INTERIORS 2010

A Cabinet Perspective...

4th February 2010

Designer Hugh Elliott offers an independent view of trends at the NEC show.....

January can be a tough month and this year was no exception with blizzard weather conditions and a still uncertain economy. So hot on the heels of Cologne and Paris I wondered if we would find some inspiration at this years’ Interiors show at the NEC.

Amongst the continuing sea of oak the military theme seemed to be a big influence in the mainstream cabinet areas with various interpretations of the Campaign furniture in evidence, from Frank Hudson’s ‘Beach House’ range (pictured left) with colonial overtones to more contemporary offerings all combining recessed handles and protective corner plates.

It was good to see someone go for some fun with a show stopper piece and whilst I am not normally drawn to novelty beds I rather liked Hyder's enclosed bed with it's 60s 'retreat pod' and Star Trek connotations. In a moment of weakness I was persuaded to try it out, zoned vibration massage pads and all! Bit of a hefty price tag at five and a half grand but a nice concept nonetheless.

For me, as a cabinet designer, some of the highlights of the show were to be found in Hall 3 and one company in particular – Nathan - stood out. What impressed me was the philosophy underpinning the product development and how that approach has enabled them to evolve the brand with a fresh new offer that respects its heritage. Like the BMW Mini and Fiat 500, Nathan’s Citadel 21 range (pictured left) has reinterpreted a classic design and with the retro look becoming less niche and resonating more in the mainstream the likes of Nathan and Ercol are well placed to take advantage of this trend. As Nathan’s chairman Nick Radford said, “if anyone can do Retro well Nathan can”

Across the aisle Ercol was showing a new show wood suite called Palermo (pictured left), which was elegant and nicely understated, building on the success of the Isola range launched last year. Show wood was certainly an important trend in Cologne this year and I think there is considerable scope for well designed comfortable contemporary suites that combine upholstery and wood.

In all areas decoration is becoming more important again and Pinetum were launching ‘Romantic’ - a contemporary dining collection that combined strong confident shapes in a well considered dark finish with finely decorative panels and coordinating chair fabrics. As always Pinetum’s offer is characterised by the use of coloured oak.

Combinations of finish and substrate are a continuing key trend, from the simple contemporary use of glass or gloss with wood from Calligaris and Greenapple to a very interesting new wood and metal collection from Willis & Gambier they had named ‘Forecast’. This brought together weathered oak with pewter under frames to create a compelling, slightly industrial aesthetic and in fashion retail terms there were elements of All Saints and Anthropologie going on. I think this is an interesting directional development but one that would have to be carefully presented in the retail environment to gain the customer’s understanding.

So was I inspired at Interiors? Well yes; many of the exhibitors were making a genuine effort to move on and present new refreshing ideas It is all to easy in difficult economic times to be negative and ignore the spirit of optimism which has to be a crucial part of the design process.

About Hugh Elliott

Hugh Elliott was born in Somerset in 1954. Graduating from Bristol in Furniture Design in 1976 he spent time as a designer in the Sultanate of Oman before returning to the UK in 1983 as a director of alchemede. With more than 25 years of experience of developing cabinet furniture for retail, his designs have successfully sold through many of the leading furniture retailers including Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Laura Ashley. Hugh has also worked with clients in the United States of America and Asia, including Ethan Allen Inc and Charleston Forge.