-Point Checklist:
1) Review the quality of the contractor’s past work – ask for references and testimonials on recent contracts.
2) Consider the size and resources of the contractor.
3) Look closely at the financial stability of the contractor – what is their credit rating and has the company traded profitably in the last three years?
4) What is the performance record of the contractor? Ask for referrals from satisfied clients.
5) What is the technical and organisational ability of the contractor?
6) What is the Health & Safety record of the contractor?
7) What accreditations, quality marks and awards does the contractor hold?
8) What is the contractor’s insurance cover? Do they have adequate employers’ and public liability cover?
9) Environmental management – can the contractor demonstrate their awareness of environmental issues and show how they use sustainable materials, where appropriate, and manage waste and recycling?
10) Does the contractor have the ability to innovate? What is their track record on innovation?

“I think the reason Signbox has weathered past recessions and has continued to secure important and sizeable contracts during this downturn is that financially we are stable; we are committed to excellence and we take great professional pride in our work. Above all we never compromise on quality. So whilst clients know we may not be the cheapest they are never disappointed with the end result of our work. It’s also why I believe we have been voted ‘Sign Company of the Year’ for the past two years.”

Hillswood are pleased to add Fuji, their new design by Italian designer Paolo Martinig, to their ever-expanding range. Recently launched at the Milan Fair, this high quality design is characterised by its rounded corners, unusual seat configuration and excellent finish.

The collection can be made in oak, beech or, as the images show, solid Canaletto Walnut which is a very warm timber with a straight grain.

As with all Hillswood’s furniture, Fuji is available in a large range of FR fabrics, leathers and polish colours.

Located in the heart of Central London, Accor Hotels launched the first of their Pullman branded hotels in the UK with the opening of the four star Pullman London St. Pancras. Interior designers Proof Consultancy Ltd have succeeded in creating an aura of modernity throughout the hotel, while Chelsom were commissioned to supply the lighting throughout the guestrooms and public areas to further enhance the design aesthetics.Oozing contemporary chic, the lighting scheme is predominantly bespoke with contemporary lines and shapes at the forefront of the design. The highlight of the guestroom lighting is undoubtedly the custom designed striped shades, beautifully complemented by the brushed nickel finish of all the fittings including the LED reading lights from the latest Chelsom collection fitted to the leather headboards.

Stylishly unique pieces were created specifically for the public areas. Eye catching centrepieces of laser cut bronze pendants with off white cotton shades adorn the lobby and restaurants, over-sized black cotton shades hang above the waiters stations while towering black “helter-skelter” floor lamps create striking impact in the seating areas of the restaurant. Matching wall and banquet seating lights in the reception area and restaurant combine polished chrome with draped glass crystals to give a fantastic effect. Finally, crane style floor lamps crowned with perforated metal shades line the lift lobby and lounge while both the bar and reception were lit by ultra modern “up and over” LED task lights.

The GULF BIID Bahrain is taking place between the 7th and 9th of May 2013 at the International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Bahrain. Focus SB’s luxury ranges will be on display at AL Bait’s stand, on number 1E31.Al Bait are Bahrain based lighting solutions providers who stock diverse and innovate products for the lighting sector. They represent over 35 world-class manufacturers and Focus SB are one of them.

Focus SB have been manufacturing electrical accessories in the UK for over thirty years. Their products are made in-house to last a life-time, and because of their in-house manufacturing, they have the capability to offer a completely bespoke service to their clients.

Their decorative electrical face-plates for light switches, sockets, hotel control plates, home automated lighting systems and much more, adorn the walls of domestic and commercial interiors.

Focus SB design and manufacture under one roof so any questions are easily communicated to the relevant people within their workshop, regardless of how far away the call comes from.

Due to Focus SB’s encouraging history of being specified in the Gulf states, they do however have contact and distribution points in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.

In terms of exports, Mark Thomas is Focus SB’s dedicated exports manager to the middle-east, and he will be present at the Gulf BIID Bahrain and can be found at Al Bait’s stool.

Fabrics and Papers is now stocking the new William Morris Archive II collection which features recent adaptations of Morris’ tapestry and typography designs creating a collection that embodies the very essence of his era. The collection works well for both 21st century domestic and contract interiors.The wallpaper collection includes Strawberry Thief, one of Morris’ most famous designs for fabric which he was inspired to design after watching thrushes stealing strawberries from the kitchen garden of his countryside home, Kelmscott Manor, in Oxfordshire.

The beautiful Morris Lodden pattern was designed for fabric and was one of many designs created by William Morris between 1882 and 1885, all of which were printed at Merton Abbey.

The pattern of scrolling flowers and foliage has been faithfully reproduced from the original fabric in the Morris & Co archive.

Forest, available on both linen and velvet,is inspired by ‘The Forest Tapestry’ designed in 1887 at Merton Abbey, in South London, by Morris &Co’s three most senior weavers. ‘The Forest Tapestry’ depicts scrolling acanthus leaves, a lion, peacock, hare and fox, amongst bunches of wild flowers. This digitally printed adaptation of the tapestry takes some of the most charming elements and combines them with other references to create a repeating design.

Inspired by medieval tapestries, William Morris and his wife Jane first embroidered daisy motifs in 1860 for their home, Red House. Although Daisy was the second wallpaper to be designed by Morris, it was the first Morris & Co wallpaper to be hand block printed and proved to be one of the most popular of all ‘The Firm’s’ wallpapers.

Love is Enoughpays tribute to Morris’ many skills as a writer, poet and typographer. Morris believed that a beautifulbook came second only to a beautiful house. In this charming design the title phrase of Morris’ play ‘Love is Enough’, published in 1872, appears in Morris’ typeface set upon a pretty leaf pattern which is based on the wall design in the green Dining Room at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Bird & Pomegranate was one of the last patterned wallpaper designs to be issued by Morris & Co and inspired by the much earlier design Fruit.

Designed by Morris, the original Pink and Rose wallpaper was hand block printed using two sets of printing blocks to create the vertical pattern repeat of 82cms. This large scale, stylised design has now been adapted as a furnishing fabric that recreates the subtle effects of the transparent inks used to print the original wallpaper. It is also now available as a wallpaper design.

The outstanding Acanthus block printed wallpaper is one of Morris’ most instantly recognisable designs and marks the beginning of a period in which he created large-scale designs for wallpaper. These often featured layered patterns and rich colours with vigorous curves and scrolling foliage to give a three-dimensional quality.

First printed in 1877, Chrysanthemum was heavily influenced by the national flower of Japan and was block printed on foiled paper which was lacquered, stamped and stencilled in oil colour, a technique to simulate the expensive Japanese Leather papers imported by Arthur Sanderson. Chrysanthemum was also printed using the traditional hand block printing method and it is from this that Morris & Co has now recreated the design.

William Morris, artist, philosopher, poet and political theorist, was one of the most outstanding and influential designers of the Arts & Crafts Movement and through his company, Morris & Co he produced some of the most fashionable and exciting textiles and wallpapers of his era.

All Morris & Co. prints and wallpapers are designed and made in the UK by highly skilled craftsmen and women with meticulous care and scrupulous attention to detail.

By exploring www.fabricsandpapers.com, customers can create their own schemes and request wallpaper samples from over 6,000 carefully selected wallpapers and fabrics. A dedicated design team is on hand at the end of a telephone line (01273 495500) to discuss customers’ individual requirements and offer help and advice.

Editors Note: For a look at Morris wallpapers in a building of the period check our Mini View of Standen

Dernier & Hamlyn is well known for its work for hotels around the world so it’s only natural that the designers they work with should call on their expertise for hotel essentials other than lighting. One of the company’s recent commissions was for this stainless steel luggage trolley which was handcrafted by its London team and now resides in a five star hotel in central London.

Both the client and the designer were delighted by the superlative quality of workmanship that has been built up and passed on since Dernier & Hamlyn was established in 1888.

A yearlong social media campaign by leading UK Shower Manufacturer, Roman Limited, has won the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Professional Development) award for Innovation in Social Media. The original campaign, which was named Project 252, documented a year in the life of the shower manufacturer through captioned photos. There was one photo taken and shared across the company’s website and social media platforms every working day throughout 2012 (252 in total) – each with a full explanation.

The campaign saw all staff from the company getting involved at one time or another, by providing photographs, being in photographs and following the project throughout the year. The captions were very clearly aimed at internal and external communication of roles and scope of activity.

It became a useful internal communications exercise for Roman employees, giving every department and person a real insight into different areas of the company. Many Roman employees are located UK wide, working remotely, including their installation team and sales team.

Alongside this Roman has diversified greatly as a business over the last 10 years, with the addition of a solid surface manufacturing plant, an online retail business selling homewares and more recently they set up a subsidiary business in Kuala Lumpur, Roman Asia, which has been developed to serve the South East Asian and Australasian market. Project 252 became a useful cross-business communications exercise.

Being a photo-led campaign, Project 252 was quick and easy for all employees, suppliers, customers and other followers to digest. A photograph would be uploaded onto Flickr every day with a brief caption, it was then shared on Roman’s Twitter and Facebook feeds, before being uploaded onto the Roman website.

Every department at Roman was photographed at least once during the project, along with suppliers, customers, the company’s industry body (The Bathroom Manufacturers Association), members of the bathroom press and the company’s products.
It was the centenary year for the CIPD awards and as such, they received a record number of entries. Other winners at the event included Pepsico, Greggs and Virgin Money.

David Osborne, Managing Director at Roman commented: “Project 252 was a fantastic success for us as a business. It brought employees together, helped build relationships with customers and suppliers, and gave a real insight to all our followers, into Roman as a business. It highlighted the fact we are a British manufacturer, along with how we insource rather than outsource as a business. There are so many different aspects to Roman as a business and communicating what each different department does on a daily basis is not always easy. Project 252 helped us break down these barriers. This award is the icing on the cake for us and we are delighted that Project 252 has been recognised as such an innovative success. We are carrying on this fantastic idea in a less formalised way, with regular photos continuing to be shared on social media.”

The ultimate must-have gadget for the bathroom has to be a waterproof TV and now this latest technology can be seamlessly integrated into your bathroom with BAGNOVISION from Bagno Design.BAGNOVISION cleverly incorporates a 19” high density colour television into the bathroom mirror, offering the last word in technological luxury and enabling homeowners to catch up on their favourite TV programmes while brushing their teeth or enjoying a soak in the bath – the perfect way to unwind and escape that hectic pace of life.

Each mirror TV comes complete with Bluetooth technology enabling connectivity to other devices such as MP3 players, so you can enjoy your choice of music in the bathroom. BAGNOVISION also includes a waterproof remote control, speakers and an FM/AM radio, making this the ultimate entertainment system for the bathroom.

Regardless of how hot and steamy the bathroom may get, you can always be assured of a clear view of the TV, as each BAGNOVISION screen can be fitted with mist free mirror pads as an optional extra for your uninterrupted viewing pleasure.

BAGNOVISION is available in three versions, with a style to suit all bathroom requirements. Choose from Chicago, which is available in a choice of four sizes (750 x 900mm, 900 x 800mm, 1200 x 900mm or 1600 x 900mm), Boston with an illuminated mirror available in two sizes (1200 x 900mm or 1600 x 900mm), or Seattle (measuring 1600 x 900mm), again with an illuminated mirror.

Finally, Infiniti is the ultimate Spa TV; a waterproof LCD model measuring 540 x 415mm which can be recessed or mounted and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. This model also comes complete with speakers and a digital tuner – allowing you to enjoy Freeview TV programmes or radio whilst in the bath. It can also be connected to an existing Satellite box or DVD player.

Bagno Design can be contacted on Tel: 020 7553 6999 or email info@bagnodesign.co.uk.

Scotscape Ltd. specialise in the design, installation and maintenance of living wall systems. As you can see from this eye-catching installation at the Megaro Hotel in Kings Cross, living walls offer a great space saving alternative to traditional pot and plant combinations – with striking effect!Living Walls create a great visual statement for any project and bring flora and fauna, colour and biodiversity to areas where that something special is required.

If you’re interested in reading more on living walls then please contact Anna Roochove, Business Development Manager, on +44 (0) 7500 708 687.

This was the third consecutive year that Chelsom have exhibited at the hugely influential Cruise Shipping Miami exhibition which took place from 11-14th March at the Miami Beach Convention centre in Florida and enjoyed its most successful year to date with over 10,000 industry professionals in attendance. Director, Will Chelsom and the Head of Marine Sales USA, Jason Dodd were at the helm to showcase the latest designs from the extensive Edition 23 collection and visitors to the stand were welcomed with an exclusive insight in to the exceptional portfolio of maritime lighting Chelsom has to offer.

Located in the Design and Refurbishment section, the team were visited by key executives from major cruise operators such as Carnival USA, Royal Caribbean and NCL along with major interior designers and architects from the industry who all come together for this important week in the cruise industry calendar.

In recent years Chelsom has built on the huge success it has experienced in the hotel industry to become one of the leading global suppliers to the international cruise marketplace, with an enviable list of clients including Windstar, Disney Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, NCL and Cunard to name a few.

The last 12 months have been seen a number of significant projects within the cruise ship market contributing to the increasing success of Chelsom within this sector, most notable of which are the stunning feature lighting in the restaurant on board Celebrity’s Millennium class ship, Infinity, along with the refurbishment programme of the Windstar fleet which not only involved supplying lighting to all the staterooms, but also being commissioned to manufacture and supply a central reception installation to illuminate the heart of the main deck’s interior.

Chelsom had a fantastic response to its latest collection at CSM and most importantly to the great work it’s been doing in the cruise ship lighting marketplace and the team were delighted with their success at the show, Director Will Chelsom said: “We were really thrilled to be exhibiting in Miami again this spring and it certainly didn’t disappoint, with so many new builds in the pipeline as well as an array of refurbishment projects on the cards it’s a really exciting time to be part of the industry. We have worked extremely hard to grow the Chelsom brand globally especially within the cruise marketplace and with a great team on board and a number of very high profile projects to our name in 2013 and 2014 there is no doubt that Chelsom will continue to flourish.”

Signbox Ltd, designers and manufacturers of architectural signage, has delivered signage and environmental graphics as part of extensive new branding at the British Airways Global headquarters at Waterside, near London Heathrow. The project brief involved a complete renovation of the main reception area and a newly designed recruitment centre.Signbox worked with RAW Unlimited, branding experts specialising in the workplace environment and workplace communications. Branding signage comprised internal corporate signage, glazing manifestation, large format display and environmental graphics.

Signbox was already an approved supplier to British Airways, having worked with architects Niels Torp to deliver internal and external corporate identity signage when the BA Global Headquarters building was originally constructed in 1999. Successfully tendering for this refresh, Signbox was required to complete the project in just three weeks working in the busy environment of a live global headquarters in and around the busy main entrance hub.

The impressive reception is enhanced with a split stone wall surface featuring a bespoke “Speedmarque logo”, halo illuminated with white LEDs. Fashioned from both satin and polished stainless steel, with seamless blended edges, the finished logo is a striking feature, worthy of a global brand.

Commenting on the project, Mark Bartlett, Managing Director of Signbox, said, “We have a long and successful track record of supplying signage to BA and it was gratifying that BA’s confidence in our ability to complete this complex project in such a dauntingly small timescale was well-founded.
“With the project now completed the results have attracted encouraging praise from the British Airways team”.

For more information contact: www.signbox.co.uk.

RHA Furniture presents some new outdoor furniture designs for 2013.

The new Forest seating collection offers beautiful designs inspired by nature. All pieces in the Forest collection are elegant and light in appearance, yet they are made from painted aluminium making them strong, weather resistant and long lasting.

Pacifico is part of a range of sculptural furniture designs that create a feeling of peace and serenity. The Buddha inspired tables and seats are made from recyclable polyethylene making them easy to move around and offer the option to include internal lighting.

The items featured are the newest items available from the outdoor furniture section of RHA Furniture’s online product directory.

For more details or to request a quote contact RHA Furniture.

Sphinx by Oriental Weavers is delighted to announce their new color partnership with Pantone, LLC. Pantone is the global authority on all things color and the leading provider of professional color standards for the design community. Together, Sphinx and Pantone will embark on a multi-year venture to deliver fashion-forward color trends and innovative style and design to the home fashion industry through the PANTONE UNIVERSE™ brand.Sphinx is well known as the industry leader with their innovative style, cutting-edge designs, avid colors and stirring rug collections. By joining with Pantone’s inspiring and extensive color direction, Sphinx will continue to revolutionize the area and fashion rug business to deliver exhilarating decorative accessories to the home furnishings and design community.

“We are truly honored to be selected as a brand partner by the world’s foremost color experts,” said Michael Riley, president of OW USA. “We have very aggressive plans for a spectacular offering of fashion product developed in conjunction with the Pantone team and targeted towards our retail partners in the home furnishings business. The synergies between Pantone, their consumer reach, our home furnishings base and the OW Team is just tremendous and will be key in our development, marketing, merchandising and advertising efforts. By joining with Pantone, this enables us to continue our vision of creating products that astonish consumers and create captivating stories for the retailer. Our new PANTONE UNIVERSE collections will go beyond expressing color and take us into the bold new forefront of embracing a high-definition of design.”

Sphinx will be unveiling their first new product offerings combining the insightful and expressive PANTONE® Colors along with captivating designs this spring.

Pantone is the world’s most recognized authority and influential brand in color. The PANTONE and PANTONE UNIVERSE brands have been launched into the limelight globally across many merchandise categories. The brand is closely tied to retail on many levels, as well as the interior design community, for not only their color perspective, but also as a true technology leader in the exploration and expression of color. Pantone delivers insightful color forecasting, timely trends and powerful product collections.

“As the world’s color authority for 50 years, partnering with a fashion-forward area rug company will really round out our home furnishings assortment for the brand,” said Lisa Herbert, vice president of the consumer division at Pantone. “We have a great energy with the Sphinx creative teams and have impressive plans to create cutting-edge product that will truly have an impact at retail.”

PANTONE® and other Pantone trademarks are the property of Pantone LLC.

UK shower manufacturer and designer, Roman Limited, have been shortlisted for a prestigious North East CIPD (Chartered Institute of Professional Development) award. This sees them being placed in the top 2, after a record number of entries, for their yearlong social media campaign, Project 252, which followed a year in the life of the manufacturer through photos. The campaign saw one photograph being shared every working day throughout 2012 – each of the photographs showing a different aspect and area of the business. With the Company having a total of 252 working days during the year, the campaign was titled Project 252.
The campaign was played out across the Company’s social media platforms; Flickr, Facebook and Twitter, as well as being shared on Roman’s own website. The initiative involved all Roman employees (around 150 members of staff), who either supplied photos, or were captured in photos throughout the year.

Project 252 encompassed every aspect of the shower manufacturer’s daily life – from Export trips overseas; to products being packed on vehicles; from products being created in Design and manufactured on the shopfloor; to new showroom displays being installed; from key visitors at the factory; to staff milestones; and national events being celebrated.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony which takes place at the Hilton Hotel, Newcastle on the 18th April.

You can still view Project 252 now on the Company’s website and Flickr page.

David Osborne, Managing Director at Roman comments on the motivations behind Project 252: “The aim of the campaign was to involve all members of staff, whilst also communicating all the different aspects of the company. Roman has diversified greatly over the past 10 years. Although manufacturing Shower Enclosures is still at the heart of the business, we now have many other strings to our bow.

“One of the key struggles for any business is communicating what each different department does on a daily basis. This is particularly difficult for a business like ours, where we have many remote members of staff, including technical installers and sales managers, who live UK and Worldwide. It is particularly challenging to make them feel part of the business. That is why their involvement was so crucial in terms of both supplying photographs, as well as viewing them and following the campaign.”

Chelsom has recently appointed two highly experienced new team members to enhance the continued expansion of the Chelsom brand. The new appointments accompany a series of high profile projects and a significant increase in sales across the international hotel, cruise and leisure sectors.With over 20 years industry experience, Philip Macaulay has spent the last 12years specialising in the contract furnishings market and joins the team from Edmund Bell & Co. Ltd where he was Head of Contracts for the UK & Middle East. Responsible for devising dynamic sales strategies across multiple sectors, a specific focus on the hospitality market has seen Philip leading high profile projects such as the new generation Marriott Courtyard generic scheme, Mecca development Jeddah, St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, The Dorchester and Arcadia Cruise Liner. Philip will be predominantly based in London and South East of England and will oversee all UK and global sales in line with the overarching strategy.

Macaulay commented: “I am joining a well-respected international lighting company with an incredible reputation both in terms of their approach to product design and client service. Being a part of that and having significant influence in terms of Chelsom’s national and international presence is both truly inspiring and exciting, especially at a time when the business is enjoying a record high order book and sales are up 24% YOY.”

Lucy White has spent the last 10 years working for top communications agencies in London where some of her key clients have included Apple, Douwe Egberts and Selfridges. Working on a varied portfolio of clients has developed her exposure across the wider marketing mix from conceiving and implementing communications strategies, to rolling out PR programmes and developing digital solutions, all of which she is now keen to put in to practice in her new position at Chelsom. White said: “I am delighted to be joining the team at Chelsom. One of the things that appealed most about Chelsom was the broad spectrum of lighting solutions they offer. From developing efficient and stylish lighting at Centre Parcs to manufacturing the entire bespoke public area lighting for a Hapag- Lloyd cruise ship, no two jobs are the same and they always seem to deliver to a consistently high standard whatever the challenge.”

Managing Director, Robert Chelsom says: “By refining our designs, improving quality and becoming more competitive, we are winning more worldwide contracts than ever before and I am thrilled that Philip and Lucy are coming on board at such an exciting time. They both bring a wealth of valuable knowledge and experience which I have no doubt they will maximise in their new roles at Chelsom and in doing so contribute to the expansion and success of the company.”

The Contract Chair Company worked closely with Bourne Leisure to deliver the complete package of furniture to the Lodges recently added to the large grounds of Gunton Hall in Norfolk, complementing the already established hotel and leisure facilities on site. Working closely with the designer to find the correct product from our extensive range and making sure that delivery was met on time we supplied bespoke sofas, ottomans and dressing table stools along with desk chairs and bedroom chairs. The Lodges were provided by Factory Homes in Hull where we delivered the furniture to and the lodges were then installed to site complete enabling a smooth installation even though all the elements of the English weather were thrown at us!!.

Please contact us for more information on this project and our extensive range of furniture and tables available for the Hotel and Leisure industry.

Opened in late 2012, the De Vere Orchard hotel next to the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham is a triumph of modern architecture. With light open spaces and floor to rooftop glazing, this latest four star property provides the perfect setting for originally designed furniture pieces. The hotel is also noteworthy for its high environmental standards; a fact that made Morgan a compatible partner due to their own equally impressive eco credentials. The furniture was sourced by Glasgow-based interior designer Graven Images. Morgan furniture appears throughout including Soho banquette seating, which was developed in two heights, for the restaurant; this is teamed with the oak-framed Oslo dining chair upholstered in modern colours for a chic and functional dining experience. Soho armchairs with circular cushions are grouped throughout the stunning lobby area. Created by Morgan Design Director, Katerina Zachariades, the Soho soft seating collection, has become a popular choice for a wide range of relaxed seating environments. With echoes of 50s and 60s design, the range features softened corners and no harsh lines issuing a chic and welcome invitation to sit. The collection comprises a two and three seater sofa, an armchair and a daybed.

Oslo is a lounge and dining collection with a light design. Chairs feature an elegant oak skeleton with simple drop seat and back pads. Modern manufacturing techniques have been used to achieve a hand-crafted look.

All 202 bedrooms at the De Vere Orchard are furnished with a Boston cantilever table in oak from Morgan and the versatile Manhattan modular seating system features in the executive lounge.

Built at a cost of around £20m, the hotel was designed by architects RHWL and incorporates new technologies to reduce carbon emissions. Sustainable features include a green roof system, solar photovoltaic panels, ground-source heat pumps and a smart building management system which incorporates energy efficient lighting, glazing and a lower energy assisted-cooling ventilation system.

Guests can enjoy the roof-top gardens, an onsite gym, bar and brasserie-style restaurant and extensive meeting and training facilities.

The Orchard Hotel will be the subject of a full report soon

Dernier & Hamlyn recently crafted this wall sculpture from brass and steel in its London workshop. Manufactured to a Fox Linton brief, it now adorns the reception area of the recently opened Wellesley Hotel in Knightsbridge. Its intricate design was inspired by the desire to combine the building’s 1920’s history with contemporary style and Dennis Irvine, Director of Fox Linton:
“We have worked with Dernier & Hamlyn on a number of hotel projects over many years. The combination of their knowledge, attention to detail and solutions driven approach means that they are always able to achieve our design concepts within the budget available.”

Designed by Kris Van Puyvelde, ALURA from Encompass sets new standards of modern style, quality and ergonomic comfort in the sphere of aluminium outdoor furniture. The ALURA collection includes carver chairs and chairs without arms, lounge chairs, bar stools and a fully adjustable sun lounger.Significantly, all ALURA products are stackable. Moreover, the furniture’s aluminium frames are gently rounded – no sharp corners with this collection.

ALURA furniture is finished in a durable texturised powder coat, available in black, white or sand. In addition to being very nicely styled and manufactured to the highest quality, Royal Botania have also ensured that ALURA is cost effective, making it the perfect choice for a wide range of contract installations, as well as design conscious residential projects where value for money is a priority.

Kesterport are delighted to present the Poolside range which has recently been used in the Presidential Suite and Terraces of the new Hilton Conrad Quinta de Lago. Poolside is one of 11 exclusive contemporary outdoor collections showcasing innovative weave designs and covering any requirements you may have for dining chairs, tables and bar stools through to loungers, sun shelters, partitions or planters.

Fabricated with an internal aluminium frame which is then powder coated to match the weave colour for added durability, the hand woven synthetic polyurethane rattan is available in 30 different colours with loose cushions available in either Sunproof (16 colours) or Sunbrella (10 colours).

Please refer to the ‘Luxury Woven’ segment of our ‘Outdoors’ section on our website for downloadable technical details and dimensions or contact the sales office for more information.

Kartell by Laufen is a complete integrated project for the bathroom that made its debut at ISH (Frankfurt, 12-16 March), the fair leader in the bathroom and energy world, followed by a launch to the international public at the Milan Furniture Fair (Milan, 9-14 April), where it will be presented at the Kartell flagship store.The Kartell by Laufen bathroom is a complete, integrated project, which came about from the original inspiring approach of Kartell, its design, its quality and its essence, which, through the interpretative project skills of Ludovica+Roberto Palomba, have combined with the innovation of Laufen, giving rise to a collection pervaded with the aroma of emotion.

With design and total quality as its watchwords, the Kartell by Laufen bathroom takes shape as an integrated architecture; an interconnected ecosystem where washbasins, sanitaryware, faucets, units, shower bases, bathtubs, lights and accessories coexist with the maximum flexibility, changing their appearance like chameleons to meet the taste requirements of all. The glassy transparencies of latest-generation polycarbonate and the bare edges of the totemic floor-mounted washbasin will attract those who love minimal, moon-like, rarefied environments; the ambered plastic, the round softness of the washbasin, the bathtub in the style of a infinity pool will seduce a public that is better disposed to decoration, to play, than ever.

Continued on page two…

UK shower manufacturer and designer, Roman, have made some key changes to their popular Embrace range of Shower Enclosures and Bath Screens, which includes a new product addition and some product design upgrades. New to the range is the option of an Embrace Pivot Door, with a Neo-Angle Panel Kit. This has been driven by requests from the Manufacturer’s customers, who are increasingly looking for this shape as a design solution.

A Neo-Angle Pivot Door, offers space saving benefits as it sits discreetly in the corner of the room and the door doesn’t fully open out, due to the offset pivot pin. They have become a popular installation choice where homeowners have a limited and unusual space to work with, such as a redundant airing cupboard in their bathroom, due to the addition of a combi-boiler. Commercially it also makes a lot of sense by moving the design solution away from price sensitive Quadrants.

Other changes to the Embrace Range include some upgrades on the Embrace Sliding Door and Quadrant Enclosures, which now feature smoother running bearings and a quick release system for easy cleaning. The look of the products has also been further improved, with slimmer horizontal profiles which have been reduced by 20%. The Sliding Enclosures also now feature positive magnet closing for better water integrity.

To complete the update, Roman has also increased the height of the Embrace Wetroom Panel range, from 1900mm, up to 2000mm. This keeps them in line with the current market trend towards using these Panels with Low Level Trays or straight-to-floor.
Roman have an in house design team who continually work on product development, whether that is new products; or modifying and fine tuning existing products.

The Embrace Range was originally launched by Roman in 2009 and is their mid-market range, which offers affordable solution products that are designed for ease of installation, whilst still offering a stylish finish. The products in the range also have the option of an integrated digital shower valve which sits in the product profile, making for a quick and easy upgrade to a high performance (or pump orientated) shower.

Like all Roman Enclosures and Bath Screens, the Embrace range incorporates Ultra Care pre-coated glass protection, for easy cleaning, teamed with a service backed lifetime guarantee.

David Osborne, Managing Director at Roman, comments: “As a manufacturer we are always keen to provide products which not only look great, but are also entirely functional and help solve customers’ problems. We were approached by a number of customers who were looking to install a neo-angle shaped enclosure, but would prefer an outward opening door enclosure. In response we added the option of a Pivot Door which is designed to be compatible for installation in this situation. It was already proving popular with our customers, ahead of it’s had official launch in March.

“Likewise we always strive to develop our existing portfolio on an on-going basis, making adjustments and improvements where necessary. Simple changes, such as upgrading the roller bearings on a product, can be greatly beneficial – this subtle change gives a much smoother, more silent operation, for a higher quality feel.”

Panaz Group Managing Director and past chairman of the BCFA Tony Attard met with Sir Terence Conran at his Berkshire home to talk about the legacy of the lifetime achievement award, which was presented at the BCFA luncheon held at the Dorchester Hotel. Sir Terence was keen to point out that a lifetime award sometimes comes “when it is all over” or a career had ended, but nothing could be further from the truth as it was quite evident that he is busier than ever. The real essence of the award has been to recognise inspirational figures who have made a significant change to our industry and in turn have inspired others. Tony Attard was quick to endorse this “Sir Terence was a great influence in my early business career and showed that great design which utilised equally talented business acumen could achieve amazing results. Design should run seamlessly through the whole process, from the initial idea to the eventual delivery to a satisfied client”.

Freed Veneers, established for over 35 years in the wood business, has been at the forefront in bringing the newest and highest quality wood products to the industry.Through our state of the art factory in Valencia Spain, we bring our newest and most exciting range of coloured veneers. Using the most technologically advanced dying tanks and with our own in house chemists and laboratory, we are able to produce large quantities whilst maintaining the highest possible standard.

For designers and architects worldwide this is a product that cannot be missed. From early concepts you can work directly alongside the customer in picking their own colour patterns. We work with a wide range of different veneers that can be formulated into any and every colour imaginable.

We are offering an exciting development in the wood veneer world where products of natural beauty can be customised to follow any colour scheme be it in an aeroplane, hotel, car, boat or residential project.

For further information including sample catalogue contact us on 01525 217777 or sales@veneeruk.com

When we heard about a new project from British manufacturer Cliq Designs, it suddenly occurred to me we never get any news about hotel developments in Greenland. Last I heard from Greenland it was the location for an episode of Borgen. Further research showed the capital Nuuk to have few hotels so it was a feather in the cap of Lancashire based Cliq Designs to get the order for some new chunky box bed throws via a Danish procurement company.

Manufactured from Grey wool look Trevira with a burnt orange contrast these are now raising the temperature at the Hotel Hans Egede in Greenland’s capital city Nuuk. This is a modern conference hotel with fantastic views of mountains and the entrance to Gothabsfjord.

The Ship Hotel in Chichester, England, has a somewhat different ambiance, but once again Cliq has come up with a striking contemporary throw to be included in their refurbishment. The citrus boucle bed throws with aubergine reverse are all Fire resistant Trevira and washable.

To see and hear more from Cliq, look at their page in the directory and read the profile we completed on them last year.

Written by Christine Brett

RHA Furniture presents the new and beautifully designed Suri chair.

The meaning of the name Suri is ‘Princess’ which is fitting for both the chair’s elegant style and the way it can be embellished by customising its many features.Suri with a wooden 4-legged base would be ideally placed in hotel lounge and reception areas. For hotel bedroom chairs and desk chairs the 4-legged or 5-star chromed base on casters would be a perfect option.

This multi-purpose chair can be specified in 6 different base styles and over 40 different finish options.

The chair’s upholstery can be your choice of fabric or leather, with the option to have stitched detail across the inside back. The outside back and sides can be upholstered in matching or contrasting fabric or leather, alternatively it can have a show-wood back in a wide choice of wood finishes and laminates.

As well as being leather covered, the wooden base can be specified in a wide choice of natural, stained and painted wood finish options. The metal bases can be specified in 6 options, including a chromed or painted finish.

Like most of RHA Furniture’s products, the Suri chair can be customised to meet your project specification and budget.

For more details or to request a quote visit RHA Furniture’s online product directory.

A much-loved Cotswold hotel is creating dozens of new jobs as part of a £10m refurbishment project.

Dormy House, near Broadway, closed last week for the first phase of redevelopment work to begin. This will include the hotel’s public areas and all 40 bedrooms being renovated, while the second stage of the investment will see a stylish new House Spa created.And the four-star hotel is currently recruiting to fill around 30 new positions, which range from porters and bar staff to chefs and management positions. Anyone interested can visit the dedicated Dormy House Career website at www.dormyhousecareers.co.uk.

David Field, general manager of the hotel, said: “To be able to create so many new jobs during the current economic climate is something we are very excited about.

“Thanks to the £10m investment, it’s a great time to join the Dormy team so we anticipate hundreds of applicants for the roles.

“At Dormy House we pride ourselves on our quality of service so for us, the vital ingredient in any employee is their character. We won’t just be focusing our search on those with years of hospitality experience – anyone who is passionate about customer service, has a great personality and plenty of initiative will be welcome to apply.”

The hotel will reopen to guests in August and remain open while work continues on the House Spa, which is due to launch in early 2014.

Stylematters, who are renowned for designing and manufacturing high quality contract furniture to many of the leading names in the UK hospitality and leisure sectors, are proud to be involved in the refurbishment of the new Roomzzz aparthotel in Newcastle.The development of one of Newcastle’s most historic buildings Friar House is causing a stir within the industry. Developed by Mawson Kerr architects the large Georgian house originally built in the 1700’s has been adapted to house 44 lifestyle lead luxury apartments. Historic relics from the house such as a bank vault, the cast iron range from the servant’s quarters and the sweeping grand staircase have been refined and lovingly restored within the apartment design.

Working with Head Designer, Rachel Bentley of Bentley Interior Design, Stylematters supplied over 100 pieces of custom furniture to compliment the design. Within the scheme was our beautiful Doorknocker chair, Charles dining chairs, and Seville sofas and Canterbury lounge chair which provided the perfect accompaniment to the luxury modern apartments.

Rachel Bentley said, “From our initial meeting with Stylematters, their team inspired myself and my clients with their unique showroom and products. The contemporary pieces that we installed at Roomzzz Friar House are of the best quality and look fantastic within the design.”

About Stylematters
Stylematters are designers and manufacturers of high quality bespoke furniture for the hospitality and leisure sectors. From its new 12,000 square foot design showroom and manufacturing facility in Cheshire, Stylematters provides furniture solutions to many of the leading names in UK hotels, restaurants and bars from independent boutique premises to larger multi-site locations including; Wyndham Grand Hotel, Chelsea Harbour, McDonald Hotels, Penny Hill Park Hotel and Fonab Castle.

Our team of in-house designers and skilled craftsmen work closely with architects and interior designers to provide effective and innovative furniture solutions for our clients. Stylematters has established a reputation for excellence in design, quality and service over many years.

The International export team at Panaz were delighted to receive the International Achievement award at the Red Rose awards dinner held at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool on Thursday 14th of March.Panaz is committed to providing exceptional service to its clients globally and is very proud of its International reach. This extensive global distribution arrangement allows Panaz products to be used and specified throughout the world with complete confidence.

From the moment an order arrives at the company freight arrangements are handled effectively and knowledgeably by the internal sales team to ensure no time is wasted in shipping orders to any area of the world. With global relevance in mind Panaz test all products in their portfolio to ensure that they pass International fire codes with required certification, all of which are available upon request.

The network of Panaz employees and International associates are also trained to offer local advice and service for installations and aftercare facilities. Panaz has an exceptional team travelling the world, backed up by highly skilled internal organisation in order to secure these export orders so valuable to the UK’s economy. With recent large orders received from Moscow, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Warsaw, Madagascar, Tangiers, Berlin and Athens, Panaz exclusive fabrics are destined for more luxurious locations around the world.

Third of our trio of budget hotels this month Travelodge starts the year with a major reworking of its jaded image and sales pitch. Losing ground to competitors like Premier Inn and Ibis Style, despite opening the greatest number of new rooms amongst the top ten hotel operators, Travelodge has struggled under a mountain of debt in recent years. A restructuring in 2012 has freed the company from this burden and with rejuvenated competition also coming from Ibis, the company’s refurbishment crew have moved into the flagship Covent Garden property with its 641 rooms as they start a £57 million refurbishment programme to restore the brand’s competitive edge.Designed by in house designer Frances Whitley the new look contains many references to the old, but looks fresh and contemporary. Like Ibis, Travelodge is attempting to claim the crown as the chain with the best bed with its newly designed bed, a claim Premier Inn already makes for it’s Hypnos bed and Ibis for its own newly developed offering. This bed skirmish outcrop from the bed wars started by Starwood many years ago (see, for example, this article from February 2006 or this Marriott offering from 2005), and maybe shows a belated recognition that even at the budget end of the market a guest looks first for a good night’s sleep.

Boss of Travelodge, Grant Hearn hasn’t moved very far from his days as part of the old Forte operation, being based in the same office just up the road from this flagship property at the heart of London’s major tourist area in Covent Garden. This is perhaps the reason that prototyping of the new room sets has been carried out at this hotel, but the designer has also worked with customer feedback to get the design right, and there is little to criticise about the clean, sharp result. One item excluded from the room is a phone, and this writer can testify to the need for this seemingly extraneous item to be still included in bedrooms even in these days of mobile phone usage.

Stricken with pain, I was unable to summon help and too weakened to be able to get to the door. To get help I had to use my mobile to dial the emergency services, who in turn had problems getting through the key card guard system to come to my aid. In some situations it seems a room phone is still a necessary piece of kit for an hotel bedroom.

In response to industry demand, Design at Knightsbridge has extended its Lucia collection to include new seating and tables for hospitality and corporate environments. Applications for the newcomers range from guest bedrooms and visitor lounges to reception areas, meeting rooms and breakout spaces. Distinguished by simple, clean lines and subtle retro-references, Lucia furniture enhances classical and contemporary interiors alike. In addition to the original upright chairs, the collection now includes compact club chairs, armchairs and twin/triple-seat sofas, all with under-frames in either natural timber or gracefully curving wire. For hotel bedrooms and executive settings, Lucia also embraces a series of desk chairs with rigid and swivel options: these feature either a fixed wire under-frame, a smart four-star base or a traditional cruciform base with castors and height adjuster. Completing the line-up are elegant lamp and coffee tables with lustrous timber tops on wire bases.

‘The inherent versatility of the Lucia concept has enabled us to extend the range of product options without compromising its timeless quality,’ says design consultant James A Wright, who has created the collection exclusively for Design at Knightsbridge.

Lucia upholstery is offered in fabric or hide which can be either customer-specific or drawn from the extensive Knightsbridge library. Show-wood comes in six standard finishes – Cherry, Mahogany, Natural Beech, Wenge, Walnut or Oak – or to order as required.

All Lucia seating and tables are manufactured at the Knightsbridge factory in Bradford using timber from renewable sources and wire under-frames produced in the UK. The company also demonstrates its commitment to sustainability through FSC, PEFC and FISP certification, ISO 14001:2004 accreditation for its environmental management system and BS EN ISO 9001:2008 quality management accreditation.

A dedicated sales division and supporting website are the global gateway to all Design at Knightsbridge collections of seating, tables and occasional furniture for the hospitality and corporate sectors. To view the full portfolio, visit www.design-at-knightsbridge.co.uk.

The Interiors Design Summit is a relaxed and stress-free way to discover the latest innovations and cost effective solutions within an ever changing environment. The Summit is being held on the 7th October 2013 at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel, London and follows the successful format of face to face meetings between Interior Design professionals and industry suppliers over the course of just one day.Amongst the 75 delegates who attended the 2012 Summit were Aedas Interiors, Conran And Partners, Dollar Global Corporation, Alexander James International, Dorbiere Ltd, Absolute Construction & Interiors, Fitness First, Matteo Bianchi Studio, who amongst them had various design projects in the pipeline ranging from Hotel chain refurbishment & design, gymnasium design, restaurant design & fit to purchase and refurbishment of high end residential homes in London. Delegates met with suppliers offering a full range of interior design solutions who were in attended for a full day of business meetings and networking.

“Thank you for a well organised efficient and up-to-date summit. I did not meet one person at the event who would not say the same”
Anna Hansson Design Ltd

“The Interiors Design Summit was a day out of the office well spent. Great to meet new suppliers and catch up with peers from the industry. Thanks for a well organised event”
Rethink Interiors

As well as the ample networking opportunities, The Interiors Design Summit also gives delegates the chance to attend free workshops and seminars throughout the day, presented by leading professionals. These inspirational, motivating and educational 45 minute sessions will cover key industry topics that are pertinent to your role.

Delegate registration for the 2013 Summit is completely free of charge including refreshments and networking lunch, attendance to all keynote seminars and personalised meetings itinerary.

For further information on availability or supplier costs contact Katie Kingsbury on 01992 374094 or email Katie on k.kingsbury@forumevents.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @intdesignsummit

Hill Cross Furniture are the leading suppliers of contract outdoor furniture. Their new bro-chure selection has been specifically tailored to suit the needs of the outdoor furniture mar-ket and to give you a taster of the type of outdoor furniture they supply.Hill Cross Furniture supplies a wide range of outdoor furniture from both traditional styles and weaves to contemporary plastic. For more information, please visit their website www.hillcrossfurniture.co.uk.

In their new general catalogue 2013/2014 Baulmann Leuchten is introducing another family of illuminated bathroom mirrors based on the latest LED-technology.As a standard in the Baulmann bathroom range, the product has a protection rating of IP44, which makes it suitable for the use in bathrooms and wet locations. The warm-white LED, integrated behind the frosted diffuser, provides an all-over glare free illumination.

Even though the overall height of the mirror is only 26mm the LED-driver is fully integrated in the housing.

As usual these mirrors can be produced in different individual sizes thanks to the flexibility of the integrated LED.

Editors note: Hyperlinks are provided throughout this article to the competitive set as seen in HotelDesigns

Just at the moment we seem to be going through a very competitive reappraisal by the brands of their budget offerings. Marriott, have launched Moxy with IKEA as their first partner, targeting 100 hotels. Barry Sternlicht of Louvre has been reworking Campanile and Kyriad, whilst Starwoods have over 50 sites in their recently launched Aloft. Travelodge of course, having survived a major scare with refinancing, have launched their reworked Travelodge room with a major rollout programme, and Accor have restructured their budget offering completely subsuming their All Season and Etap brands into Ibis to boost the numbers to become Europe’s numerical leader in this area.
Along with this increase in room numbers comes a brand reworking and HotelDesigns had a look at a couple of them. The first of these was the new build Ibis in Blackfriars, whilst the Ibis Styles in Docklands, next to the Excel exhibition centre is the focus of this Miniview. Premier Inn are market leaders in the UK and are starting to spread their wings with 3 now open in India and a couple in the Gulf. Accor’s Ibis is the brand leader in their depressed French home market and Ibis has for years been a steady choice for UK travellers in driving across Europe. As competition hots up I am starting to see ‘facilities creep’ in the provision – dedicated restaurants and bars being created where properties stood apart from but adjacent to separately operated restaurant provision previously.

Redesign, new styling, boutique styling are all labels that are being applied to the reworking at this level, partially at least under competitive pressure from new design oriented players such as Yotel, Citizen M and Tune. I would describe it as using design properly as part of the branding and marketing tools for the hotels. The hype of the brands about their new styling is as good as an admission that they did not pay enough attention to it in the past, and saw designer fees as an unnecessary expense. Operationally too they are upping their performance with Sleep guarantees and free WiFi provision for example. The Ibis Styles Excel is a conversion of the previous operation and is the opposite side of the DLR station to the Excel centre, so location is good for both delegates and tourists. Car parking is a great bonus, even if limited to the first 50 arrivals. The move by the owners to franchise Ibis Styles has already given a big uplift in occupancy

UK Shower manufacturer and designer, Roman Limited, have just completed a prestigious project on the Paradise Island Resort of Langkawi, Malaysia, supplying just over 300 Shower Enclosures, Wetroom Panels and Shower Trays. The resort includes a series of high specification holiday apartments which overlook a lagoon. The holiday apartments are set against a luxurious backdrop where cable cars run from the top of the mountains down to the nearby beach.

The upmarket resort called for Roman’s luxury 10mm thick glass Sculptures Range, along with their stylish Infinity Trays, for a designer finish. The specifiers also made use of the shower manufacturer’s Project Specification Guide, installing a series of bespoke options uniquely created to suit their brief.

The Infinity Tray range is new to the South East Asian market, having already become popular across the UK and Europe for the project market. They offer a ‘simulated’ wetroom look, with their level access and flawless finish, but with a quick and easy installation.

This is one of a number of high value specification projects that Roman is currently working on, following the launch of their specialist Project Specification Guide. The Guide was launched in October 2012 and was quick to scoop the Gold Award for Marketing at the 2012 Designer Kitchen and Bathrooms Magazine Awards in November.

The Project Specification Guide is available via a printed brochure or through a dedicated website, www.roman-showers.com/psg. It is designed for volume projects, where specifiers are looking for a tailor made solution.

David Osborne, Managing Director at Roman, commented: “We are delighted to have supplied showering solutions for such a high quality resort. The specifiers working on the holiday apartments were very specific about what they needed from a shower enclosure supplier – off the shelf would simply not work for every single apartment. The products installed included some standard products from our Sculptures range including; Wetroom Panels, Hinged Doors and Sliding Doors, but some of these were then tweaked to suit different apartments, using our Project Guide. We also introduced them to our Infinity Tray Range, which we know is something a bit different for this market. They liked the seamless look which was presented due to the waste being disguised with a solid surface cover, so were quick to add these onto the specification. The finished apartments look fantastic and our minimalist showering solutions work perfectly in the space.”

Forbes Group intends to make a real difference to its environmental impact with the latest addition to the range of fabrics in which it makes its table skirtings, chair covers, contemporary and cocktail table covers. EcoFab is a ground-breaking polyester fabric made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. As such, it has a double benefit for the environment: it requires up to 53% less energy to produce than virgin polyester, and it keeps plastic water bottles out of landfill.

In addition, EcoFab is highly practical in the hospitality environment. It has demonstrated impressive crease resistance (especially useful for chair covers, and for storing table skirting), repels stains, is machine washable and non-iron. Like other polyester fabrics, it is also soft yet hard-wearing and doesn’t shrink.

“We have long wanted to source a more environmentally-friendly fabric,” comments Anna Smarzak of Forbes, “but it had to work for our customers in the hospitality industry too. The fact that EcoFab’s stain-repellent and crease resistant properties were so good made it a winner for me. We think it’s the fabric of the future”.

For further information, please see Forbes Group’s website at www.forbesgroup.eu or telephone 01568 616 638.

One of the UK’s leading independent wallcovering manufacturer, Dixon Turner is pleased to introduce Brushed Steel to its Premier collection.Brushed Steel – a new fabric backed vinyl wallcovering. The delicate textured surface of Brushed Steel, combined with lustrous metallic print effects makes this new range a stunning addition to Dixon Turner’s extensive collection of contract vinyl wallcoverings. The reflective underlay of the texture contrasts with the fine raised filaments to make this product both sophisticated and chic.

The extensive colour palette features rich shades of plum and berry, along with earthy tones of moss, peat and sand. Pearlescent finishes have been applied to the paler colours to add a luxurious, yet usable look. As the product name suggests though, the focus of the palette is metallic, and with a wide variety of gold, silver, bronze and pewter hues, Brushed Steel is sure to create a talking point wherever it is used.

For more information onBrushed Steel or any other Dixon Turner designs, please contact our sales team on: 0870 606 1237, alternatively you can email sales@dixon-turner.co.uk

Stylematters has successfully supplied and installed the complete furniture and fixed seating within a 10 day period for Parma Restaurant in Knutsford. The restaurant is set to be a real gem in the community offering freshly prepared pizzas and pastas throughout the day using authentic Italian ingredients. Stylematters, along with our in-house design and fit out company Style Contracts, was delighted to be involved in the redesign of the site. The refurbishment features the design and fit out of a bespoke bar, a luxury mirror wall and a beautifully heated outdoor terrace.

David Oulsnam, chief executive of Style Contracts told us, “Our challenge was to transform the site from what once was a coffee shop into a distinguished yet inviting restaurant atmosphere. By rebranding and refurbishing the indoor dining and outside decking areas, we are very proud of the end result.”.

Working alongside Style Contracts, Stylematters delivered and installed all the fixed and loose seating including our flagship ‘Pickmere’ dining chairs and bar stools and light up ‘Ammici’ poseur tables along with our white marble tabletop. The overall design offers the perfect space to enjoy the freshly prepared delights of head chef, Claudio Iannetta.

Restaurant owner, Marco Dellapina announced, “We are thrilled with the high calibre design and quality of our new interior at Parma. It has been well received by our customers and has created a real buzz in the area.”.

Focus SB, played a part in preserving the Baroque interior of the Queen’s State Apartments at Hampton Court Palace.

When the Hampton Court Beauties exhibition ended in December, Harry Brimmel, maintenance manager at Hampton Court Palace, saw a rare window of opportunity to undertake some much needed re-wiring in the Queens State Apartments.On the surface, this rewiring job was simple: replace the old filament lights with LED’s, redundant wiring with new, and fit new light switches and electrical face plates. However, it took four months to complete, while usually a job such as this would take half that time.

“You simply cannot drill through walls here,” Harry explained. The historical significance of Hampton Court Palace meant the refurbishment had to be completed with minimal to no impact on the interior. If there were any changes to the external face, then these had to match the rest of the interior and go unnoticed.

Part of the characteristic of this job was to work around the palace’s grand interior and infrastructure. When preserving a historical treasure, time is not of the essence, but rather patience. So time was taken to thread cable from one room to the next by going up three stories and down again so not to make any fresh insertions into the walls. Pre-existing pathways were followed from lamp to socket to switch.

The electrical plates, the face of the re-wiring, were all made bespoke, in order to match the old, by Focus SB. The plates had to be approved by English Heritage. So, at first, a photograph of a Focus SB made plate was sent to them, and then a member of staff visited Hampton Court to view and give the go-ahead before they were installed. This planning process took around six weeks and Focus SB had to be prepared to make the alterations.

Harry commented: “The amount of work that went into this simple job is incredible. Focus SB was good to us; they were patient and empathetic. This was a very particular job and they never promised more than they could deliver.”

Once the electrical plates received approval they were placed into pre-existing holes in the skirting board. The finishes and design varied, for the Queen’s bedroom and drawing room, a bronze finished plate was used. For the Queen’s Court, sockets with primed flip lids were used. Once fitted, these were painted the same colour of the room and affectively hidden from view.

The Queen’s State apartments were built later than the Tudor Palace, which was constructed while Henry VIII reigned in the sixteenth century. Over a century later, Queen Mary attempted to rebuild Hampton Court Palace in a Baroque style and communicated opulence, power and Catholicism through the flamboyant interiors.

Continued on page two…

Elegant and practical the FLEX12 range from Style Seating is sure to be our best selling chair of 2013.Superior comfort, light weight and very practical. Available in your choice of upholstery colour to suit any design scheme.

To view the technical details and more options, please visit our website: www.styleseating.co.uk

UK Shower Manufacturer and Designer, Roman Limited, have launched a case studies section on their website, where their retailers and customers have the opportunity to send in their real life bathroom designs, to highlight how they have used Roman’s product range in a variety of different real life settings.The new section, called Your Bathrooms, is an opportunity for retailers, plumbers, bathroom designers and specifiers to show off their design skills, whilst also offering inspiration to end users.

All Your Bathrooms featured include details of the project, advice and specialist tips, along with an image of the completed bathroom. The retailer, plumber, designer or specifier is also then credited with their contact details and a link through to their website where relevant. All successful submissions are also shared across Roman’s social media network for maximum exposure.

As well as having their company promoted on the Roman website, every successful Your Bathroom that is published has an opportunity to win the ‘Your Bathroom of the Month’. The prize includes £50s in high street gift vouchers, promotion on the homepage of the Roman website and the case study being highlighted as the bathroom of the month across Roman’s social media platforms, for even further publicity.

Roman launched the Your Bathrooms section in response to their website statistics, which highlighted that one of the most visited sections on the website was a small real life case studies section. Further to this, research has proven that consumers research their bathroom online, before making a purchasing decision. They utilise the internet and purchase bathroom magazines to get inspired.

The shower manufacturer decided that the popular case studies section, which was relatively small, needed to expand, to highlight a wide range of different real life bathroom settings which feature Roman products, so they opened up the opportunity to their existing customer base.

The Your Bathrooms section launched at the beginning of February and Roman named Rawson’s Bathrooms in Sheffield, as the Your Bathroom of the month for February. The Sheffield based retailer sent in a completed bathroom design, which showed how a small space could be transformed into a dramatic bathroom.

Roman have set up an easy to use submission form on their website, where retailers, plumbers and bathroom designers can quickly and easily complete the required details and upload photos of the project.

David Osborne, Managing Director at Roman, commented: “We are keen to receive a wide variety of different bathroom designs, from really top end bathrooms, to small bathrooms, from budget bathrooms, to inclusively designed bathrooms. We are interested to receive bathrooms of every budget; whether they incorporate our designer Sculptures range right through to our affordable Haven range. We simply need a good clear picture of the completed bathroom.

“This is a fantastic way for our retailers and other customers to show off their bathroom design capabilities, and promote themselves to the end user, who we know researches online, before even stepping foot into a traditional retailer. Where case studies are of an exceptional standard, we will also work with the retailer to try and get these placed in consumer magazines, for even further publicity for the retailer.”

RHA Furniture offers an extensive range of bedside tables for residential and hotel projects.

The range offers a combination of custom made bedside tables in a variety of styles, alongside items from RHA Furniture’s new M18 and recently updated C5 collections.Custom made bedside tables can be ordered as standard items, alternatively they can provide inspiration for the creation of bespoke pieces made especially for your project. Made to any design specification and to meet any budget, all items are contract quality and beautifully made by UK and European craftsmen.

Bedside tables from RHA Furniture’s C5 collections offer a variety of attractive Italian designer pieces including beautiful wood veneers, leather, glass, mirror and high gloss lacquer finishes.

For a more transitional style RHA’s M18 bedside tables offer a range of art deco designs featuring fine veneers, glass mosaic, painted bronzes, hand painted porcelains and gold leaf details.

Like most of RHA Furniture’s products, the M18 range can be customised to meet your project specification and budget.

All these items are available from RHA Furniture; further details are available on the bedside tables section of their online product directory.

UK manufacturers of electrical accessories, Focus SB, are moving into new waters by bringing out a Home Automated Lighting system that, colloquially, has become known as HAL. Intelligent lighting, creative lighting solutions, smart home technology are all current terms being thrown around the market place to describe an integrated lighting, audio and visual control system and now, there is HAL by Focus SB.

Ross Thornhill, a Focus SB HAL product manager said: ‘Clients have come to us looking for a sophisticated means of controlling a lighting system that has pre-set scenes but they do not necessarily want to see complex control options.’

The Home Automated Lighting enables for lighting scenes to be set in a room to create a particular atmosphere. The lighting can also be programmed alongside the music and any visual capabilities a room has also.

One of the properties of this system is that it can also be wired to any electronic blinds or curtains and controlled from a remote control or mobile phone with GPS so, when someone returns homes the gates and curtains will open up in welcome.

Time For the Tech

On installations so far, the HAL 4 600 DS control panel has typically been mounted adjacent to the buildings electrical distribution board.

It has been suitable for controlling low and mains voltage filament lamps and compatible, dimmable, mains voltage led lamps. The HAL panel is networked to the wall mounted control plates with a CAT5/6 data cable.

Focus SB HAL wall mounted control plates can contain OLED display units that have an internal library of icons that can relate to the selected/ programmed scene. The scenes can be programmed for a room use, for example, ambience for entertaining.

For more information speak to an adviser at Focus SB: ross@focus-sb.co.uk

www.focus-sb.co.uk

At the Berlin International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), Marriott International announced the debut of MOXY HOTELS, its first entry into the economy tier, three-star hospitality segment in Europe. Designed to capture the rapidly emerging millennial traveller, the new brand combines contemporary stylish design, approachable service and, most importantly, an affordable price. The brand will debut in Italy, with the first MOXY HOTEL expected to open in Milan in early 2014.

To grow the brand rapidly, Marriott is working closely with Inter Hospitality, the real-estate affiliate of Inter IKEA, who will be the initial developer and owner of the first MOXY HOTELS properties. Marriott has selected Nordic Hospitality to be its first franchisee to operate the brand. Nordic Hospitality is an experienced hotel operator that currently manages several Marriott brand hotels in Scandinavia.

“MOXY HOTELS is the essence of the next generation traveller, not only Gen X and Y but people with a younger sensibility, for whom contemporary style is paramount,” said Arne Sorenson, President and CEO of Marriott International. “Every aspect of the hotel was thoughtfully researched and crafted to reflect and deliver on the changing lifestyles and expectations of this fast-growing customer segment. We believe Marriott will lead the way in redefining the traditional economy hotel experience throughout Europe. We are thrilled to be able to launch the brand with Inter Hospitality as an owner and Nordic as our franchisee. With a dedicated real estate partner and an experienced operator, we expect a fast start and the exceptional customer service that is associated with all of Marriott’s brands.”

Marriott plans to add 150 franchised MOXY HOTELS in Europe over the next 10 years, aiming for locations in Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, The Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The new brand will fuel Marriott’s companywide growth in the region, which is expected to reach 80,000 rooms by 2015.
Amy McPherson, president and managing director of Marriott International in Europe, added, “We see a huge opportunity to expand our market share in Europe with MOXY HOTELS. The economy tier in Europe represents nearly half of total room supply, yet only 20 percent of these hotels are branded. MOXYHOTELS will be a great addition to our portfolio of brands in Europe.”

Peter Andrews, managing director of Inter Hospitality, commented, “The agreement with Marriott and Nordic Hospitality gives us a great opportunity to use our development expertise to build a high-quality hotel property investment portfolio. Our initial focus is on acquiring sites for the new brand in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. Over the next 5 years we aim to secure at least 50 sites for development.”

MOXY HOTELS has been in development for nearly two years. Marriott, together with Nordic Hospitality, has conducted extensive consumer research across Europe including construction of sample rooms for focus group studies.

According to Ramesh Jackson, brand vice president of MOXYHOTELS, “No design element was too small to test with these tech-savvy consumers. We learned that these confident explorers are wildly self-sufficient, but still want a chance to connect with each other in inviting social spaces in person or digitally. Based on the concept test results we believe MOXYHOTELS will revolutionize the industry.”

Harald Jacobsen, President and CEO of Nordic Hospitality, stated: “We are proud to be part of the development of this brand and to be the preferred operating partner for MOXYHOTELS. We believe strongly in the competitiveness of the concept and we are convinced that our partnership with both Marriott and Inter Hospitality will result in a rapid development for MOXY HOTELS.”

The contemporary and stylish 150- to 300-room MOXYHOTELS, which are being designed with the goal of attaining LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, will cater to today’s budget-minded, savvy travellers who thrive on self-service and embrace new technology. Guestrooms will be functional and well-designed, with upscale bath amenities, large flat screen televisions and built-in USB ports located within each wall socket. The colour palette features calming neutral tones reminiscent of rich brown leather, combined with natural materials to evoke an organic, comfortable and restorative feel. Each room will also feature a floor to ceiling signature “art wall” that is hand selected to reflect the local city or surroundings.

MOXY HOTELS will feature adaptable public spaces for guests to relax and socialize offering healthy continental breakfast and an evening bar featuring wines by the glass and local brews. In addition, hotels will have two “Plug and Meet” meeting spaces on the lobby level designed with modern ergonomic seating, large writing walls and 56-inch televisions for presentation projection. The lobby will boast state-of-the art computers and 24/7 market featuring snacks and drinks.

Guests will enjoy free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and may opt to check in using their mobile devices.

The Viaduct design is now available from the Contract Chair Company and is a well priced and versatile range of furniture suitable for restaurant and bar areas.The range comprises stacking side and armchairs with upholstered seat and back panel with the reverse also being upholstered giving that elegant look from all angles, along with a slatted back design both in armchair and side chair versions. Both ranges also come with matching barstools.

Please contact sales@thecontractchair.co.uk or call 0800 8494 135 with your enquiries and we will be pleased to offer you our best prices.

Previewed at this years’ KBB in Birmingham, the Simpsons new range of Elite shower enclosures received unprecedented interest. The bright chromed enclosures are now available throughout the UK. The Elite range comprises hinged and sliding doors, side panels, single and double door quadrant options. Doors are fully reversible with a noteworthy 40mm adjustment for easy installation in any bathroom. The brightly chromed aluminium profiles create a coordinated design statement by complementing the chrome finish on shower valves, bath and basin taps and accessories.

The 8/6mm toughened glass used throughout the Elite range is supplied with Simpsons Clear Glass protection completely free. The invisible coating provides a barrier against the damaging and ageing effects caused by everyday toiletries like shower gel, shampoo as well as lime scale and mildew. To make cleaning even easier the sliding doors and Quadrants are supplied with quick-release rollers.

Simpsons Product Manager Lee Talon commented, “We received great feedback on the design features of the Elite range. We listened to our customers and incorporated many of their suggestions, and in so doing, we feel the range is in a class of its own and a potential market leader.”

Simpsons Elite Benefits and Features:

• Lifetime guarantee
• Power shower proof
• Reversible design
• Quick release easy clean rollers (sliders and quadrants)
• 40mm adjustment for uneven walls
• A comprehensive range of widths and designs to suit all installations
• A portfolio comprising showers, trays and accessories

www.simpsons-enclosures.co.uk

In competitive times, making your customers feel pampered can keep you ahead. Forbes table protectors slip between your tables and linen and cushion the table top to give your guests a superior dining experience.While your customer relaxes into the dining equivalent of a well-padded sofa, you can enjoy the fact that the table protector reduces noise, protects the table from the rigours of daily use, wipes clean and is easy to fit.

A generous layer of leatherette bonded to soft felt, the table protector is cut to size, so can be tailored to any table shape. It can also be supplied with an elasticated band to anchor the protector to the table, or used in conjunction with Simple-fit table skirting for a luxury dining experience.

Forbes table protector is also available for use on room service tables or rectangular buffets, with an optional Velcro lip edge.

To find out more or to discuss the options, please speak to one of our customer advisors. We shall be delighted to help.

Call us on 01568 616638 or email at info@forbesgroup.eu

Bradford-based Knightsbridge Furniture has donated two trucks to the Yorkshire Aid Convoy to help in the charity’s annual delivery of clothing, medical equipment and other essential supplies to Eastern Europe. The pair of 12-tonne Mercedes Benz trucks have just been collected from Knightsbridge headquarters on Thornton Road and will be put to work immediately, forming part of an aid convoy which leaves for Romania in early March.

‘With our own strong local roots, we were delighted to be able to support this Yorkshire-based charity in such a practical way,’ said Knightsbridge MD Alan Towns as he handed over the keys.

Driving one of the trucks away was Yorkshire Aid Convoy trustee and volunteer Gary Dooley. ‘Millions of families in Romania and the Ukraine face a lack of food, clothing, education and employment every day,’ he reflected. ‘With help from companies like Knightsbridge, we can make a real change to their lives.’

Knightsbridge Furniture designs and manufactures seating, tables and bedroom furniture for the international healthcare and hospitality market. The company has been based in Bradford since its formation some 70 years ago.

The progress of the Knightsbridge trucks as they travel across Europe can be followed at www.yorkshireaidconvoy.co.uk

The brand new Villeroy & Boch Omnia Architectura DirectFlush WC is its first wall-mounted WC with a flushing volume of just 3/4.5 litres. The pan has no rim whatsoever, making it easy to clean and very family friendly. The WC features timeless and dynamic design, with its compact form making it perfect for bathrooms of all shapes and sizes.

Making cleaning even easier, the WC is available in Villeroy & Boch’s revolutionary dirt resistant ceramic – CeramicPlus. Taking only 10% of the time to clean compared to standard ceramic sanitaryware, CeramicPlus not only looks fantastic but offers a permanent high quality finish.

The WC is available with a quick release seat and cover, as well as soft closing hinges. Priced from £382 and measures 37 x 53 cm.

The Seville design from Stylematters is a contemporary twist on a vintage wing chair design. Equally in vogue whether you select a combination of the latest designer ranges of fabric, or opt for subtle, understated classics, and let the form do the talking. Our in-house designers introduced this new range in response to demand from customers in the restaurant and hotel sector. We listened to our customers, interpreted their needs and ideas, and the result is stylish, up to the minute products.The Seville collection is an ideal solution for any hotel, restaurant or gastro pub looking to accommodate their customers in harmony and comfort.

The range comprises high and low back lounge chairs, sofas and even footstools in both plain and deep buttoned backs. The modern design creates both comfort and looks for a truly custom solution. And it doesn’t stop there – the same attention to detail goes into the construction; from kiln-dried hardwood frames, to the specialist high-resilient upholstery, and reflex seat cushions, meaning that your customers enjoy the ergonomic design, whilst your seating always looks great.

All our furniture is available in any contract fabric or leather and can be customised to match your venue and tastes.

Stylematters manufacture all of our bespoke furniture here in our UK factory, so we have the ability to offer a truly bespoke in-house solution. If you would like more details on our products or have a product you would like to develop give us a call now on 0844 880 6620.

UK Shower Manufacturer and Designer, Roman Limited have reported that their yearlong social media campaign, which saw them documenting a year in their life through photos, was a fantastic success.The company published a photo every working day throughout 2012 – there was a total of 252 working days for the company during 2012, so they titled the campaign Project 252. The photos were uploaded daily to the company’s Flickr page; from here they were also shared across the company’s Twitter and Facebook pages, with them then being added on a weekly basis to the Roman website.

The stats from the Flickr page highlight that the photos have so far received 38,779 views (as of 4th February), and averaged around 3,000 views per month during 2012, when the campaign was running.

The photos showcased all different aspects of the business, from pictures of the products being manufactured on the shop floor, to customer service operatives receiving chocolates from grateful customers, from new showroom displays being installed, to the company Directors and Area Managers out on the road travelling the country. Our suppliers and customers also got involved by sending in their Roman related pictures.

The most viewed photo was Roman’s April Fools prank, which showed the company announcing a ground-breaking new ‘cordless’ shower, which was of course a spoof. This picture alone received 401 views. Locations for the photos came from far and wide, with pictures being taken in Malaysia, Dubai, Qatar, Hong Kong, Malta, Amsterdam and France, as well as all over the UK, from Stornoway down to Maidstone.

David Osborne, Roman’s Managing Director, commented: “We were thrilled with the impact Project 252 had. Not only were we getting high numbers of views for each photo, but many of our followers also shared the pictures across their own social networking pages. We managed to cover every aspect of the business, as well as photographing the majority of the staff at one time or another throughout the campaign. It became a real talking point amongst our customers, who soon began submitting photos for inclusion themselves. We will keep the library of photos as a permanent section on the Roman website and we have also created a printed booklet featuring every photo, which makes a fabulous keepsake.”

Scotscape Ltd is proud to announce the launch of a new product line at this year’s Ecobuild Exhibtion. Available in the UK for the first time, the SlimgreenWall system offers the perfect solution to cost effective interior vertical greening, in an aesthetically pleasing and easy to use unit.Exclusively available via Scotscape Ltd, the SlimgreenWall is perfect for use in offices, hotels, spas, hospitals, shopping centres, restaurants, bars or private properties. The system operates independently making it easy to install and maintain. It offers a fresh alternative to traditional pot/plant combinations, clean, vibrant and easy to maintain, a great space saver and eye catching.

Each living picture can be planted to incorporate clients’ preferences – imagine a herb wall in a restaurant or even in a domestic kitchen!

SlimgreenWall is available in three ready-made sizes but can also be made to bespoke specifications with a variety of frame finishes available including brushed stainless steel, steel and wood.

The benefits of plants in interior settings are far reaching – plants purify the air and generate oxygen, thus leading to a healthy work environment. SlimgreenWalls assist with noise reduction and create relaxing and rejuvenating environments.

Visit the Scotscape at Ecobuild 2013 – 5-7th March to see these fantastic systems in action.
Stand S1940.

Dernier & Hamlyn’s Royal Warrant for bespoke lighting manufacture and restoration was recently renewed following a comprehensive review by the Lord Chamberlain’s Committee that included the need for the London-based lighting specialists to provide evidence of the goods and services supplied to the Royal Household over the past five years. Dernier & Hamlyn is one of only 800 companies that have been granted a Royal Warrant and puts them beside an eclectic mix of companies representing all manner of trades which play an important part in the running of the Royal Households and whose aim is to continue to offer the quality and reliability which initially gained them their Royal Warrant of Appointment.

Contra Curtains Ltd has recently completed the manufacture and installation of soft furnishings to 111 bedrooms and suites at The Ampersand Hotel, London.The luxury hotel rooms in Kensington are inspired by the local London neighbourhood, with the design of the rooms referencing five central concepts – botany, music, geometry, ornithology and astronomy. Contra supplied all of the soft furnishing items to the bedrooms and various public spaces.

Working together with the design team at Dexter Moren Associates the bedrooms were completed on time and within budget.

Fameed Khalique is delighted to introduce a new collection of leather wallcoverings from Studioart to the UK following its latest launch at Maison et Objet. As both sumptuous leather and 1960s tessellated patterns graced the catwalks of the fashion capitals in 2012, Fameed Khalique aims to translate and re-interpret these key trends into interiors for 2013.Fameed’s background in the leather industry led to a natural affinity with pioneering Italian leather interiors brand Studioart, compelling him to bring the collections to a new audience in the UK and beyond. Just as leather served as a guiding light for Fameed when building his company, leather is also at the core of Studioart’s creative journey, enhancing its use in interior design for both private residences and commercial spaces.

Studioart is committed to relentless research in its quest for unique patterns, structures and textures that will complement a wide range of environments. From subtle, calm designs to high-octane, colour-blocked geometrics, its collections open up many possibilities in classic and contemporary schemes.

Among the new collections, Watersuede: a velvet suede effect reinterpreted with unusual shapes. Seen here with the flat and padded finish of Pattern 8. The layout of various shapes in opposite directions creates an interesting optical effect.

The mosaics and tiles in the City line are made with full grain leather which is smooth to the touch and available in a rich palette of colours. City is highly resistant to wear and fading, making it ideal for residential and contract use.

The Pearl collection, made from pure aniline leather, is dyed without covering the surface so that the leather retains the hide’s natural ‘grain’. This beautiful leather is extremely delicate to the touch. Pearl is available in several colours and each piece bears a unique vein structure. Matt metallic dust, wax and oils are used to give a final luminescent layer.

The Luxury collection offers one geometric pattern of leathers in different shapes, and finishes. Full grain leather and suede in solid colours are mixed and matched with the iridescent, leathers which are embossed or embellished with decorations inspired by sumptuous brocades.

Geo is an Earth inspired collection. The 4 Geo finishes (Old Boy Reshape, Dryland, Serpentola and Schizo Chic) interpret the earthy look: Cracks, craquelé and vintage effects are obtained through specific treatments and are the main distinctive characters of the Geo tiles.

ME by Meliá will officially launch its flagship hotel, ME London, on 1st March 2013 – a design-led, lifestyle hotel located at the centre of the capital’s diverse art and culture district.Foster + Partners’ first UK hotel project and the first for which they have designed all of the interiors and exteriors, ME London is situated in Marconi House, the original London home of BBC radio.

The property has 157 guest rooms, including 16 suites and ultra-luxurious Suite ME, a two-storey penthouse located in the turret of the building. All have sumptuous bedding, bathrooms with spa-like rain showers and premium amenities, as well as access to the hotel’s integrated digital media hub.

The interiors fuse contemporary detailing and classic traditions, with a dramatic monochrome palette, as guests move from dark to light spaces.

Exceptional dining is located within the hotel including Radio roof top bar, offering a stunning panoramic view of London; STK steakhouse and grill who are celebrated for their lively vibe; Cucina Asellina for a contemporary take on rustic Italian food and the Marconi Lounge, an ideal meeting place, open all day.

The hotel also has an on-site fitness centre and offers in room relaxation and spa treatments.

ME by Meliá is for cultured, fashionable guests who are driven by new experiences and opportunities. The brand has been built on first-rate service, and ME London will be no exception. Each guest’s stay will be orchestrated by the dedicated Aura Manager, whose job it is to know the city back-to-front and use this knowledge to make the hotel’s service truly bespoke.

UK based furniture designer and manufacturer Burgess Furniture is pleased to announce that we are again attending ScotHot at the SECC Glasgow from the 4th – 6th March 2013.Burgess has been at the forefront of banqueting and conference furniture design for over 50 years and is winner of a Queens Award for International Trade, an accolade we are very proud of.

2013 is a special year as ScotHot are celebrating 40 years of hosting the show and Burgess are also launching our new banqueting and conference chair at ScotHot called MENDOLA.

Other products that will be on our stand; our original Slimfold banqueting table, cleverly designed BuffetCube table and our stylish Configure-8 and Configure-8 Flip-Top tables which are perfect for any meeting, conference or boardroom. From our Classic chair range we will be exhibiting our Turini, Fiora, Cello and Comfort-Flex and from our Design chair range we will be showing off our Flexe, Flair, Vio, Sentrum and Orvia.

The Orvia Chair, which was designed in collaboration with FIRA and their leading Ergonomics Consultant Levent Caglar, was awarded the FIRA Ergonomics Excellence Award last year.

Burgess has an extensive range of chairs, tables and accessories to meet all of your hospitality requirements.

Visit our stand 4610 so we can discuss your requirements and demonstrate our products to you.

A new range of dining and lounge chairs from Kesterport is characterised by a complex skeletal structure that shows the personality of the chair and defines it as an almost sculptural object.Solid natural materials devoid of edges radiate warmth, strength and stability, and invite you to sit down and enjoy…

For enquiries please contact the contract sales office on 01932 573600 or visit our website site at www.kesterport.com.

Birmingham-based Heritage Silverware was on show at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France last week following a special collaboration with Simpson’s head chef, Adam Bennett.Adam represented the UK in the world final of Bocuse d’Or – finishing fourth overall, the UK’s highest-ever ranking in the competition – and won the title of best meat dish for his oak-smoked beef fillet and boiled beef and carrots, which was presented on bespoke silverware created by Heritage.

Heritage Silverware spent over 500 hours manufacturing 115 pieces for Adam’s menu including miniature hand-blown glass cloches, specially selected pieces of British oak and silver-plated oak leaves.

Designer Nathalie McDonagh worked with Adam Bennett over the past year to create a completely new concept to complement his menu and fulfil the criteria of the competition. Speaking about the range, Nathalie said:

“Heritage has been privileged and honoured to work with Adam on his entry to the Bocuse d’Or, which is widely acknowledged as the biggest and most prestigious chefs’ competition in the world. We have nothing but huge admiration for the amount of time and dedication that he has put in, and Birmingham can feel immensely proud of his achievements.”

Based in Small Heath, Birmingham, Heritage Silverware was founded in 1976 and manufactures for clients across the world including The Ritz, The Dorchester and the Orient Express.

Decorative electrical wiring accessories, audio and lighting controls manufacturer Hamilton Litestat has extended its Eurofix range, which offers complete flexibility for British and European overseas projects where a range of international appliances may be used, such as hotels. Eurofix plates contain European style apertures into which the various inserts can be clipped, yet are fitted in the usual way into British Standard wall boxes.

New inserts for 2013 include universal, USA (NEMA) and European (schuko) sockets, and a USB charging point, which join the existing range of AV, data, TV, satellite and hotel card switch inserts.

The Eurofix range is available across most of Hamilton’s stylish plate designs, making it suitable for all types of interior from contemporary to traditional.

The Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen will present itself from 12 to 16 March at the ISH in Frankfurt/Main (hall 3.1/stand B 51) with a fireworks display of new products and innovations. One of the highlights will be the products made from the new material SaphirKeramik (Sapphire Ceramics), by means of which the company has set out to initiate a fundamental change in the design vocabulary of ceramics. But new fittings and further developments of existing product lines, such as the latest additions to the Palomba collection, will also be on display at the Swiss bathroom specialist’s stand.At the ISH 2013, Laufen is lifting the veil from its new SaphirKeramik just slightly by showing two very delicate washbasin bowls made of the innovative material as pilot examples. Thanks to its extreme hardness and bending strength, SaphirKeramik permits extremely thin-walled designs and narrow radii without compromising on stability and break resistance. Wall thicknesses of no more than about 4 mm and defined edges with radii of 1 to 2 mm are possible. “The ISH is the ideal platform for starting a revolution in the design of bathroom ceramics”, says Alberto Magrans, Senior Managing Director of Laufen, “and I am certain that we will surprise the industry with our novelties made of SaphirKeramik.” The outstanding level of innovation of the new ceramic material also impressed the expert jury, which granted this material the Designplus Award offered by Messe Frankfurt in cooperation with the German Design Council.

The washbasin bowls made of SaphirKeramik were created by the designer Andreas Dimitriadis based in Stuttgart (platinumdesign). “The new ceramic material from Laufen offers me unprecedented creative scope in design and requires a whole new way of thinking”, Dimitriadis comments enthusiastically. “We now think in terms of precise edges and slender wall thicknesses instead of surfaces and tolerances”. Of course the effect of the new “sapphire” basins on viewers also had to be considered anew, since they were to retain the natural, man-made character of ceramics in spite of all their preciseness, and feature well-balanced, harmonious proportions.

Laufen will also present two new series of fittings at the ISH, Cityplus and Twinplus, designed by Andreas Dimitriadis as well. Cityplus is a genuine icon of urban lifestyle, which stands out by its generous surface design and clean, horizontal lines. The Twinplus stands out by its slender, puristic geometries, which please the eye in bathroom interiors by their architectural unpretentiousness. Both series of fittings include the complete range and, thanks to their excellent functionality, offer users great convenience and top quality in the bathroom.

The latest additions to the Palomba Collection, which have already won several awards, will also be shown at the ISH in their entirety for the first time in Germany. The models taking the centre stage among the novelties will be the floorstanding Menhir washbasin, which recalls a rock formed and polished by the tides, and a unique bathtub with dynamic, asymmetrical geometries and a high back. Four new countertop washbasins, two washbasin bowls and a range of new bathroom furniture are grouped around these main protagonists. “The new products of the Palomba Collection are only the tip of the iceberg”, says Magrans, “since our portfolio includes many more new solutions, designs and innovations – our visitors will be in for a few surprises!”

UK Shower Manufacturer and Designer, Roman Limited, have re-launched their website with a new look and feel, along with incorporating a number of new features and sections.The homepage has received most of the attention and has been designed to allow visitors to quickly link through to the most popular sections on the website. These include the Showroom Locator, so visitors can easily find their nearest displaying retailer; the Guarantee Database, so visitors can quickly register their Truelife, Lifetime Guarantee; the Brochure Request forms; and the Product Pages.

The homepage also features a useful drop down navigation bar at the side to allow visitors to quickly search by product type or range type. This is particularly valuable for general consumers, who are often unfamiliar with specific enclosure styles, as it includes line drawings to illustrate what the different enclosure styles are, helping them beat the jargon.

As a keen user of social media, Roman has also included a ‘social bar’ at the footer of the website, which quickly links through to their social media pages, as well as publishing the company’s latest tweets and blogposts. Roman is active across all of the key social media sites, including; Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, You Tube and Flickr.

The website, which was launched back in November 2011, has experience a surge in visitors in comparison to the company’s previous website, so the manufacturer is keen to maintain this trend, by giving it an annual review and revamp, as well as by adding new sections and refreshing it on a more regular basis, in between revamps, to make sure the website is always completely up to date.

The website’s new look features a softer, on trend colour pallet which perfectly complements their stylish range of showers. The new look makes the website even more inviting for all users, from general consumers, through to the company’s retailers, and from architects, through to plumbers.

David Osborne, Managing Director of Roman, comments: “We are delighted with the overall new look of our website and are sure our visitors will find this even simpler to navigate. The website still contains all the same information, but is laid out so that it is all easier to find. We have also included some new pages and sections, including a FAQs page. This has been driven with the help of our in house Customer Relations team, who have supplied us with some of the most common queries they hear on a day to day basis – we expect this to be particularly useful for those installing the products. We have also added some language specific landing pages to our Export section, these include; French, Spanish, Italian and German, to cater for our rapidly increasing Export market. Our website is totally flexible so will continue to grow and change in response to our customers’ needs.”

The Contract Chair Company are forever improving their relationships with their suppliers so that they can offer the best price structures and products to their clients.We have recently teamed up with Tirolo from Italy to offer their complete range to the Hotel and Restaurant sectors, with one of the largest product ranges of restaurant chairs, lounge and bar chairs, hotel bedroom chairs and tables, both dining and occasional. This enhances our overall offerings to the market place.

We have many pieces in our showroom in Hammersmith to view and have supplied the Chicago, Ginevra and Boston to various hotel sites recently. Site photos to follow.

Please contact sales@thecontractchair.co.uk to discuss your requirements or to receive a catalogue showing the full range.

www.contractchair.co.uk

Created under the direction of Italian interior designer, Marco Viola, the new Capri Range from Hill Cross Furniture offers ease of use within design schemes as well as boasting many variations to help suit any venue or existing style.A comfortable clean look chair with solid beech wood frame and four round tapered legs. Fully upholstered back pad with exposed seat rail and an upholstered ‘wrap over’ seat pad. The Capri side chair can be upholstered in customer’s choice of fabric.

Ideal airport lounge or hotel lobby furniture. There are various matching products available so please contact Hill Cross Furniture for more details.

RHA Furniture introduces a new range of Art Deco furniture for residential and hotel projects.

The Gallery collection features decorative cabinets, tables and consoles which would be perfectly suited to a hotel lounge, lobby/reception or bar area.The characteristics of these pieces are their decorative shapes, colours and fine carved detail. Pieces from the collections are made from high quality material, fine veneers, painted bronzes, hand painted porcelains and gold leaf.

Each item is a work of art as well as a piece of furniture.

Items featured in this article are from the Gallery, Brooklyn, Nicea and Atria collections. Together they offer a diverse choice of beautifully crafted tables, seating and cabinets.

In addition to these established collections, bespoke pieces can be made to meet your exact specification.

All these items are available for purchase from RHA Furniture. Further details and a PDF catalogue are available on the transitional furniture section of RHA Furniture’s website.

Scotscape have designed, supplied, installed and are maintaining a variety of Living Wall systems at Sheffield University for research and development purposes.Working in partnership with the University of Sheffield, this unique 12 month programme will assess the relative performance of each Living Wall type – including hydroponic, compost, stainless steel wire and Ivysystems. Control panels have already been installed and are now being monitored to assess the products’ performance over a range of environmental conditions.

The benefits of living walls in terms of providing habitats for essential invertebrate life, birds and bees is also being assessed across Scotscape’s living wall portfolio, by the proactive charity Buglife. Quarterly analytical assessments are undertaken to monitor the rich variety of ‘birds, bugs and bees’ which gravitate to areas of biodiversity in urban areas.www.buglife.org.uk

In line with our commitment to sustainability and biodiversity, Scotscape are maintaining the living wall at Edgeware Road station. Transport for London commissioned this green wall to counter air pollution on the corner of Edgeware and Marylebone Roads. Funded by the government’s Clean Air Fund, this wall is being monitored by Imperial College to assess the chosen plants for their ability to remove particulate matter from the air.

Commenting on the programme, Scotscape’s Managing Director, Angus Cunningham said: “Sheffield University has an enviable reputation for the quality of its research into sustainable building materials and we’re absolutely delighted to be sponsoring and working with the research team on this particular programme, which will enable future clients to select the system most appropriate for their budget and sustainable infrastructure goals. This is the most comprehensive piece of research ever undertaken into the thermal benefits of Living Walls and we’re looking forward to seeing the results in the autumn of 2013’’.

For further enquiries please do not hesitate to contact Anna Roochove on +44 (0) 7500 708 687 annar@scotscape.net.

First seen two years ago as a prototype, Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen has launched two new washbasin bowls manufactured from its revolutionary new ceramic SaphirKeramik.With a name that alludes to the addition of the mineral corundum, a component of sapphire also used in the watch industry as sapphire glass dials, SaphirKeramik is considerably harder and has a greater flexural strength.

SaphirKeramik is a new generation ceramic material that can generate completely new shapes. Closely defined radii and edges are now possible akin to those seen in pieces constructed from solid surfaces, along with much thinner walls making each ceramic piece up to 40% lighter than if it were made with traditional ceramic materials. The superior hardness of the material opens up new design possibilities, particularly with regard to the radii of the products: 1-2-mm radii for edges and 2 mm radii for corners are technically feasible with the new SaphirKeramik. The norm for classic ceramics is radii from 7mm to 8 mm.

Previously manufacturers had the choice of vitreous china and fine fireclay. Vitreous china excels due to the waterproof qualities of the surface – water absorption is virtually zero – and it therefore meets the highest hygiene requirements for WCs and urinals. Soft, round and flowing shapes can be readily achieved with this material when combined with the appropriate know-how of the manufacturer. However, the arbitrary shrinkage of the material during the drying and firing stage means the manufacturing process is difficult to control.

Fireclay has until now been the ceramic of choice for manufacturing very large ceramic pieces. Here, the classic ceramic mass (slurry) is stabilised with the addition of pre-fired clay (chamotte) which enables large ceramic pieces such as double washbasins or floorstanding washbasin pedestals to be produced.

With SaphirKeramik from Laufen shapes that were previously not possible with ceramic can be created, due to the hardness of the material. A more delicate design language, more defined in shape and line, becomes possible – exactly matching the ideas behind contemporary architectural design. Designs that were deemed to be only suitable for solid surface pieces can now be achieved in ceramic, meaning that all the benefits which ceramic has in the bathroom can be exploited: not only can absolute hygiene be achieved, the material is also not harmed by abrasive or chemical cleaning agents.

Ceramic is also an environmentally friendly and sustainable product, largely consisting of the natural and widespread raw materials kaolin, clay, feldspar and quartz sand. It can therefore be produced economically in large quantities, can be safely used in the bathroom in contact with drinking water for many years and is completely recyclable at the end of a long product life.

The first products to be manufactured from this revolutionary material are two washbasins, a square version measuring 360mm x 360mm and a rectangular version measuring 600mm x 340mm.

Dr. Werner Fischer, Research Director at Laufen, developed the SaphirKeramik together with his team and various university research institutes. The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing in Berlin (BAM) examined the flexural strength of the material and measured an average of over 120 kp/mm² – which is comparable with steel and twice as high as that of vitreous china.

The exact recipe, according to Dr. Werner Fischer, was developed through half a decade of research and development – and is Laufen’s best kept secret.

Created under the direction of Italian interior designer, Marco Viola, the new Montreal Range from Hill Cross Furniture offers ease of use within design schemes as well as boasting many variations to help suit any venue or existing style.The Montreal Range comprises of a side chair, arm chair, bar stool and arm chair, all with a fully upholstered back with a rectangular decorative shape cut out at the bottom. They have an upholstered seat pad with show wood seat rail and top rail and rounded tapered legs.

The solid beech frame is available in various stain finishes and can be upholstered in any fabric of customers choice.

Click here to view the full range.

Ultimate Contract is pleased to announce they are now a UK distributor of Stokke’s HandySitt Highchair. This product offers both the stylish features of our existing products and a practical, unique functionality restaurants need.Stokke is a Norwegian furniture company focussed purely on making the younger generations more comfortable. They have many products but it is the sheer genius and practicality of their HandySitt product that has us excited to be a part of their mission.
This product is already popular throughout the world but Stokke has invited Ultimate to promote and sell into the UK market.

Features
The Handysitt highchair boosts many exciting features including its efficiency. The seat is sturdy, safe to assemble and it complies with all relevant safety standards set out worldwide.

The seat is also very flexible. The base will fit into an existing chair up to 41cms wide and is easy to remove if not in use. Its flexibility also shines through its range; no longer will you have to keep multiple products for children of different ages as the HandySitt caters for children from 6 months to 5 years old.

Arguably the most defining part of this product has to be the space saving feature. The HandySitt can replace those tall, clumsy looking high chairs that sit in the corner of the restaurant blocking serving isles and taking up valuable table space. Each seat comes equipped with clips to attach them to a simple wooden bar on a wall or partition; enabling handy, out of the way storage.

Available in three colours Red, White and Black this stylish product is sure to be a hit with restaurateurs and club owners across the country. So order yours now and give those little ones a safe, comfortable and enjoyable seating experience when they come to visit your establishment.

Leading UK shower manufacturer and designer, Roman Limited has joined 20-20 Technologies, which will see their entire range of Shower Enclosures, Bath Screens and related products being listed on the design service’s software, Fusion.20-20 Fusion is becoming one of the leading names in bathroom planning and many of Roman’s key retail partners already use it to create virtual bathroom designs for their customers. Roman has responded to a number of requests from customers to join the service – having already listed products through another leading design service for many years now.

All of Roman’s ranges are now available on the software, from their indulgent Sculptures range, through to their high quality and affordable Haven range. Roman’s wide range of Shower Valve options and high quality Accessories are also available through the software.

With the Fusion design package, retailers can create photo-like bathroom designs as well as generate and play movies, allowing their customers to take a virtual tour of the bathroom design.

David Osborne, Managing Director at Roman, commented: “One of the services which can really set highstreet retailers apart is offering a bathroom design service. As a UK manufacturer we understand the importance of this added value service, so making our portfolio available for use on planning tools is something which we support as a supplier.

“At Roman, many of our enclosures feature totally unique footprints and designs, so having our products available for retailers to access when designing bathrooms, is essential. Further to this many of our designs are ‘solution’ products, for interior design problems. Sometimes it can be difficult to communicate this via traditional display settings. Products such as our Colossus or Trapezium work off minimal wall space with footprints that ensure they avoid windows and door frames, whilst delivering a huge active showering space. The 20-20 bathroom planning software can really demonstrate to customers how these products can work in their space.”

Simon Purves, Independent Sales Director of 20-20 Technologies, said: “The whole 20-20 team is dedicated to working closely with the widest range of manufacturers possible within the bathroom sector, are we are delighted to now include Roman as part of our portfolio. This ensures our software offers the biggest choice of manufacturers’ ranges and options to deliver accurate catalogues, designs and pricing to our customers.”

Penwith Upholstery are a small close–knit team and they live, work and are based in Cornwall, but operate nationally. As one of their London projects, they are very proud to have been chosen to supply bespoke seating to a new Mexican-themed nightclub in London.Public founder and close personal friend of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Guy Pelly has opened this new project in Sloane Square with partner Marc Burton. This fabulous new cocktail bar and nightclub has a very exciting concept generating a very classy atmosphere, and with a train that drops drinks off at your table!

The beautiful leather seating booths designed for the comfort of London’s elite were manufactured and installed by Penwith Upholstery, who worked closely with Guy and the highly innovative team from Dtwo Design, to ensure perfection in every detail.

‘Thank you so much for all Penwith’s hard work with this project and you can really see that it has paid off as the booths and seating areas look absolutely stunning’
Guy Pelly

We also have many exciting new projects currently happening in Cornwall, and would like to hear from you if you have any plans for refurbishment or any new upholstery projects.

Please call me on +44 (0) 7714 678900 if you wish to discuss any of your requirements.

Peter Bawden
Penwith Upholstery

Hillswood are very pleased to add the Sofia design to their collection. The moulded tub chairs are available in two sizes, low back and high back, both with sculptured shaped arms. To complement these chairs there is also a bar stool with gas lift rise and fall, all on a polished chrome or stainless steel base and column with foot rest. The sculptured shape to the seat and back give an extremely comfortable “wrap around feeling”. Great attention has been given to the feature stitching on these pieces and as our images show, we can use contrast or self colour stitching.

These designs would be equally suitable in executive bedroom suites, hotel lobbies, lounges and bars.

UK fashion retailer River Island’s new flagship store, which won Shop Fit / Design of the Year at the BCSC Gold Awards, is based in the heart of Westfield Stratford City – the largest shopping centre in Europe. For the shop interior, River Island turned to contract furniture and lighting specialists Andy Thornton to help create a stand-out, cutting-edge look befitting their ever-innovative collections. Inside the flagship store, the women’s footwear and accessories area features an assortment of dazzling crystal chandeliers and pendants from Andy Thornton’s Empire lighting range, in a mix of nickel and antique brass finishes. The crystal lights are suspended from ornate plaster ceiling roses, completing the feminine, boutique feel. Vintage mirrors dotted around the walls reflect the sea of lights, creating a lovely, glittering effect.

Soft pink walls continue the boudoir theme and contrast nicely with the industrial display furniture, including the adjustable iron pub table from Andy Thornton’s hugely popular Urban Vintage furniture range. Based on an original factory table, it features a hand-antiqued wooden top and a hand-cranked cog mechanism, allowing the table top to be set at any height.

Move further on in the store and the look is urban and industrial, with men’s shoes perched atop Andy Thornton industrial shelving unit in antiqued steel with wooden slats, based on an original discovered in a tailor’s shop in Wales. A re-design of the piece means it can be used either as a vertical or angled shelving unit, or converted into a table. Nearby, vintage chairs in a mix of colours and finishes provide a spot for busy shoppers to try on new shoes.

Navigate through the vast array of men’s jeans and discover an Andy Thornton heavy duty factory trolley displaying numerous pairs. Manufactured in steel with rivet detailing, the trolley features spoked wheels, a pull handle, two large shelves and four pull-out wire baskets. Functional and durable, it epitomises the cool, industrial look.

Elsewhere in the menswear department, an Andy Thornton Factory cart coffee table is bang in the middle of the winter knits, with jumpers, boots and warm hats arranged lovingly on top. And near the store entrance on the lower floor, industrial tables tempt shoppers into the store with a display of bags and purses featuring the gold studding and vintage-style ball clasps which are so firmly back in vogue.

With close to 300 stores across the UK & internationally and rumours of numerous new store openings, including a first store in New York, River Island’s star is firmly in the ascendant.

The luxury and award-winning spa hotel at Lancashire’s five-star Ribby Hall Village recently celebrated its first birthday, having served 2,500 afternoon teas, massaged over 7,000 backs, welcomed 15,000 guests and celebrities and manicured 91,250 nails over the past year – all lit, powered and connected with the help of electrical wiring accessories from Hamilton Litestat. Hamilton, a decorative electrical wiring accessories specialist and lighting and audio control systems manufacturer, supplied a selection of its classic Cheriton accessory plates throughout the hotel. The plates were finished in satin steel with black inserts, giving the simple, elegant plate design a contemporary edge. Products included switch plates, card switches and sockets, all installed throughout the hotel’s 42 bedrooms for a co-ordinated look.

Hamilton’s expert team also designed and manufactured bespoke products for the hotel based on the company’s Sheer plate design. Created within Hamilton’s Savile Row service, the products included media plates for the rooms comprising four standard electrical sockets, two data points and a Teleadapt wireless internet unit; and junction box covers for the rooms and public areas to hide unsightly wiring and connections. The bespoke products were also finished in satin steel to complement the Cheriton accessories and the ultra slim profile of the Sheer plates meant it was easy to fit the plates flush to the wall so they don’t intrude on to the desk space.

“Often in hotels the number of specific requirements mean that standard products don’t meet all the needs, which is where our bespoke Savile Row service comes in,” said Andy Partington, UK specification manager at Hamilton. “In this case the client wanted to use both Cheriton and Sheer plates so we were able to create a seamless effect by using the same satin steel finish across all accessories. However we often create bespoke products using exactly the same plate design as the standard accessories – or sometimes the idea is that they look completely unique and original so we come up with a brand new design or finish. The main thing is that we deliver the functionality required without compromising on style, and we believe that’s exactly what we’ve done with all our products for Ribby Hall Village.”

Ribby Hall Village is set within more than 100 acres of beautiful Lancashire countryside and features a luxury self-catering holiday village as well as The Spa Hotel. The hotel itself boasts a spa with an indoor hydro pool and seven heat experience rooms, as well as 14 treatment rooms and a brasserie.

The Hamilton products were installed by PEI Delta Ltd electrical contractors and supplied via Edmundson Electrical, Blackpool.

UK shower manufacturer and designer, Roman Limited, has reduced the price of their design-led Infinity Shower Trays and their Colossus Roman Stone Trays – making them comparable to many standard shower trays available and even more attractive for customers. Roman’s Infinity Tray range and Roman Stone Tray range are both manufactured in Roman’s on-site UK Solid Surface Manufacturing Facility. Breakthroughs in volume have seen the manufacturer now reducing pricing on these products.

The Infinity Trays are a unique product which allows you to simulate the look and style of a wetroom, with the ease of installation associated with a shower tray. Manufactured from Roman Stone, they are self-reinforcing, so can be installed directly onto joists. At a height of only 40mm, once tiled up to, the shower tray sits flush with the floor, to give total level access, ensuring effortless entry for all.

The tray design is then completed with a solid surface waste cover, which gives a seamless finish. The Infinity Trays are available in 6 different footprints, including all the most popular rectangular footprint dimensions, and a 900 x 900mm quadrant shaped version.

The Colossus Roman Stone Trays are likewise self-reinforcing and can also be installed to joists, for a level access finish. These trays perfectly suit Roman’s bath replacement 1700mm Colossus, and their 1450mm ‘mini’ Colossus.

Roman has also reduced the pricing on their Embrace and Collage Sliding Door Enclosures, and their Embrace and Collage Quadrant Enclosures. These already affordable products are amongst Roman’s best sellers, so this new lower pricing is set to make them even more popular.

The new lower pricing is included in Roman’s latest February 2013 brochure, which will be available as from the first week in February.

David Osborne, Managing Director of Roman commented: “We have seen the sales of our Low Level Shower Trays steadily increase and, in particular, our Infinity Trays have become increasingly popular. A key trend is installing low level trays to create a simulated wetroom look. With their increased popularity, 2012 saw volume breakthroughs on the Infinity Trays and the Roman Stone Colossus Trays, which has enabled us to review the product pricing. Alongside this, as part of our ISO9001 accreditation, we regularly review our systems and processes. This often leads to streamlining and improvements of our manufacturing techniques, which can reduce the cost of producing our products. This teamed with careful sourcing of raw materials, means that we have been able to lower pricing on certain products. In the current climate we are always keen to pass these savings on to our customers, to help drive sales even further.”

Scotscape are the UK’s pre-eminent supplier of Living Walls with proven expertise in design, supply, installation and maintenance. They work closely with leading manufacturers of a wide range of systems, enabling them to identify and recommend the most appropriate solution to meet the needs of each individual application.The latest Scotscape brochure explains how living walls and green roofs can benefit the sustainability targets for buildings and businesses.

It is a truly fascinating product and one which will certainly prove to be a great investment into the future of the environment and projects globally.

Please take a moment to browse the PDF or enhanced interactive view here.

Dernier & Hamlyn has been making bespoke light fittings for 125 years and you can see the company’s chandeliers, lamps and wall lights in hotels, palaces, cathedrals and private residences all over the world. But what really makes the D&H difference is the people who handcraft the individually made pieces in the London factory. It’s impossible to convey this merely in words so Dernier & Hamlyn recently produced a series of videos that are not voiced by actors or corporate spokespeople but by the men who work in the factory and the design offices.See installer Brian and hear about his pride in seeing fittings he has made over the past twenty years installed across the UK as well as in America, Russia and Asia.

Watch apprentice Owen talking about what he has learned so far.

Find out more about how director Brian uses the D&H archive to inform responses to designers’ briefs.

And to find out more view the selection of videos on Dernier & Hamlyn’s website or better still contact director Jeremy Quantrill to arrange to visit the factory yourself. You can call him on 0208 760 0900 or email jeremyq@dernier-hamlyn.com.

Hill Cross Furniture is proud to once again be working alongside award winning interior design firm, Design LSM. We are currently working on an exciting, design led project for a big development in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.The venue is planned to be a five-storey luxury restaurant for which we are supplying a wide range of indoor and outdoor furniture, along with manufacturing over 200 metres of bespoke fixed seating.

The venue will feature one formal and two informal restaurants, a trendy bar and an accommodating conference suite. Each section will have its own distinct identity, our favourite being the industrial themed Meat Restaurant, featuring high ceilings and exposed metal framed furniture. Some floors are accompanied with spacious outdoor terraced areas which will home the outdoor furniture supplied.

Pictured, is the work in progress of one of many bespoke fixed seating sections created for the bar area. All the fixed seating for this project has been built here on site in North Yorkshire by our expert craftsmen. Alongside the fixed seating, we are also providing a range of bespoke tables to accommodate the varying spaces within the venue.

With the expertise of head designer Andrew Harwood, the venue will be furnished with some of our most prestigious furniture, ranging from the Star Bar Stool to the Luxus Side Chair. Once finished, this venue will be a combination of varying luxury and contemporary style and definitely worth a visit if you’re ever over the Georgia way!

Kesterport presents the ARO collection from award winning designer Carlos Tiscar.With a circle as the common denominator the ARO range consists of dining chairs, lounge chairs, stools (3 heights) and occasional tables. Curved backs are available fully upholstered or with beech veneered exteriors.

Table tops are available in wood, toughened glass or lacquered HDF, all of which are available in a host of different colours/stains.

For enquiries please contact the contract sales office on 01932 573600 or visit our website site at www.kesterport.com.

UK Shower Manufacturer, Roman Limited, has once again worked with leading home improvement show, DIY SOS, to help a family in need – this time by supplying products to furnish 3 bathrooms.The show, which aired in January, showed a family in need which had more than doubled in size overnight, when Mum, Julie adopted her best friend’s 5 children after she and her partner tragically passed away. This saw the family grow from 4, up to 9 – putting a huge strain on the 3 bedroomed home, which only contained one bathroom.

Julie’s story appeared in national newspapers, and after being inundated with requests from local residents and those who had read the story nationally, DIY SOS took on the project of extending and refurbishing the house to suit the much larger family.

One of the key issues raised in the show was the queue for the bathroom on a morning. The team decided to update the existing bathroom and also add two additional showering facilities, including a downstairs shower room and an en-suite shower room off Julie’s bedroom.

Having helped out a number of times on DIY SOS, Roman was very keen to get involved and offered products for all three spaces. With the bathrooms all being squeezed into tight spaces, one of the key considerations was products that would be space efficient.

Further to this, Roman was also keen to help reduce the family’s energy bills by using water efficient products. This is when they called on their industry body, The Bathroom Manufacturer’s Association, to see if any other members would like to be involved and supply products – with one stipulation – they must all be registered on the BMA’s Water Label Scheme.

Roman selected products from their Orbital range which offers a number of cleverly designed Enclosures and Bath Screens, which help solve common space problems in the bathroom. The products supplied included their 760mm Orbital Bi-fold Door with Side Panel – this inward opening door doesn’t project out on to other furniture making it a perfect fit. For the main family bathroom, they supplied their power shower approved Orbital Folding Bath Screen, which offers a stylish over bath showering facility.

To complement these products, Roman also supplied one of their stylish shower valves, which is registered on the BMA’s Water Label Scheme and shower trays to suit the enclosures.

The family were delighted with their finished bathrooms and with the rest of the home.
David Osborne, Roman’s Managing Director, commented: “We are always very happy to help programmes such as DIY SOS. They always work with such deserving families, to help turn their lives around. The finished bathrooms and homes always look amazing. On this occasion, the family we helped out had suddenly more than doubled over night. The space the designers had to work with was somewhat limited, so space saving was at the fore-front when making recommendations for the shower facilities. Alongside this, with such a large family and house for mum, Julie, to look after, easy cleaning and maintenance was another priority. Our enclosures and bath screens were a perfect fit – both are supplied with Roman Ultra Care Pre-coated Glass protection. This is designed to stop dirt and grime sticking to the glass, for easy cleaning and lasting sparkle. The finished bathrooms were not only practical, but offered a real designer finish.”

Did you imagine that such a thing as a ‘Euro-standard turd’ would exist? Neither did I until I visited the testing department of Thomas Dudley, the amazing engineering company based in Dudley. Whilst engineering giants like Vickers have been sold down the river by incompetent shareholder appointed managers, Thomas Dudley is benefiting from family ownership that sees a bright future for UK manufacturing and is investing family money, and millions of it, to ensure the company continues and thrives.Designers will be familiar with Thomas Dudley from their stands at the various interiors trade shows but may be forgiven for thinking that toilet cisterns were the company’s major product. The ‘Euro turd’ forms a small, but important, part of the flush testing process – more of that later. Whilst this is important the company continues to invest in research and development and the linked production technologies on its factory sites in Dudley.

Located in a building on the side of the site overlooking an art school sculpture studio, the new multi-million pound moulding line in the foundry contains a new automated casting capacity which vastly increases production capabilities. It is here that a small group of technicians are developing vandal proof toilets and wash hand basins in new polymer materials. Internationally renowned comedy star Lenny Henry inaugurated the new foundry capabilities and you may well ask, “why him?” Well, he hales from – yep, you’ve guessed it – Dudley!

This part of the British Midlands was at the heart of many of the processes created in the Industrial Revolution. Whilst the North West was the creative centre for the weaving industry and its share of the Industrial Revolution, Dudley was at the heart of the Midlands revolution in metal working. On a coal field just up the road from Ironbridge, named for its own creative evolution of iron working, Thomas Dudley has survived whilst government, management and unions have conspired to destroy the regions once great engineering heritage. Thomas Dudley is one of a few names surviving and thriving in an area littered with the names of giants that no longer exist – Morris, Austin, Norton, English Electric, the list seems an endless epitaph to English self-destructiveness and managerial incompetence.

No such incompetence at Thomas Dudley as the owners and management team forge a future based on innovation, quality control and smart production.

Andy Thornton will be introducing a selection of new furniture designs at Hospitality 2013 with a contrasting emphasis on modern Italian design and industrial/urban vintage. The company is constantly introducing new and innovative furniture, lighting and decorative accessories to the UK hospitality market.New at the show will be the recently launching Albert-One side chair which features a solid beech frame which can be polished to any colour and upholstered in any fabric or leather. Equally stylish is the Doll side chair which can also be polished and upholstered to client’s specification. Both chairs are ideal for most type of venue combining well with other chairs and tables from the range.

Andy Thornton will also be featuring samples from their hugely popular Urban Vintage collection of furniture & lighting which has taken the hospitality market by storm. Amongst the most popular bar stools are the Draughtsman’s bar stool and the Industrial bar stool which are both offered in pewter finish with timber seat.

Andy Thornton will also be displaying a decorative feature wall made up from a popular design from their metal tile range, finished in a heavily distressed, shabby chic finish. This traditional product is experiencing a renaissance in hospitality interiors, being used extensively for ceiling and wall decoration in restaurants and bars.

Visit Andy Thornton on stand 717 at Hospitality 2013, from 21-23 Jan at the NEC, Birmingham.

RHA Furniture offers a wide range of modern and traditional desk chairs.

Recent additions would be ideally placed in hotel bedrooms, business lounges and meeting rooms.All of the Lottus chairs are available with thermoplastic seats, in a range of colours, as well as the option to have the seats partially or fully upholstered in your choice of fabric or leather.

New desk chairs have also been added to the competitively priced P2 range; the stylish Noa and Laja desk chairs are available in a white or black lacquer finish.

The Gliss, Noa and Laja desk chairs are listed on RHA Furniture’s Hotel Desk Chairs webpage, where you can find full product details and request a quote.

Decorative electrical wiring accessories, audio and lighting controls manufacturer Hamilton Litestat has announced the promotion of Jim Berry to UK Sales Director, effective from 1 January 2013. Jim joined Hamilton in late 2011 as a regional manger, working mainly with architects, consultants and specifiers in the London area, using Hamilton’s dedicated area at The Building Centre as his central London base. His promotion to UK Sales Director will see Jim lead a team including a sales manager and area representatives throughout the UK to continue expanding the Hamilton brand with specifiers, electrical contractors and wholesalers.

Managing Director Ian Hamilton, commented: “Jim’s promotion is a great way for Hamilton to start 2013 after what was a challenging year for the whole industry. He is a big part of our future growth plans and will undoubtedly play a vital role in shaping the exciting plans we have for expanding the Hamilton brand. He’s an experienced sales person in the electrical industry and over the past year he’s proved a real asset to our company, securing several large contracts and helping to motivate others to do the same. We look forward to him leading by example and helping to drive forward our company.”

“I’m thrilled to have been made a director of Hamilton and I’m really looking forward to building on the work I’ve done over the past year in helping to create opportunities and drive sales, both for our standard products and where our bespoke design service is needed,” added Jim.

Baulmann Leuchten, the lighting-specialist for hospitality projects, has now launched the new general catalogue 2013-2014.The successful design of the previous catalogue 2011-2012 has been continued consequently and updated with current reference photos. Besides all the novelties from the “Light&Building 2012” and the “Sleep Event 2012” numerous new products have been introduced in all categories. Special attention has been paid to the development of innovative products using the latest LED technology.

Subdivided into the well-know ranges “Interior Project”, “Big Lights”, “Bathroom” and “Business”, the new catalogue 2013-2014 is now presenting the standard range of Baulmann Leuchten on a total of 193 pages. As usual, all these products can also be customized to fit the requirements of different projects.

The electronic version of the catalogue can be downloaded from the homepage of Baulmann Leuchten within the next days.

Leading UK shower manufacturer, Roman Limited, has celebrated the long service of their Sales Director Marc Teasdale, who has been with the company for 25 years.Marc joined Roman in January 1988, when the company was just approaching its own third birthday, as one of the original team of Sales Managers. Upon joining Roman, Marc worked closely with company founder and current Chairman Gerry Osborne. Since then he has worked his way up to the role of Sales Director.

Marc now focusses on his relationships with Roman’s key Housebuilder partners and Roman’s key Merchant partners. He has become a well-known face and personality in the industry.

Marc is passing the passion for showering down the family, with his daughter Lauren Teasdale joining Roman’s Marketing Team on a work placement. Lauren presented Marc with a photographic montage spanning his 25 years.

Gerry Osborne, Roman’s Chairman, commented: “Marc is our longest serving member of the team, having joined us almost at the beginning. It has been fantastic to see him grow and flourish with the business. The feedback we receive from customers who work with Marc is always extremely positive and they have nothing but praise for him. He has become trusted and well respected both within the business and with our customers. Importantly he has always been great fun to work alongside!”

Hill Cross Furniture is proud to have recently supplied for Sunderland Association Football Club at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland. We supplied a range of loose furniture and tables for their ultra modern Business Lounge.The simple, yet stylish Bridge side chair was used throughout, upholstered in a plain, modern cream Orzan. The matching Bridge bar stool was also used within the large, blue neon-lit bar area, adding variation whilst still keeping the whole venue uniform.

The light Orzan upholstery against the dark, exposed wood on the Bridge seating, wonderfully contrasts one another and helps add to the already contemporary style.

The Napier D2 and D3 round table bases were supplied, both finished in black. The table bases were coupled with thick, round ash table tops with a veneer edged finish.

The luxury Business Lounge features a large interior with dim, ambient lighting. The whole venue oozes class and is the perfect place to relax in style before a match.

Much excitement always abounds at the beginning of a new year at Frank Hudson, the third generation family owned company that designs and creates classically crafted furniture to grace homes and hotels throughout the United Kingdom and abroad. The new collections are launched at Interiors 2013, NEC, Birmingham. 20-23 January, find them on stand G6 in Hall 1, just by the stairs into Hall 2.The very popular themed stand will have lavish displays of the three completely new collections and additional pieces to enhance already proven ranges and new twists on old favourites.

Which colour would you choose?
It is all about you; it can be whatever you want with the new KISS collection which sees a partnership with Farrow and Ball specialist paints so that the furniture can match and blend with interiors perfectly; choose from 15 different colours. KISS is equally at home in a light and airy beech house or a sophisticated and classic townhouse.

A timeless and elegant OXFORD collection crafted in selected mahogany solids and veneers is a modern twist on a classic style with a luxurious upholstered headboard new for 2013. The lustrous shine of the rich finish enhances the smooth detailing and flowing lines of the design.

The new MANHATTAN is a casual collection made from Ash with an ageless look. The beauty of the grain combined with a soft vintage leather headboard is warm and inviting, perfect for snuggling up on cold winter nights. The antiqued finish and traditional crafted details give the look of comfortable collected pieces that have been loved and used over the years.

Evergreen designs such as the iconic SAFARI bed will also be at the exhibition. This year it will be shown in the new global look, an increasingly popular trend in interiors. The ash frame is finished in a weathered, matt look and the bold woven Bansuri Indigo fabric completes the image.

The extremely popular COLLECTION D’ARTICLES of occasional pieces has been augmented with new mini bookcases and accent pieces that are just right to use in many rooms. Why not join us in the VIP area and try out the sumptuous new club armchairs?

Of course other successful established collections from Frank Hudson will also be on display with their complementary cabinets and tables. Therefore with the selection of designs, finishes, fabrics and customers own material the future looks very colourful for Frank Hudson and our customers.

We look forward to welcoming you on the stand.

Don’t forget to pre-register at www.interiorsuk.com to save the show entrance fee.

Decorative electrical wiring accessories specialist and audio and lighting control systems manufacturer, Hamilton Litestat, will be returning to the Interiors show in January 2013. New on the 2013 stand will be samples of Hamilton’s new bronze effect finishes, including Richmond, a sophisticated deep, even bronze; Antique, which has a lightly grained texture; and Connaught, which emulates a natural weathered effect – all designed to reflect the growing trend for bronze accessories in luxury properties.

Also new for this year’s show will be an extension to Hamilton’s Eurofix range, which offers complete flexibility for British and European overseas projects where a range of international appliances may be used, such as hotels. Eurofix plates contain European style apertures into which the various inserts can be clipped, yet are fitted in the usual way into British Standard wall boxes. New inserts for 2013 include universal, USA (NEMA) and European (schuko) sockets, and a USB charging point, which join the existing range of AV, data, TV, satellite and hotel card switch inserts. The Eurofix range is available across most of Hamilton’s stylish plate designs, making it suitable for all types of interior from contemporary to traditional.

As well as showing its comprehensive range of switches and sockets, Hamilton will be demonstrating its newly re-designed Mercury® Lighting Control System, which utilises the latest technologies and components to ensure compatibility with a wide range of LED fittings, meaning that the user can reap the energy saving benefits of the control system and the LEDs. The Mercury® system offers a comprehensive, easy-to-use solution for controlling basic day-to-day lighting scenarios from simple dimming through to scene-setting programmes. The easily programmable system is also available with DMX control for more complex LED colour washing effects and can be integrated with other products including the Mercury® Multi-room Audio system for an entire lighting and sound package. Add-on options are available, such as window blind controls. Controls include switch plates in a variety of designs that match Hamilton’s other accessory ranges, infra-red remote control and wireless control via iPad and iPhone using the downloadable app.

The Mercury® system is now available in an easy-to-install starter kit, the DK1, containing a 4-channel pack, a wall-mounted button controller and a hand held remote control. Extra packs can be easily integrated for bigger projects.

As well as its comprehensive range of accessories and controls, Hamilton also provides a bespoke product design service that produces unique electrical wiring accessory solutions to meet specific requirements. Visitors interested in this bespoke service will be able to chat to the team about their requirements at the show.

The hugely popular Italia Range from Hill Cross Furniture offers a wide variety of options to fit any venue or style.With the choice of upholstered or veneer, your side chair can be completed with your preferred fabric and finish, ensuring the Italia Range can truly be made your own.

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Signbox Ltd, the UK’s leading architectural signage company and winner of the coveted ‘Sign Company of the Year’ award for the past two years, has just completed a major project at the Chertsey, Surrey headquarters of Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd, the European subsidiary of Astellas. One of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in the world, employing 16,000 people across multiple locations, Astellas has global sales of £7.25 billion.Used for filming in the 2010 hit movie ‘Inception’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the Astellas European HQ building has just been extensively refurbished. Signbox partnered with lead contractors Overbury, together with project architects Pringle Brandon. The signage element of the renovation work comprised extensive internal branding including glazing manifestation on all three floors, feature wallpaper and environmental graphics, wayfinding signs together with special bespoke displays and freestanding tension fabric frames. Glazing manifestation was room specific, providing both a degree of privacy and graphic detail, designed to match the feature fabric colour. External work included corporate and directional signage.

To meet the needs of such a multi-faceted assignment Signbox utilised both its proprietary systems and bespoke solutions, the most unusual and striking of which were two large feature graphics, both over 8 metres wide, one of which was LED backlit. To create these, Signbox used its ingenious ‘Kube’ system that’s ideally suited to huge vistas as the lightweight frame and tension fabric system guarantees a smooth, seamless display resulting in a stunning and dramatic visual effect.

Commenting on this major project, Mark Bartlett, Managing Director of Signbox, said, “We were delighted to win such a prestigious contract with one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies. Involving over 500 metres of manifestation and wallpaper graphics, this was another project where our Durst print technology came into its own as it’s ideally suited to printing large format graphics at such fine art quality”.

A pair of impressive bespoke canopies, manufactured by Andy Thornton, define the grand entrance to the new, 256 bedroom InterContinental London Westminster Hotel. The opening of the first new hotel in London for the group in 36 years, which is only a short walk from Parliament and within sight of Westminster Abbey, has injected a fresh lease of life into this former government building, following a £150m investment by Shiraz Boghani and family of Supreme Hotels.To complement the stunning architecture of this former government building, with its period townhouse exterior, Dexter Moren turned to Andy Thornton Ltd to interpret the specific brief to produce an eye-catching functional structure that provides a focal point for the hotel entrance, whilst complementing the listed facade. They requested elaborate detail in a wrought iron effect, to be finished in matt black, to stand out against the light-coloured masonry of the beautifully restored exterior.

The two canopies together measure 14 metres in length with a maximum projection of 1.9 metres. The wildly ornate end gallows brackets feature flat bar scroll detail and beaten embellishments in mild steel. The main framework was constructed in mild steel section and includes bespoke curved laser-cut frieze panels, returning at the ends. The metalwork is finished in high performance polyester powder coat.

Each roof comprises six shaped glass panels creating a crimped-effect, using 11.5 mm toughened and laminated clear safety glass. The overall effect is one of timeless elegance, combining period detail with modern materials and manufacturing processes.

Working closely with the building contractor Shaca Construction, Andy Thornton fabricated the complete structure in their West Yorkshire workshops before dismantling and transporting to site for installation. Despite challenging restrictions to access, due mainly to the hotel’s central London location, the fixing team was able to install the complete structure bang on schedule.

Interior Designers: RPW Design
Architects and Space Planners: Dexter Moren
Main Contractor: I S G Ltd
Building Contractor: Shaca Construction Ltd

Signbox, the UK’s leading manufacturer of architectural signage solutions, has further enhanced its unrivalled product offer by teaming up with the best of European sign and display brands. A long time Distributor of Marcal of France, Signbox have now concluded UK distribution agreements to sell the KD range from Italy and the Durable range from Germany.All three of these class-leading brands are available to purchase from Signbox’s new online store which now takes on a distinctly European dimension:

• Marcal of France are true pioneers in visual communications and have led the way with many of Europe’s most innovative sign developments
• KD of Italy manufacture a superb array of display and signage products for commercial environments with the style and flair that you would expect from an Italian company
• Durable of Germany are one of Europe’s biggest suppliers of sign, display and information systems for the workplace with the engineering integrity and premium quality you would expect from a German company

Commenting on these key extensions to the Signbox portfolio, Mark Bartlett, Managing Director of Signbox Ltd, said, “With the addition of these key European brands we are rapidly building the Signbox online store into a truly one-stop-shop where customers can source ‘off-the-shelf’ signage with a quick turnaround, typically within a few days from placement of order.

“Apart from the sheer diversity of products featured, including display, health & safety, desk and door, fire escape, paper insert and wayfinding, the key thing that we believe sets our e-shop apart is that all products are superior quality and designed to be aesthetically pleasing, intended to complement the quality of a customer’s own working environment”.

Dernier & Hamlyn recently demonstrated a wide range of its craftsmen’s skills with the production of a bespoke lighting collection, manufactured to Fox Linton designs for The Wellesley, the new townhouse hotel in Knightsbridge, London. The building has been beautifully restored with a combination of its 1920s history and contemporary style. With 36 rooms and suites, it also boasts a Cigar Lounge and Terrace, The Crystal Bar, The Oval Restaurant and a Jazz Room that complements the building’s musical heritage. The fittings produced by Dernier & Hamlyn can be seen throughout the hotel’s public areas. They include a large circular chandelier dressed with stunning blue glass along with wall lights fitted with LED’s made to replicate cigars for the Humidor Lounge, a 2m square chandelier for the Crystal Bar that is fitted with tiers of hundreds of faceted crystal beads, six crystal chandeliers for the Colonnade Lobby, a 1500mm diameter chandelier in the Oval Restaurant fitted with rods and solid glass balls and a large circular chandelier dressed with clear glass for the Jazz Lounge.

Dernier & Hamlyn also manufactured almost 150 table lamps and floor standards that are in the bedrooms and public and for the portico, ceiling and wall lights in an octagonal art deco style with antique bronze finish metal frames and opaque white glass shades. Externally large external bronze lanterns that feature on the front wall and a magnificent lantern fixed to a solid iron hand cast frame almost 2.5m wide weighing in at some 200kg that graces the front of the hotel were also produced.

Dernier & Hamlyn’s sister companies Louis Montrose and Tindle Lighting were also involved in this project. Louis Montrose was responsible for production of a bespoke screen decorated with crystal that can be seen in The Wellesley’s Jazz room whilst Tindle supplied picture lights that have installed throughout the corridors of the building.

Dennis Irvine, director at Fox Linton Associates comments:
“We have worked with Dernier & Hamlyn on numerous hotel projects and call on them whenever we want unique fittings that respond appropriately to our design briefs. Their vast knowledge, their meticulous way of working combined with their helpful, consultative approach is invaluable to us and our clients.”

Dernier & Hamlyn’s joint managing director Jeremy Quantrill adds:
“This was a complicated but highly engaging project that tested our skills and required the various companies within the Dernier & Hamlyn group to contribute their own specialist skills, ultimately resulting in a beautiful, unique lighting collection that showcases our expertise.”