Tired of buying the same old Scandinavian-style furniture, yet not in the mood to rub down a wooden plank in order to make a truly original-looking shelf?
British designers are becoming adept at creating classic, quirky yet downright gorgeous designs, which make eye-popping statements, while working practically in the home.
Take this coat stand from Silo, a design studio formed by Attua Aparicio and Oscar Wanless, currently based within a plastics factory on the southern bank of the Thames.
The three stands featured (‘Jack, Jacob and Jim’) are three variations of a coat stand. The form comes from an observation of how we hang our clothes, the soft form allows fabric to hang nicely as if on a body. Because of the way we make them every one is unique and unrepeatable, the website states.
Or - if you want to bring an element of eco-friendly design to your home - head to the website of Ben Huggins.
His carbon off-set chair, made entirely from Hemcrete, a breakthrough material consisting of UK Cannabis Sativa Santhica (a non-narcotic industrial hemp), and a lime based binding agent, locks in 60kg of carbon per unit.
And, if neither of those makes enough of a statement, consider shopping with Hendzel + Hunt, whose Made In Peckham range was retailed by The Shop at Blue Bird, and included a 12-foot long banquet table from which a sculpted tree appeared to grow from the table’s centre.
Then there's the loveable Jay Watson.
The thermochromic finish of his ‘Linger a Little Longer’ table and benches responds to the heat of any plate, mug or serving dish – or body part – placed on it, to leave an ephemeral ‘watermark'. Watson's designs make entertaining that bit more fun, while making a comment on how ‘precious’ we can become about furniture!
To see hundreds more awe-inspiring pieces of furniture, including Invisible City's Incunabular Sideboard (pictured above), head to Grand Designs Live in London from 5 - 13 May.