2022

    DESIGN POD LORRAINE STOUTT GRIFFITH

    Episode 26: Formula 1 hospitality design in Silverstone

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    Episode 26: Formula 1 hospitality design in Silverstone

    We are racing towards the chequered flag as we round off series 3 of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, with an episode that explores the latest hospitality development at Silverstone, the home of British motor racing…

    DESIGN POD LORRAINE STOUTT GRIFFITH

    Meet Lorraine Stoutt Griffith. She’s an architect, a visionary, who for the last few years has been creating the foundations of an iconic hospitality development in Silverstone, the venue that hosts the UK Grand Prix.

    In a special episode of DESIGN POD, the podcast for all design and architecture enthusiasts, Griffith was invited to speak to Editor Hamish Kilburn, host of the podcast, to explore how the project is accelerating the convergence of lifestyle and luxury, while also challenging conventional approaches to designing hospitality properties. In the exclusive interview, the architect unravels the challenges that she and her team at Twelve Architects faced and then confronted with innovative solutions to push boundaries in the luxury wellness arena of hotel design and hospitality.

    Listen to the full episode here:

    The development, inspired by high-end residential and hotel design, is called Escapde Living, which Hotel Designs first spoke about in early 2021, after Bergman Design House created the initial interior design scheme. Since then, things have gone up a gear. Now that the structural presence of the individual residences are taking shape – Kilburn went to see the site for himself ahead of this episode – Griffith’s years of planning are starting to transform into a physical space, just metres from the track, offering what is argued the best views over the iconic race track.

    The trackside luxury retreats are being designed to be an abstract representation of a Formula 1 car overtaking – any reference to motorsport in the design and architecture will be subtle, sensitive and seamless. The residences themselves will have cantilevered terraces, allowing spectators to get even closer to the racetrack. The interiors will  Light-filled and with high acoustic specifications. The sanctuaries will have underfloor heating, comfort cooling and ensuite bathrooms – each nook has been designed with its iconic location in mind.

    Establishing render shot of the development at the iconic British racetrack

    Image caption: The new luxury accommodation will overlook the iconic racetrack at Silverstone. Image credit: Escapade Living

    More than just a hospitality experience inspired by motorsport, the architecture and design of each property needed to offer views and capture atmospheres that also championed the venue’s countryside vistas. To do this, Griffith and her team worked on creating structures that would frame vistas of track one side (where the living room will be) and more tranquil greenery on the other (where the bedroom and private areas will be). By savvy design, Escapade Living then become destinations in their own right

    Keep your ears open as DESIGN POD will return soon for series 4. In the meantime, we’ve archived all previous episodes in one place – making it easier than ever to catch up on conversations, debates and interviews with the people who are shaping the future of design and architecture.

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    DESIGN POD Karen Stonely

    Episode 25: capturing a deeper sense of wellness (Karen Stonely)

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    Episode 25: capturing a deeper sense of wellness (Karen Stonely)

    In episode 25 of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, Editor Hamish Kilburn, host of the podcast for design and architecture enthusiasts, meets Karen Stonely, Co-Founder of SPAN Architecture, to understand how she and her team capture wellness and wellbeing in design and architecture…

    DESIGN POD Karen Stonely

    Meet Karen Stonely, an artist, designer, architect and the Co-Founder of SPAN Architecture, a New York-based studio that aims to create wellness and wellbeing experiences in all landscapes.

    This episode of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, explores wellness in design through unconventional materiality, evoking unconventional sense of place and calling out ‘wellwashing’ in hotel and hospitality design. To do this, Kilburn understand’s Stonely’s unique approach to designing projects. “We’re looking at getting the most out of a place and an experience,” Stonely explains. “We want our design work to be a gift of the place that heightens your experience.”

    One project, in particular, that cleverly captures a new and perhaps surprising meaning of wellness in its location, Times Square in Manhattan, is Hyatt Centric Times Square; a project that is best described as ‘nature revealed in neon’. One of the biggest challenges for the team at SPAN Architecture was to take natural forms – elements from the parks of New York City (lungs of the city) back to their fractured essence – and rethink how they could become geometricised in an urban format. Working in a holistic and layered manner, soon strategies emerged that contributed to the one-off spatial experiences; an adaptation of nature lying between the natural and artificial.

    The other case study explored in the episode is August Moon, a completely different hospitality experience, in contrast, that is expressed as a ‘secret escape from the city’; a private waterfront retreat that overlooks Maine’s Western Bay. Named by her after the Chinese mid-autumn harvest festival, the two original structures – a separate glass teahouse and a small cottage with pool – were designed by the architect, Robert Patterson in the 1960s.

    For the restoration and new builds, the studio sought to find original materials used by Patterson, discovering original design documents at the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, which further informed the concepts.

    The new residence is situated to the north where two ridges come together. It takes its cues from the existing rocks, waterfront, trees and topography of the site, paying homage to the existing Patterson cottage. The building sits in a saddle in the landscape beyond the garden ridge that separates the Pool Pavilion and Guest House from the Main House. Stonely explains on the podcast how the project’s architectural structure ‘deceives the eyes’, and walks Kilburn through the materials and forms she explored to create this jewel.

    Other episodes in the archive that touch on wellness in design include Kilburn’s interviews with Ivaylo Lefterov, Holly Hallam, Jo Littlefair, Marie Soliman and Rachel Hoolahan.

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    DESIGN POD Brian Messana

    Episode 24: ‘sliding doors’ moments in design

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    Episode 24: ‘sliding doors’ moments in design

    Meet Brian Messana, the special guest who joined Editor Hamish Kilburn for episode 24 of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London. Messana, who is the Co-Founder of Messana O’Rorke, opened up about his turning-of-the-page career moments – and unveiled the risks that were and were not worth taking…

    DESIGN POD Brian Messana

    This episode of DESIGN POD, the podcast for all design and architecture enthusiasts, more than others perhaps, is about reflection; looking back at the decisions and circumstances around them that persuade us as creatives to ‘slide open’ new doors into new eras of design and life in general. The concept of the episode was inspired by Editor Hamish Kilburn’s recent trip to the Douro Valley, where he unexpectedly met another podcast host who was a guest at the hotel he was reviewing at the time. Jennie Becker is the host of ‘Sliding Doors‘, a podcast that welcomes inspirational people to identify and discuss the split seconds that changed the course of their lives. With Becker’s permission, this episode of DESIGN POD therefore explores just that. And the subject of the experiment is the charming Brian Messana, architect and Co-Founder of Messana O’Rorke.

    “I’m an introvert. But once I start talking, you can’t shut me up,” he tells Kilburn when he sat down to record episode 24 of DESIGN POD. The New York-based architect is currently at an interesting point in his career, where his work is being recognised, celebrated and he is starting to wear a ‘legend’ status – not that he would agree with that. But leadership in Messana O’Rorke is not from the front. Instead, it is driven from within, putting less emphasis on owning an idea and more focus on, collectively within the team, making the concept as strong as it can be for the client. Indeed, this is what has allowed Messana and his business partner, Toby O’Rorke, to create their own style as a world-renowned studio.

    25 years on from launching their business, following previous years’ working for and with the likes of Richard Meier, Thomas Phifer, Hani Rashid and Peter Marino, the dynamic pair have just launched their first monograph. Within the meaningfully curated mix of pages, they have identified 25 projects that reflect the soul, personality and ambition of the studio – some projects identified are more obvious than others.

    On the podcast episode, Messana and Kilburn discuss loyal partnerships, the value of building a team that is on the same journey. Throughout the conversation, while referencing key projects – past, present and future – it becomes clear how challenges, opportunities and bold decisions led to break-through moments in the architect’s life.

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    Matthew Balon DESIGN POD

    Episode 23: understanding ‘lean luxury’ in hotel design

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    Episode 23: understanding ‘lean luxury’ in hotel design

    Episode 23 of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, Editor Hamish Kilburn welcomes Matthew Balon, Head of Design at Ruby Hotels, to explore the emerging concept of ‘lean luxury’ of which the brand is built on…

    Matthew Balon DESIGN POD

    In episode 23 of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, Editor Hamish Kilburn has changed his approach. Instead of interviewing an independent designer or architect – or one from a leading international design firm – he has deliberately invited a designer whose role it is to work within a hotel group to ensure that each property shelters its own unique narrative while also feeling connected to the other hotels within the portfolio.

    Ruby Hotels, no stranger to Hotel Designs with its strong European and London presence, has an interesting take on ‘luxury‘. The brand’s philosophy of offering what it describes as ‘lean luxury’ is all about being smart with space, streamlining and digitising systems – and doing away with the things you don’t need, all while ensuring the guest experience remains seamless.

    In charge of ensuring the design and hospitality concept of ‘lean luxury’ is met within each hotel is Matthew Balon, Head of Design at Ruby Hotels. In this special episode, Kilburn speaks to the designer to understand what this looks and more importantly feels like.

    > Keep listening (below) to hear about the pair’s hilarious and somewhat awkward first encounter, when Kilburn and Balon met the morning after the night before Ruby Leni’s grand opening party in Düsserldorf, Germany.

    Balon, who joins the podcast (from bed) inside one of Ruby’s many hotels around Europe, gives the listeners of DESIGN POD an insight – a window into the hotel, if you like – into how he approaches each project he works on – from public areas to guestroom details and check-in experiences – so that each property shelters its own fun and quirky personality.

    With a lean organisational structure and concentration on the essentials, Ruby Hotels succeeds in creating a contemporary, affordable form of luxury for modern, cost and style-conscious customers. Founded in 2013, the Group already operates thirteen Ruby hotels, with a further 22 hotels under construction or in the planning phase. Ruby is expanding into Asia with the joint venture Ruby Asia, founded in 2018. Ruby also offers Ruby Workspaces in Munich, Hamburg and Dusseldorf.

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    Sue Timney main DESIGN POD

    Episode 22: what makes British design special? (Sue Timney)

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    Episode 22: what makes British design special? (Sue Timney)

    Episode 22 of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, was all about understanding the DNA of contemporary British design and architecture. British design icon Sue Timney was this week’s special guest, and for good reason. Listen to the full episode of the podcast below…

    Sue Timney main DESIGN POD

    With The Brit List Awards 2022 well underway – the shortlisted finalists have just been unveiled – there is no better time to explore the make-up of British design and architecture. On the podcast this week, therefore, we welcomed British interior design icon Sue Timney, who has been the mastermind of many extraordinary spaces, including (and not limited to) houses for the McCartney family and even featuring on Grand Designs’ 100th programme that was nominated for a BAFTA in 2013 with the project, The Water Tower in Kennington, that involved transforming a water tower into a modern-luxury abode.

    Timney joined Editor Hamish Kilburn, host of DESIGN POD, remotely from her riverside home in London for the podcast episode – listen below.

    Her work is not limited to residential design, though. Timney, who recently became a judge for The Brit List Awards 2022, has also journeyed into the design and fashion arena. Following commissions from retail giants such as Marks & Spenser and House of Fraser, Kilburn wanted to understand what had to evolve in her creative process to design commercial items on a mass scale over the private and personal spaces she was accustomed to.

    Sue Timney’s interior design studio, more than 30 years in perfecting, specialises in creating one-off interiors within unique architecture settings – an element that leading British designers and architects have always enjoyed most. This work combines residential and commercial projects that sensitively reference aspects of historical and contemporary design, resulting in uniquely accessible spaces. The Water Tower in Kennington was a huge restoration that is a prime example of this creatively mentality.

    Today, the the designer is working on several diverse commissions, including a group of boutique hotels and new residential developments in England and New York. 

    Main image credit: Hotel Designs/DESIGN POD

    Holly Hallam DESIGN POD

    Episode 21: a new era of lifestyle in design (Holly Hallam)

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    Episode 21: a new era of lifestyle in design (Holly Hallam)

    In episode 21 of DESIGN POD, Editor Hamish Kilburn gets comfortable on the Minotti London sofa with Holly Hallam, Managing Director of Design LSM, to discuss why lifestyle hospitality and hotel design is moving into a new era…

    Holly Hallam DESIGN POD

    Prepare to be inspired. Holly Hallam is a rare breed of an interior designer – she and her team at Design LSM unapologetically don’t quite fit the mold. With the studio based outside of London, in Brighton, Design LSM turn what could be considered a weakness by not being centrally based into its greatest strength – there’s nothing quite like being inspired by crisp sea air. In addition, Hallam who has no formal training as such, but learned from the sidelines by watching her interior designer father, is able to inject a new layer into the studio and indeed the wider arena. With her strong background in marketing and branding, Hallam understands the need for a 360-degree mindset in the modern hotel design scene.

    Listen to the full episode below:

    Utilising this thinking, Hallam and her team have worked for brands including, but not limited to, The Alchemist, Gaucho, Curio by Hilton and Kiss The Hippo.

    In episode 21 of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, Hallam joined Editor Hamish Kilburn on the DESIGN POD sofa to discuss a new era of lifestyle. During the interview, which naturally led from a previous episode where Kilburn and designer Jo Littlefair explored ‘a new era of luxury‘, Hallam highlighted key projects that she believed helped to pivot lifestyle in design and hospitality into a new lane.

    Main image credit: Hotel Designs/DESIGN POD

     

    Ivaylo Lefterov Svart DESIGN POD

    Episode 20: Energy-positive hotels (Ivaylo Lefterov)

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    Episode 20: Energy-positive hotels (Ivaylo Lefterov)

    In episode 20 of DESIGN POD, Editor Hamish Kilburn catches up with Ivaylo Lefterov, inside the Minotti London showroom, to understand how his plan is coming along to develop the world’s first energy-positive hotel, which sits under a glacier in Norway…

    Ivaylo Lefterov Svart DESIGN POD

    Ever since Hotel Designs heard the first whispers of the project – and its ambitious aims – the publication has been engaged and excited to follow the development of Svart, which in 2024, is slated to become the world’s first energy-positive hotel. Whether its the curvaceous architecture, iconic location, striking interior design scheme, its eco-conscious attitude, or all of the above, Svart which will be operated by Six Senses Hotels and Resorts, is going to break new boundaries on the global hotel design and hospitality scene. And the man pulling together all element to ensure it hits all the right notes is Ivaylo Lefterov, who caught up with Hamish Kilburn recently to discuss how the project is coming along.

    Designed structurally by Snøhetta, the 94-key Six Senses Svart will combine a futuristic design, led by interior design studio, Space Copenhagen, and technological innovation with earthy, organic materials that will use the latest embedded energy. The hotel, which will be poised on poles above the crystal-clear waters of the Holandsfjorden fjord, at the base of a glacier, aims to raise awareness of the possibilities of regenerative travel and the importance of the polar region, in partnership with the local community.

    Innate to this project, and an integral part of its DNA, is the commitment not to compromise the fragile and pristine glacial surroundings or the property’s beauty and quality. The major design pillars of Six Senses Svart are environment and nature, sustainability, technological innovation, wellness and mindfulness, which have been integrated in tandem because they all directly impact each other.

    Main image credit: Hotel Designs/DESIGN POD

    Image of INODA+SVEJE in front of pink background and the DESIGN POD logo

    Episode 19: unconventional design details (INODA + SVEJE)

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    Episode 19: unconventional design details (INODA + SVEJE)

    To kickstart series 3 of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, Editor Hamish Kilburn speaks to the Co-Founders of INODA + SVEJE to understand their design direction and inspiration behind the furniture pieces they designed for the Minotti 2022 Collection. In truth, though, this episode was so much more than striking design details…

    Image of INODA+SVEJE in front of pink background and the DESIGN POD logo

    One week after their debut collection with Minotti was debuted to the world at Salone del Mobile, Editor Hamish Kilburn caught up with Nils Sveje and Kyoko Inoda, the Co-Founders of INODA + SVEJE, to understand why furniture pieces they designed for the Italian luxury furniture brand were such a hit.

    Minotti describes the collaboration – the items being Yoko, Lars and Sendai – as ‘two worlds connecting’. The brand refers to the the two owners’ separate heritages – one Japanese and the other from Denmark. But, in reality, these protagonists within the 2022 Collection are the result of three cultures coming together in harmony, including Minotti’s Italian heritage. The tread that connects each piece is the language of minimalism, told is various ways.

    INODA+SVEJE was founded in 2000 in Copenhagen and is now, since 2003, situated in Milan. Together, working as a team of two – expanding beyond that would disrupt each designer’s harmony (their words, not mine) – they have developed a sensitive approach applied to both the design process and the resulting form and aesthetics.

    Main image credit: DESIGN POD/Hotel Designs

    DESIGN POD Series 2 with Gam Fratesi

    Episode 18: Luxury product design (GamFratesi)

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    Episode 18: Luxury product design (GamFratesi)

    To conclude series two of DESIGN POD, which has been in association with Minotti London, Editor Hamish Kilburn speaks to Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi, based in Copenhagen, to understand the process of product design for the luxury Italian furniture brand, Minotti…

    DESIGN POD Series 2 with Gam Fratesi

    Just weeks before Minotti drops its 2022 Collection in Milan, and to aptly conclude this series of DESIGN POD that has been sponsored by Minotti London, Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi joined Editor Hamish Kilburn to discuss their process when it comes to luxury product design.

    The design studio, which was founded in 2006, takes its creative drive from a fusion of tradition and renewal, while also injecting an experimental approach to the team’s chosen materials and techniques. With their dual traditional background, Gam and Fratesi draw on the classic Danish furniture and craft tradition as well as the classic Italian intellectual and conceptual approach.

    In this special episode of DESIGN POD, the pair discuss each collection that they designed for Minotti, while also giving Kilburn and his listeners a window into the studio doors of GamFratesi.

    In 2019, GamFratesi designed two indoor proposals for Minotti, namely the Angie armchair and dining little armchair and the Shelley armchair, which is also available in the lounge and dining little armchair versions.

    The partnership evolved and was strengthened in 2020 with the launch of the Fynn family of seats, in the armchair, lounge and dining little armchair, bench and coffee table versions. A project characterised by an ultra-light aesthetic, expressed in the indoor and outdoor versions, associating the creativity of fine cabinet-making found in the wooden elements with the sophisticated sartorial elegance of the fabric or saddle-hide coverings.

    Now very much part of the Minotti family of select interior designers, GamFratesi’s latest work for the brand will be unveiled at Salone del Mobile in Milan, where the 2022 Collection of timeless furniture pieces will be unveiled to the world.

    DESIGN POD will be back in July 2022 with series three, which will feature yet more inspirational figures from all corners of the design and architecture arenas.

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    DESIGN POD for Simon Kincaid

    Episode 17: Flexibility in design & architecture (Simon Kincaid)

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    Episode 17: Flexibility in design & architecture (Simon Kincaid)

    In episode 17 of DESIGN POD, in association with Minotti London, Simon Kincaid, Partner at Conran & Partners, joins the sofa to discuss the benefits of a flexible approach to design and architecture… 

    DESIGN POD for Simon Kincaid

    Simon Kincaid, who joins the DESIGN POD podcast, has more than 20 years’ industry experience in residential, hotel and hospitality design. Arguably, there is no one who is better equipped with the skills and know-how to understand and enforce flexibility in an industry that is ever-evolving.

    His latest projects include, among others, Puro Kazimierz, Blake Tower, Luma and The Conran Shop in Seoul.

    The interior designer and architect has worked across residential, hospitality and retail sectors, and brings a great understanding of consumer lifestyle trends to the communal and public areas of all project typologies, often to engage with the wider neighbourhood, as well as creating well detailed desirable homes, hotels and experiential retail experiences. And he does all this (and more) while generating a strong sense of place and identity in every brand he and his team touch.

    Kincaid joins Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde for this episode, sponsored by Minotti London, to explore why now designers and architects need to be able to bend in order to create strong brand awareness and deeper narratives.

    For Kincaid, his ability, which was the result of working in various corners of the design and architecture arena, aligned cohesively with Conran & Partners’ approach to projects, which is to put the brand at the heart of the project.

    In the next episode of DESIGN POD, the duo from GamFratesi joins the Minotti London sofa to speak about furniture product design.  

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    DESIGN POD Ed Murray

    Episode 16: Fluid architecture (Ed Murray)

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    Episode 16: Fluid architecture (Ed Murray)

    In episode 16 of DESIGN POD, in association with Minotti London, architect Ed Murray joins the sofa discuss sustainability in architecture and fluid, cohesive design schemes…

    DESIGN POD Ed Murray

    Ed Murray, who last year was listed as one of the top 25 architects in Britain, is an accomplished associate and architect who has led a wide range of projects for independent owners and international brands across the entire hospitality spectrum, including luxury hotels, banqueting and conference venues, resorts and spas.

    For this episode of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, Murrary joins Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde to discuss fluid architecture – as well as what modern studio life looks and feels like at Dexter Moren Associates.

    For the last two and a half years he led the delivery of the Westin London City, in the City of London. The new-build 222-key, five-star hotel, and nine residential apartments opened last year as Westin’s first brand in the UK.

    The Westin London City is one of those projects that has it all; four scheduled monuments; four existing buildings; archaeological works; an existing bridge structure over one of the primary arterial routes through the City of London; the St Paul’s height limitations and a brief to create an exemplary luxury hotel, with two restaurants, a wine bar, a spa with pool, a double-height ballroom and expansive meeting facilities.

    Working on a land-locked site as complex as this comes with its challenges. But out of the challenges Murray has delivered Dexter Moren Associates’ vision for a strong and cohesive building that is firmly anchored in the City of London, and delivers two elements of public access with a single strong architectural idea; first, it provides a unique connection between the area around St Paul’s with the Queenhithe Dock through the hotel’s public areas, and, second, it introduces a river walkway, which is the final piece of a pedestrian riverside walk which will connect Albert Embankment with the Tower of London.

    In the next episode of DESIGN POD, Simon Kincaid joins the Minotti London sofa to speak about the legacy Sir Terrence Conran left behind, as well as how his vast experience in all corners of the design industry has shaped his career at Conran & Partners.  

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    DESIGN POD Series 2 Jo Littlefair

    Episode 15: A new era of luxury design (Jo Littlefair)

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    Episode 15: A new era of luxury design (Jo Littlefair)

    In episode 15 of DESIGN POD, in association with Minotti London, interior designer Jo Littlefair joins the sofa discuss interior schemes, materials and projects that are shaping a new chapter of luxury in hotel design and high-end residential (scroll down to listen)…

    DESIGN POD Series 2 Jo Littlefair

    Jo Littlefair, who won Interior Designer of the Year in 2019 at The Brit List Awards, is the Co-Founder of Goddard Littlefair, a design studio that is unquestionably on the curve of the hotel design industry. Taking time out of her daily mission to purposefully challenge the perception of luxury in interior design, she joined Editor Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde – virtually due to a Covid-19 curveball – to discuss the ever-evolving luxury hotel sector in 2022 and beyond.

    Injecting inspiration from her travels into the studio and sharing her passion for new and exciting dining, dwelling and hospitality experiences, Littlefair’s curious and observant nature allows her to recognise emerging evolutions in consumer, industry and design trends.

    Having recently completed projects such as Villa Copenhagen, The Curtain – At The Mondrian Shoreditch and The Mayfair Townhouse – while currently working on, among others, the interior design scheme inside Mandarin Oriental in Vienna and the spa inside Raffles’ first hotel in London, Littlefair and her team shelter the skillset (and passion) to make meaningful noise and intuitive impact within the hotel design and hospitality arena.

    So, let’s meet her shall we?

    DESIGN POD, series two, is sponsored by Minotti London. In the next episode, Kilburn and Forde chat to Ed Murray, Associate at Dexter Moren Associates, to explore fluid and boundless architecture.

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    Guy Oliver DESIGN POD on purple backdrop

    Episode 14: Modern design in heritage buildings (Guy Oliver)

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    Episode 14: Modern design in heritage buildings (Guy Oliver)

    In episode 14 of DESIGN POD, in association with Minotti London, award-winning interior designer Guy Oliver is invited on the sofa to discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with injecting modern design touches inside heritage buildings…

    Guy Oliver DESIGN POD on purple backdrop

    It’s probably easier to tell you about the hotels and luxury residences that interior designer Guy Oliver has not touched in Mayfair, London. His portfolio includes, but is not limited to Claridge’s, The Connought Hotel and The Princeton Club in New York – making him, arguably, the most qualified to discuss the topic of blending old with the new in hotel design.

    In this episode of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, Oliver joins Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde to discuss the challenges (and opportunities) that emerge when blending contemporary elements into heritage buildings, which is the ultimate juxtaposition in design and architecture.

    In addition, Oliver shares his experience being involved in the latest series of BBC’s Interior Design Masters, where he was a judge in the ‘hotel challenge’, and tasked the contestants with the challenge to design guestrooms that sensitively celebrate the quintessentially British grounds of Highley Manor Hotel.

    DESIGN POD, series two, is sponsored by Minotti London. In the next episode, Kilburn and Forde chat to Jo Littlefair, Co-Founder of Goddard Littlefair, to understand the new era of luxury in hotel and high-end residential design.

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    DESIGN POD Series 2 Hen'a Yadav

    Episode 13: Unconventional materials in design (Hen’a Yadav)

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    Episode 13: Unconventional materials in design (Hen’a Yadav)

    In episode 13 of DESIGN POD, in association with Minotti London, Hamish Kilburn and Harriet Forde meet Hen’a Yadav, Principal at Studio Carter, to explore the qualities of raw and unusual materials in design and architecture…

    DESIGN POD Series 2 Hen'a Yadav

    Hen’a Yadav’s journey in hotel design recently moved her from LA to London. The Principal at Studio Carter’s first gig here was at HIX 2021, when she was asked to design a multi-layered hotel wellness suite concept. Her approach to design “one room with many faces”, as she described it, allowed her to explore new materials and forms, while harnessing wellbeing properties through a soft and muted design scheme.

    In episode 13 of DESIGN POD, Yadav joined Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde to explain what those materials were, and how the project gave her a deeper sense of understanding when exploring opportunities that have emerged since modern travellers started for wellness and wellbeing being enriched in the whole hospitality experience.

    It’s an uncanny chain of events that led Yadav to this exact moment. She was born in Bombay, raised in Katmandu, and studied in Dubai, followed by Basel. With this unusual upbringing and paradoxical perspective on different cultures, she became curious about the various environments she lived in and how they mould us. Thus, her innate drive to study interiors led her to Montreal, to where she came with an ambition to revolutionise and rethink the word ‘lifestyle’.

    After graduating, she started her career in Dubai by designing royal palaces. The opulence of that lifestyle led her to seek a role specialising in hospitality. She continued to explore different design communities and cultures by working in Hasselt, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore, quenching her creative curiosity with fabulous mentors and celebrity designers along the way.

    After 18 years of this nomadic, creative journey, she has seamlessly accumulated a vast and versatile portfolio with unique set off experiences. This has now all culminated in a fabulous role in London after Los Angeles, and as a principal of a boutique, a lifestyle-driven firm called Studio Carter where she continues to spearhead the London office.

    Studio Carter consists of a team of internationally based creatives that provide a personal and articulated perspective on hospitality, creativity and wellbeing. The studio commits itself to have a positive influence through holistic and timeless design. Years of experience, a highly talented team and a strong vision create a position of trust and dependability with our clients. All work starts from an artistic viewpoint, adding authentic creativity to a unique interior design. Studio Carter transfers a story into a tangible and sharable experience whilst constructing a narrative that people will be immersed in.

    DESIGN POD, series two, is sponsored by Minotti London. In the next episode, Kilburn and Forde meet Guy Oliver, Co-Founder of Oliver Laws.

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    DESIGN POD Series 2 - Timothy Griffin

    Episode 12: Design’s role in hotel development (Timothy Griffin)

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    Episode 12: Design’s role in hotel development (Timothy Griffin)

    In episode 12 of DESIGN POD, in association with Minotti London, Hamish Kilburn and Harriet Forde discuss design in hotel development, and meet Timothy Griffin, Principal at Wellbrook Hospitality who was the former Managing Director for The Hoxton brand in Northern America… 

    DESIGN POD Series 2 - Timothy Griffin

    Timothy Griffin is a Principal at Wellbrook Hospitality and Co-Founder of the LEVEN hotel and lifestyle brand, which recently opened its first hotel in Manchester – and Hotel Designs were first to check in.

    As well as having his finger on the pulse when it comes to hotel development hotspots, Griffin was also responsible for the design – and all creative elements, including branding – for LEVEN Manchester And for this episode of DESIGN POD, Hamish Kilburn and Harriet Forde wanted to understand design’s role in hotel development.

    Throughout the episode, Griffin discusses challenges and opportunities that emerged when blurring the lines between luxury and lifestyle. In the case of the Manchester property, celebrating the raw nature of the architecture with soft and comforting elements answered this brief for the space to feel immediately residential with plush touches.

    Before LEVEN, Griffin’s career was split between New York City and London. Most recently as Managing Director for the North America region, he brought The Hoxton brand to the US, opening sites in New York, Portland, Chicago and LA. He played a key role in defining the Hoxton brand, and as the group’s Brand Director he oversaw graphic design, PR, social media, retail, digital marketing, partnerships and events.

    The next episode of DESIGN POD will explore unconventional materials in design, and will welcome Hen’a Yadav, Principal at Studio Carter, as the special guest.

    Main image credit: DESIGN POD/Hotel Designs

    11_Rachel Hoolahan Orms DESIGN POD

    Episode 11: Sustainability & conscious design (Rachel Hoolahan)

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    Episode 11: Sustainability & conscious design (Rachel Hoolahan)

    In episode 11 of DESIGN POD, in association with Minotti London, Hamish Kilburn and Harriet Forde welcome Rachel Hoolahan, an architect and the sustainability coordinator of Orms to discuss a circular economy, greenwashing and materials passports…

    11_Rachel Hoolahan Orms DESIGN POD

    In the first episode of series two of design and architecture podcast DESIGN POD, host Hamish Kilburn and co-host interior designer Harriet Forde meet Rachel Hoolahan, who has recently become the sustainability co-ordinator at Orms.

    A pioneering example of someone who is putting forward innovative and honest initiatives that will encourage the industry – and the wider world – to work towards a circular economy, joined the podcast while the studio’s latest project to breath new life into the former Central St Martins Building in London – and has a few clever ways to convince clients to think more consciously.

    Thinking sustainability is not a new concept for Orms, though, which in 2019 completed its project as one of the architecture studios involved in The Standard London – and was the only studio, out of a handful that pitched, that pushed to save the building’s 1974 Brutalist structure. After it won the pitch, Orms was responsible for the exterior architecture / shell and core, and worked alongside interior designer Shawn Hausman Design and interior architect Archer Humphryes on behalf of Crosstree Real Estate Partners and The Standard.

    DESIGN POD, series two, is sponsored by Minotti London. In the next episode, Kilburn and Forde meet Tim Griffin, former Ennismore Managing Director (USA) who recently launched his first hotel, LEVEN under Wellbrook Hospitality.

    Main image credit: DESIGN POD

    DESIGN POD Marie Soliman

    Episode 10: Embracing Change (Marie Soliman)

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    Episode 10: Embracing Change (Marie Soliman)

    As the industry regains momentum following uncertain times, DESIGN POD’s Hamish Kilburn and Harriet Forde meet Marie Soliman, Founder of Bergman Design House to discuss embracing change in hotel design and business…

    DESIGN POD Marie Soliman

    Following her departure of one of the world’s most well-known hospitality design firms, Marie Soliman with her husband embraced change when they launched Bergman Design House in 2016 with the aim to disrupt the market with meaningful and impactful luxury design.

    Today, half a decade on and with more than 25 years’ combined experience, Marie and Albin have built up an enviable portfolio of projects, spanning from London to St. Petersburg, to Qatar to New York (and have scooped up a few awards along the way. The studio is boldly taking the hotel, residential and luxury yacht industries into new eras by using design as a tool to enhance evolution. To explore more, DESIGNPOD sits down with the interior designer as she hits the halfway mark on a new ‘revolutionary’ hotel design project, The Other House, which will make its highly anticipated arrival on the hotel design scene in 2022 with its debut hotel in South Kensington.

    Marie’s passion and talent is unquestionable, as is her insatiable enthusiasm for design… Listen to the full episode below:

    DESIGN POD George Couyas

    Episode 9: Geeky About The Design Details (George Couyas)

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    Episode 9: Geeky About The Design Details (George Couyas)

    In episode nine, in association with Bathroom Brands Group, Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde invite George Couyas, Founder of Interior Design Geek, to join them on the Minotti London sofa. With more than 20 years’ experience designing high-end spaces, Couyas saw that there was a demand beyond his tight-knit client base…

    DESIGN POD George Couyas

    In this episode of DESIGN POD, editor Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde meet a man who regularly does his homework when it comes to establishing trends, materials and new interior design ideas. During the one year and eight months when the nation was working from home, interior designer George Couyas’ used the time to help his clients achieve their dream homes while also launching a surgery, whereby anyone who is in need of advice on their own interior design project, whatever size or budget, can benefit from having an interior designer on their side.

    With a fountain of knowledge – from materials, surfaces, colours (and everything in between) – the designer himself is geeky about the details, and joins DESIGN POD to discuss his journey in design, client management and why design is entering a new, exciting era.

    Main image credit: DESIGN POD

    DESIGN POD Patrick McCrae

    Episode 8: Art’s Role In Design (Patrick McCrae)

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    Episode 8: Art’s Role In Design (Patrick McCrae)

    In episode eight of DESIGN POD, in association with Bathroom Brands Group, we look at art’s role in design by meeting Patrick McCrae, CEO of ARTIQ, who is on an unapologetic mission to towards equality in art and beyond…

    DESIGN POD Patrick McCrae

    In episode eight, in association with Bathrooms Brand Group, Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde meet up with Patrick McCrae, Founder and CEO of ARTIQ, to understand not only what goes into curating the art collections for some of the world’s most incredible hotels and private spaces but also how the brand scouts emerging artists and how the company is at the forefront of ensuring that all artists are paid fairly… after all, exposure doesn’t pay the bills.

    Below is full episode:

    Main image credit: DESIGN POD

    DESIGN POD Hamish Kilburn and Harriet Forde

    Episode 7: Meet The Hosts (Hamish Kilburn & Harriet Forde)

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    Episode 7: Meet The Hosts (Hamish Kilburn & Harriet Forde)

    In episode 7 of DESIGN POD, in association with Bathroom Brands Group, we are stripping it right back so that our listeners can get to know our hosts, while also understanding how the concept of the podcast for designers and architects on-the-go was born…

    DESIGN POD Hamish Kilburn and Harriet Forde

    DESIGN POD is the contemporary podcast for all architecture and design lovers – it’s a safe space that amplifies interesting conversations and topics that mean something. Following the release of six engaging episodes, we thought it was fitting to strip back the veneer in order to really learn more about the two personalities who host it.

    You may already know – or know of – Hamish Kilburn, who is the editor of Hotel Designs and who recently became the host of DESIGN POD. Kilburn’s passion for people fuelled his journey to launch the podcast platform, but it was not without the help and support of Harriet Forde, Founder of Harriet Forde Design and co-host of DESIGN POD. The conversation to launch a podcast for designers and architects came following a lunch where the two were discussing topics and issues that were directly impacting the industry. Forde’s knowledge in interior design is an integral voice on the platform, while Kilburn’s unparalleled perspective on design, architecture and hospitality has enabled the team access to meet simply extraordinary people. And this is just the beginning…

    Listen to the full episode here:

    DESIGN POD Mel Yates and Flo Rolfe

    Episode 6: Framing Design & Architecture (Florence Rolfe & Mel Yates)

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    Episode 6: Framing Design & Architecture (Florence Rolfe & Mel Yates)

    In this episode, in association with Bathroom Brands Group, editor Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde meet stylist Florence Rolfe and photographer Mel Yates, who often work together on international shoots for leading hotel brands, to see design and architecture through a slightly different lens…

    DESIGN POD Mel Yates and Flo Rolfe

    DESIGN POD is the contemporary podcast for all architecture and design lovers – it’s a safe space that amplifies interesting conversations and topics that mean something. In episode 6, we look at architecture and design through a slightly different lens in order to understand responsibilities of – and challenges faced by – stylists and photographers.

    Florence Rolfe is a freelance stylist who started her career working for House & Garden magazine. Mel Yates, meanwhile, in an award-winning architecture, interior design and portrait photographer. Together, they form a powerful story-telling team who bring to life narratives of spaces and people. This episode will challenge conventional approaches to the design and encourage you to change your perception, ever so slightly, to become more open to creative opportunities.

    Listen to the full episode here:

    DESIGN POD Carden Cunietti

    Episode 5: Creativity Crafted (Carden Cunietti)

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    Episode 5: Creativity Crafted (Carden Cunietti)

    In this episode, in association with Bathroom Brands Group, editor Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde meet Audrey Carden and Eleanora Cunietti, the founders of design studio Carden Cunietti, to discuss creativity,  diversity, how to design good business decisions and explore the trends that both ladies would hate to re-emerge…

    DESIGN POD Carden Cunietti

    Interior design and architecture has accomplished exponential leaps forward over the last few decades. For Audrey Carden and Eleanora Cunietti, time has moved quickly since they first launched their much-loved Notting Hill store in London in 1996 to now, owning a thriving interior design practice – perfecting their craft by putting everything they have learned along the way into their projects.

    The duo’s journey together in business started when they bumped into each other at a London antique fair while scouting for distinctive pieces for clients. The organic decision to start their business with just £20,000 (how things have changed) led to success, failures and too many stories to fit in to this episode.

    Listen to the full episode here:

    DESIGN POD Jack Irving

    Episode 4: Fashion Meets Design (Jack Irving)

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    Episode 4: Fashion Meets Design (Jack Irving)

    In the this episode, in association with Bathroom Brands Group, editor Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde welcome designer Jack Irving as the show’s special guest. Having created outfits for the likes of Lady Gaga, Paris Hilton, The Spice Girls and more, Irving discusses fashion highlight, collaboration goals and the result of his debut interior design project. This is what happens when fashion and design meet…

    DESIGN POD Jack Irving

    Often interior designers and architects admit that they are inspired by the energy and buzz that radiates from the fashion industry. The quick conveyer-belt of collections – blink and you will miss this season’s frocks and colours– naturally allows boundaries to be stretched and incubated creativity to explode onto the runway. And yet, it is rare (not unheard of, though) for the two industries to work in harmony.

    In episode 4 of DESIGN POD, editor Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde meet a designer who, for many reasons, is an inspiration in both arenas. Jack Irving was just 21-years-old, a student still at Saint Martins College of Art and Design, when his dream collaboration came true. The iconic ‘Mother Monster’ herself, Lady Gaga, had seen his otherworldly designs and asked him to create an outfit that she would wear on the final night of her Art Pop world tour in Paris. Rising the occasion, Irving created the Sea Urchin Showgirl inflatable dress.

    As impressive as his fashion portfolio is, it was Irving’s debut interior design project that put him on the radar of our producers – and here’s why.

    Listen to the full episode here: 

    DESIGN POD Jason Bradbury

    Episode 3: Technology In Design (Jason Bradbury)

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    Episode 3: Technology In Design (Jason Bradbury)

    In association with Bathroom Brands Group, episode three of DESIGN POD, the podcast for all designers and architects on-the-go, has landed. In this episode, we explore technology’s role in design, with special guest Jason Bradbury, the former presenter of The Gadget Show and the original technology influencer…

    DESIGN POD Jason Bradbury

    DESIGN POD’s latest episode, which is entitled ‘Technology in Design’, is now available to listen to all major podcast platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Acast – and welcomes technology expert Jason Bradbury as the special guest for the episode.

    With technology’s role being questioned as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, for episode three of DESIGN POD, Bradbury, who once reviewed a hotel for Hotel Designs 30 years in the future, was invited to add context and give us answers of what technology’s role will be in tomorrow’s design and architecture projects.

    Listen here:

     

    DESIGN POD logo and image of Christos Passas

    Episode 2: Architecture Beyond Boundaries (Zaha Hadid Architects)

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    Episode 2: Architecture Beyond Boundaries (Zaha Hadid Architects)

    In association with Bathroom Brands Group, episode two of DESIGN POD, the podcast for all designers and architects on-the-go, has landed. In this episode, we explored architecture beyond boundaries with special guest Christos Passas, Director, Zaha Hadid Architects…

    DESIGN POD logo and image of Christos Passas

    DESIGN POD’s latest episode, which is entitled ‘Architecture Beyond Boundaries’, is now available to listen to all major podcast platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Acast – and welcomes Christos Passas, Director of Zaha Hadid Architect (ZHA), as the guest professional for the episode.

    The podcast episode, hosted by editor Hamish Kilburn and co-hosted by Harriet Forde, virtually unlocks the door behind the ZHA studio and, as well as discussing how the brand pushes boundaries in design and architecture, it also dives deep into the legacy that the late Zaha Hadid left behind, whose outstanding contribution to the architectural profession has been acknowledged by professional, academic and civic institutions around the world, including (but not limited to) the Forbes List of the ‘World’s Most Powerful Women.

    DESIGN POD Constantina Tsoutiskou

    Episode 1: Choosing Your Lane, With Constantina Tsoutsikou

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    Episode 1: Choosing Your Lane, With Constantina Tsoutsikou

    In association with Bathroom Brands Group, and to kickstart our DESIGN POD journey, editor Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde explore the topic of ‘choosing your lane’ in architecture and design.

    DESIGN POD Constantina Tsoutiskou

    Whether you are working for a brand, independently or are about to embark in a new journey, choosing your lane – your style, if you like – is an integral and pivotal moment of any design/architecture process. In order put some personality into this topic, Kilburn interviews special guest interior designer Constanina Tsoutsikou, the former Creative Director of HBA London, to understand the process and challenges that came with launching her new design studio, Studio LOST.