What the Experts Say
John Lewis
Anna Rigby, Head of Furniture Buying, John Lewis says, ‘Autumn/Winter 08/09 will see John Lewis fuse a love of nature with a desire for stylish, sophisticated and edgy design. Going forward, furniture shapes will be more rounded and comfortable and a warm, autumnal colour palate will be used to complement the new ranges. Fig is a key colourway for the forthcoming season, which we have used in the popular Mayfair upholstery collection. The demand for storage solutions has resulted in the introduction of Orchard. Designed to make the most of space, the Orchard living room range (from £195) has been crafted from Indonesian durian wood solids and veneers.’
‘Our new eclectic accent pieces are proving popular, one of my favourites is the stunning Milano wine table (£125) crafted from aluminium. This collection incorporates traditional influences from around the globe with a modern twist.
Above: John Lewis – Example of Bold Colours
Amode
Helen Harwood, buyer, Amode, says: ‘The decadent baroque trend will start to diminish in 2009 and be replaced by an updated 1950s retro style silhouette with bold colours, abstract shapes and geometric patterns. Key items will be wire framed chairs, black lacquered wood tables, quirky wall graphics and metal furniture with laser-cut lace patterns.’
Above: Red Nemo Style Chairs
IKEA
It’s clear that the trend for all-white furniture has not yet reached its peak and is still very much alive. As well as having a lightness and clarity about it, it’s also timeless, and easy to team with other colours, or tone on tone. White also provides an excellent showcase or back-drop for other materials. We love the Pinch Alba sideboard (£3,995), which typifies the look, but if your budget's low, you can find white everywhere in furniture and accessories, including IKEA.
Above: A sample of white Furniture
Bright Shiny Colours
The opposing trend to this is one of bright, shiny colours, leading to a demand for glossy furniture. This trend is all about smooth, shiny surfaces, as well as high-gloss lacquered fronts on cupboards, chairs and tables. Chairs and sofas are cropping up covered with lacquered leather, and even upholstered furniture has high-gloss elements teamed with matt upholstery.
Above: Above examples of Glossy Chairs
Large Lighting
Another strong theme emerging is over-sized lamps and shades, giving an exciting new look for lighting as well as a focal point in the home. You need only to look at the giant, floor-standing Anglepoise to get an idea of how much of an impact a giant like this can make. Who needs furniture?
Above, An example of a Large Lamp
Flamboyant Wallcoverings
Wallcoverings are similarly flamboyant, with designers such as Hemingway and Barbara Hulanicki grabbing the attention for companies such a Graham & Brown. As well as abstract designs, also taking centre stage are nature-inspired prints of flowers and trees for your walls. Our favourite? This Wallpower wallpaper b Nono.
Above: A good example of a Flamboyant Wall Covering
Homespun Style
Following on from flowers and trees, there will always be a demand for furniture and accessories inspired by nature, with an overtly craft-oriented feel to them. Russell Pinch’s Beata lampshade, gently reminiscent of a bee hive, and the simple lines and curves of his Pendel sofa (shown, from £1,730), with its fern and wild flower emblazoned fabric are designed to appeal to any rustic yearnings. For smaller budgets, Ikea's Karlstad range includes floral-covered seating.
Above: A Flowery 2 Seater
Handcrafted Looks
Dark, bold schemes like this one are still fashionable, but more to the point, designers are taking a playful approach with traditional furniture by blurring the borders between professional production and technical ornamentation. Things that aren’t actually handmade are taking on the appearance of being painstakingly hand-crafted in styles reminiscent of traditional craftsmanship techniques. Combining materials is still a hot trend, too. The harmony and softness of fabrics and upholstery meet the austerity of braided leather, lacquered woods and metal. New interpretations and re-editions of tried and tested classics combine the familiar with the new. For a high street take on this look, check out John Lewis’s range, including the Hudson chair (£795) and the Marrakesh console table (£595).
Above: A roomset of a Handcrafted Style
Five experts advise on Commercial Fit-Outs ... and Predict Trends for the Future
Alan Murnane, KMD Architecture
Office interiors in the future will concentrate on the provision of safe, healthy and stimulating working environments for the occupants. They will also be looking to the design of more team and task driven office environments.
The quality of environment, for example air, temperature, humidity, lighting and acoustic environment will be the main areas of development. There will be a move away from full air conditioning solutions and this will create a challenge for the mixed mode / naturally ventilated solution to handle the air quality and air temperatures providing conditions of comfort.
The market is finally beginning to understand the importance of lighting the office volume rather than the work plane. Studies are beginning to emerge addressing the importance of creating a dynamic and productive work place, of which lighting is extremely important.
Finally, the preference for the extensive use of glass partitions with stone, porcelain, metal and other hard surfaces will require consideration to be given to the resultant acoustic environment of office interiors.
JJ McCreery
We have noticed that architects have been moving from planning closed cellular offices to planning much more open plan offices in recent years, with low level storage units, and low lying screens. Speaking to clients whom we've provided this style of fit-out to; the response has on the whole been a positive one.
One such client, who have only just completed the fit-out of a large open plan office in The Oval building on Shelbourne Road made some very positive comments about how open planning has impacted their company. With the directors now sitting amongst their staff, he feels this has benefited the company in many ways. From a practical point of view much more work gets done, people are less likely to be wasting time making personal calls or looking on the internet. Any problems amongst staff can be addressed quickly and efficiently. The staff also feel that the directors are much more approachable because they are not tucked away into cellular offices. Previously doors had been closed - and people were not able to discuss work freely. Now it is just a matter of casually calling on a colleague, and meeting informally at ones desk to discuss ideas. Also, where there is a broad range of expertise in an office, people can now communicate much more easily, and share experience and knowledge across the board.
Arthur Duff, Architect, Duff Tisdall
While seasonal trends tend to influence interior and furniture design, it is equally important to look at the individual context. Our interior designs are always varied and diverse because we look at what is unique about a scheme and try to bring this inherent quality to the surface. This can be the natural environment, the views of a location, the architectural features of a scheme, or even the history of an area. For example when we designed the show apartments in OMP's Hanover Quay scheme, we looked at the history of the Dublin Docklands and used some of the old maps of the area throughout the show units.
We also worked closely with the architects to enhance the architectural features through the interior design. Our background as both architects and designers is a great advantage.
Bob Bushell
When it comes to office furniture these days, flexibility and ability to move is the most important thing to consider.
With more and more offices going for open workspaces and group collaborations, companies and businesses are looking for simple furniture that is versatile, movable (from one office, room to another), flexible, modified or just simply adjustable.
With such changeable work environments evolving, furniture that can adjust to the user would greatly contribute to a positive working environment.
Donworth Office Interiors
Third generation offices featuring the best of modern materials, telecommunication products and environmental comfort have created demand for higher levels in seating. "Our clients have really taken on board the business case for investing in good ergonomically designed office chairs", says Tony Donworth. "The other really noticeable trend seen by Donworth's is the huge interest in space saving designs", says Tony, "with office space so expensive clients are looking for the best use of space; the two key space saving solutions are mobile storage and sleek profile desks with inbuilt cable management."
George Clarkes Top 10 Renovation Tips
George Clarke is an architect and creative director of an architectural practice, clarke:desai, and a property development company, dreamspaces. He is also a writer and lecturer.
In 2000, George started clarke:desai, with business partner Bobby Desai. They have established a reputation as a talented design company with a very high profile client list, including residential, cultural and urban design projects across the world.
George's architectural practice, university teaching and research allow him to develop ways of creating new kinds of architecture. He is passionate about the way architecture can transform our everyday lives and his aim is to make architecture popular and accessible to the public.
George presented three series of the highly successful 'Build a New Life' for Channel Five. His previous programmes include 'Property Dreams' and 'A Dream Home Abroad'. Recently, he has been filming for Channel 4, with The Home Show's tight schedule keeping him more than occupied.
He is also filming a series called Restoration Man for 2009. He lives in London and Dorset, with his wife and three children. You can read all of George's exclusive 4Homes DIY guides, as well as his advice on renovating, on The Home Show website.
Top 10 Renovation Tips
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Find a Recommended Builder: The first tip is finding a brilliant, established builder that you trust and the best way to do that is through recommendation. Don’t go through a phone directory EVER. It needs to be someone recommended by family, friends, neighbours. Check out their work. If they’re good builders and they believe in their reputation, they’ll be more than happy for you to go and see two or three examples of their work.The most important thing is to talk to the people they did the work for – were there any problems? If there were problems – maybe he was a little slow - but they did a great job and was affordable, you can be happy with that. |
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Project Manage Well: Managing your project is hugely important. Set it up properly in terms of contract, price schedule and project programme. Fix the price for the job. Don’t do it on an hourly rate or a daily rate. If you have something that’s on a fixed price, you can say I want that amount of work done for that amount of money in that amount of time. Then it’s straightforward, you know what the boundaries are. |
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Spend Your Budget Wisely: You also need to manage your money throughout the build. It’s not just about having a budget and spending it, it’s about spending it in the right way. You have a responsibility to do that. We give our clients The Architects’ Guide which is published by RIBA and it talks them through what’s expected of them, and tells them that they need to manage their funds. They need to brief their builder properly about what they want. Otherwise the builder will just say, ‘you know what? I’ll just make it up as I go along’, and then you’ll just be disappointed. |
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Expect to Pay More: Have contingency of a minimum of 10 per cent. So if the builder tells you £x, it needs to be £x plus 10 per cent every time in your head.
5. Make Decisions Early: Try and make all the design decisions before the contractors start on site. It sounds really obvious but people just don’t do it. That means at the planning stage, you have got these decisions out the way as soon as possible. If your builder tells you he doesn’t need something – say the toilet and sink – for a few weeks, get it anyway because what you’ve chosen may have knock-on effects with the size of pipes, etc. |
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Make Decisions Early: Try and make all the design decisions before the contractors start on site. It sounds really obvious but people just don’t do it. That means at the planning stage, you have got these decisions out the way as soon as possible. If your builder tells you he doesn’t need something – say the toilet and sink – for a few weeks, get it anyway because what you’ve chosen may have knock-on effects with the size of pipes, etc.
Your design time is cheap – those evenings before the build starts when you sit down and work out how the build is going to work and what materials you are going to use. If you make those decisions before the builder starts, then it’s clear what everyone’s doing on site. If you start making these decisions further down the line, and then worse than that, start changing your mind, it costs you time, and it costs you more money, it gives your builder the excuse to put his prices up – making decisions early saves money down the line. |
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Don’t Compromise on the Basics: Get what I call the ‘infrastructure’ right – in other words, the services. Don’t compromise on the new boiler system, the rewiring, the plumbing, just because you want to get the space right. I’ve seen people do a loft conversion , but not upgrade the boiler that’s knackered down in the utility room or half the plugs don’t work downstairs or they’ve got a damp problem. I’ve seen people spend £10,000 on a new bathroom but thekitchendoesn’twork.It’smad.
If you’re going to spend any money on anything first, spend it on the services, getting damp problems sorted, even improving or fitting insulation, before you start on big renovations. Think about what spaces need the most work first. The services are probably the most expensive thing, but also the most important thing. If you get a leak in your bathroom because the pipework doesn’t work, you’ll ruin all that new kitchen downstairs anyway. It’s really dull, but you need to get the services right first. I can’t go in and transform a house knowing that a boiler’s going to die in six months’ time. Get it done first, you’ll get peace of mind and you won’t waste money later. |
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Communicate with your Builder: Communication is really important. You might set your project up really well, you might have made all your design decisions and know exactly what you’re doing, but if you don’t communicate with your builder on site as often as possible in a proactive and positive way, the project will drift. If you’re on top of them in a reasonable way, they’ll be reasonable with you. If they think you’re not pushing them, they’ll start to lose interest inyourjob.
If you're communicating with them every day – I hassle my contractors usually every morning, asking who’s on site, what’s being done, what’s been delivered every day - they’ll be kept on their toes, even if they brush you off a little bit. You’ve got to be on their back in the nicest possible way. If you leave a project for a couple of days and then go back to site, you’ll find that things haven’t been done – and there’s often no real strong reason for it. If you’re on a fixed price, it’s not too scary, but it’s inconvenient and a hassle when things drift. And even in this case, if the builder knows he’s mismanaged himself, he’ll find any opportunity to charge you extra.
Not all builders do this. There are good builders out there – fantastic ones – and it’s a shame that the building industry has got a bad reputation. If you get a good one, you should recommend him to everyone you know. |
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Ensure your Contract is Water Tight: If you can get your contractor to agree on a penalty clause, great. If you’re doing a big project like Wembley Stadium, you’ve got the power to get one. So many small contractors just won’t do it – they’ll think you’re getting off on the wrong foot. And if you’ve got a great contractor, you just won’t need one. If you have found someone highly recommended, you’ve visited their former clients, you’ve got a good contract that specifies the job, when it finishes and how much it will cost, you shouldn’t need one, and if you insist on one, you mightlosethem.
What I want to say is, yes insist on a penalty clause – but in the real world you might lose a good contractor to another job. There has to be an element of trust. If you’ve got all that other paperwork in place, contract signed, schedule of works, price in black and white, you’re protected anyway. They can’t run away anyway, you can sue them. If they’re a reputable, established contractor, they don’t want to do a bad job or get a bad reputation, or be sued by you, either. |
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Understand and Allow for your Builders Problems: If you’ve got a fixed price you’ve got peace of mind you’re not going to be spending any more money. If your contractor’s got reasonable cause for delay, however – maybe he’s waiting for the Water Board to do something before he can finish the plumbing he may be able to demonstrate that heneedstochargeyoualittlemoremoney.
Even when that's all gone on, don’t compromise on the finish. Don’t pressurise him to hurry it along to complete the job if that will compromise the finish. Don’t push him too hard at the end – you’ll trash the job and have to get the skirting boards or architraves that they shoved in at the last minute redone, or the rooms redecorated in a year’s time, andsoon.
It comes down to communication good relationship with your builder to be reasonable and to understand the problems that they have. Accept any overruns to get the finish that you want, allowing them extra time to finish properly. It’s a shame once they’ve put all the time and effort into things that you don’t see to rush things that you do see (such as paint finishes and skirting boards) – and those are the things that get tired really quickly. Once you’ve got through that stage – having renegotiated delays, you’ve got your snagging list. |
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Keep a Retention: At the end of the job, keep a minimum five per cent retention, even when your builder thinks he’s finished the job, and do your snagging list. If you’ve got an architect, he would normally do that for you. This retention should clearly be in the contract, and will specify that the builder is to put right any defective works.
There are a couple of stages that people forget about – but it’s in the JCT (building contract). One is the six months’ defects liability period. Once the job is finished you need to go around and make a note of anything not properly completed as per your contract (ie, to a reasonable standard) – taps are loose, the bath has no silicone around the edges, etc. If you’re a novice at this and are not sure, you’re going have basic standards, but are going to have to trust your builder a bit on this. He then has to agree to it and then do the work.
Once the snagging is finished, you still hold back the five per cent for six months. Unprofessional builders will probably hassle you for their money at this point. At the end of the six months, though, at their cost not at yours, they’re obliged to fix any problems. Maybe there’s cracking in the decorations caused by changing temperature in the rooms – that’ll happen in every house – they need to come back and fix that. This is ‘ideal world’ here – but it’s how it should happen if you’ve got a good contract. This is the simple basis of any building contract. If he won’t put things right, you’ve got every right to get someone else in and not to pay him this money. |
INTERIOR DESIGNERS GIVE THEIR THRIFTY TIPS – Shopping on a Shoestring
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Shops don’t shout about it but sales assistants are permitted to make price reductions at their discretion to secure a sale. There are big savings to be made simply by asking, “Is that your best price?” when buying things like furniture and appliances, or by asking for a discount when buying multiple items. |
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Ikeas first Republic of Ireland branch opened in Dublin this July. If you’re planning to visit one in your country spend a long time beforehand pursuing the Ikea catalogue as well as every section of the website (there’s a lot more stuff shown on the website than in the catalogue) and make a list of the things that you really want, so that once you get there you’re less likely to buy above and beyond that quota. It can easily happen that you walk away wondering how you ended up spending €500 in a shop that is supposedly cheap! |
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Keep an eye on the exchange rate before shopping online and make savings whenever other currencies drop in value against the euro or your relevant currency. |
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If you want to avail of an occasional online bargain without your credit taking a crunch, consider getting a prepaid credit card, which can be used for international online shopping just like a normal credit card. You top up the prepaid credit card like you would a mobile phone, which means you don’t have to pay bills and you cant get into debt. Check out www.3v.ie for more info. in Ireland. |
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If you want to avail of an occasional online bargain without your credit taking a crunch, consider getting a prepaid credit card, which can be used for international online shopping just like a normal credit card. You top up the prepaid credit card like you would a mobile phone, which means you don’t have to pay bills and you cant get into debt. Check out www.3v.ie for more info. in Ireland. |
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Interior shops are constantly changing their displays – ask for one of their display items and you might get it at a reduced price. |
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If your client falls in love with a fabric but the cost of curtaining the window is running too high then a great way to use the fabric is in Roman Blinds. You only need a small amount of yardage and it’s a great way to show off the fabric, as you can really see the design. You could also update the room with some cushions in the same material. |
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If a room doesn’t feel right, rather than wondering what you can buy to bring it all together, consider what you can remove. Sometimes a client can love a coffee table/vase/cushion/lamp so dearly, or had spent so much money on it, a whole room doesn’t work. Before going shopping or designing try editing a room first to see if subtracting superfluous furnishings will create the improvement you are looking for. |
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Local second hand shops and salvage yards can be treasure troves of off beat, quirky items available at a small cost that will add character and individuality to a space. Provide your client with good quality individual items at half the cost. Find yourself a reliable upholsterer. |
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Offset cheaper pieces with expensive ones. No one will suspect that a piece of furniture cost you next to nothing if you style it up with ritzy accessories. Its all about getting the right balance, for example use a cheap sofa but get some expensive cushions to place on it. |
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In the bathroom adding a new or contemporary tap to the sink or bath can add luxury without breaking the bank. |
These are just a few tips to get your minds buzzing with new and innovative ways to be thrifty and innovative for your clients, hopefully you can come up with lots more ideas!!
Kevin McCloud was asked some real corking questions about everything from how to achieve a successful self build, right through to posers about his views on sustainability. Here are just a few of the very best, with Kevin's, as ever, informative answers. This interview can be seen on www.channel4/homes.com
Q: What is the most common mistake made by Grand Designs’ self-builders?
A: I think to be over optimistic. What it leads to is the mistake of never really allowing enough money. Nearly everyone goes over budget. Yet everybody at the start believes theirs is going to be the perfect self build. If they didn't we would never be allowed to film it!
Q: What do you think is the best idea - design your own structure or reuse an already standing structure?
A: Personally, I'm very interested in sustainable building and the creative re-use of an old building is often a very sustainable and planet-friendly way of building. But, it can also be extremely expensive. Building from scratch gives you the opportunity to specify every element of the building and not have to dove-tail your vision into another structural design.
Q: Do you think it can be difficult to get planning permission for innovative design?
A: It can be, especially for unusual designs, but from my experience, truly innovative and excellent design will often prevail. It may mean taking the planning decision to appeal, and it may mean changing the design. It may even mean incorporating sacrificial elements to the proposal which you can trade with planning officers. There is also a clause in the Town and Country Planning Act which permits development on greenfield sites, providing the design is of outstanding architectural merit.
Q: Where can I find land to purchase to build my house?
A: Ah! There are a number of commercial and government organisations, for example, Plot Finder (www.plotfinder.net). But everyone that I've met who has found an unusual site has found it with the help of serendipity or divine providence. You've just got to keep your eyes peeled and work very hard. But also, think laterally, because it is often the disused grain warehouse, mill or cycle shed that can provide a starting point for a new build.
Q: Would you recommend using a project manager for a self build?
A: I would always recommend that somebody takes on the role of project manager . Either you, if you have the time and energy (and some experience) or your surveyor, or your architect. Somebody needs to be incredibly organised and knowledgeable and sit on the build to make things happen when they should.
Q: Would you be tempted by an ecologically friendly design?
A: Of course. It's perfectly possible to build sustainably with drawings, a full spec and a strict schedule. With care and planning it's also possible to build without spending too much more than on a conventional build. Personally, I don't see why conventional, mass-market housing can't be built more sustainably and indeed there are several development trusts that are trying to prove just that.
My involvement in Grand Designs has not affected my view but it has informed it. I sometimes use our filming days as an opportunity to nose around and research new build materials and techniques but what has helped me formulate my views is the work I've done with WWF on their One Planet Living campaign- I'm am ambassador for WWF and OPL, as it's called, is about trying to create a million sustainable homes in the UK.
Q: What would be the most challenging ‘Grand Design’ you would like to see in the future?
A: I'd like to see houses which are even cheaper and affordable. Wouldn't it be great if a project that costs £350,000 only came in at £150,000?!
Q : Do you ever have to lie and say you like a project when you don't or are you always completely honest?
A: Yeah, I'm always pretty honest. I have been less than admiring of some of them though. I say what I think and the real point here is that I get a hand in choosing the projects in the first place. So the ones I don't like, we don't film! It's much easier that way. I have to spend 18 months of my life with these people, so that would be just miserable if I hated it. There's another point to make here actually, sometimes a design might not be quite to my taste but I'm not really interested in exercising my taste, I'd rather exercise my judgment. One thing I've learnt from all this is that we don't want the world to look the same- there's room for lots of different things, we need diversity.
Q: It seems the windows cause delays more than any other part of a project. Do you feel this is true?
A: Funny that, isn't it? I know it to be true and it's to do with the fact that most building materials like wood, steel and even concrete can be added to or reduced in size on site, whereas toughened glass , once toughened, can't be cut. As a result, the opening needs to be finished and measured in order for the glass to then be ordered which usually takes eight to 12 weeks (which is actually a fairly standard delivery time in the construction industry, for anything).
Q: Have any of the grand designs ever not been finished and thus not shown on TV?
A: Hehehe, yes! They're the ones you don't see and they're the ones that really hack me off because we spend months filming them! Mercifully there aren't too many of them.
Q: Is it uncommon for builders not to commit to an end date?
A: Whether a builder gives you a deadline or a completion date is really dependent on the terms under which you engage them. For example if you are paying them a day rate it's not in their interests to finish quickly. If you are paying them in lump sums that add up to a pre-agreed total, then they will be more motivated. The best motivation for any builder is a penalty clause for late finishing. Having said all this, builders can be tempted to bodge a job to get it finished if they are going to be penalised.
There is a method called management contracting where you employ a project manager to look after the job and he then employs sub contractors that he knows and has worked with. You pay him his fee, he passes the sub-contractors bills to you and you pay them directly. You get the benefit of a very organised and motivated workforce. And, I think, a better job than you would get if you paid a building firm.
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