I was invited to Sketch just off Oxford Circus for a breakfast with Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and Anna Ryder Richardson for the launch of their designs for Andrex.
Sketch itself is an extremely quirky bar/restaurant/club which is oozing with individual features, vibrant colours and eccentric furniture. I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland as I tried to find the room where the breakfast was held.
Overall the meeting was about the current interior design climate and how people are finding it difficult to do up their homes due to funds.
People are no longer after a quick fix as they are not selling their homes, meaning that they want to add personal touches and actually “live” in their homes.
Therefore consumers are more likely to experiment with bold colours through accessories, fabrics and furniture, moving away from the estate agent’s rules of impersonal cream and beige spaces. As well as being bold, design has gone down the route of eco and natural with respect for the earth’s resources and they way things are made and who by.
A few quotes below of what Laurence and Anna had to say:
Laurence:
“People are finding it difficult to afford large purchase so the smaller touches are more effective.”
“There’s nothing us British like more than a bit of loo humour” (whilst holding a toilet roll)
“Next weekend is the big DIY weekend with the spring cleaning and the summer approaching”
“There is so much you can do by making small changes”
“In your bathroom you can experiment with bold colours, a lick of paint doesn’t cost much and makes a dramatic effect”
“MDF’s lovely, it’ll have a revival one day”
Anna:
“As we emerge from the recession, we have forgotten what it’s like to have a real home. When designing our homes functional and affordable is key.
Little things are easy to accessories
Design has been going natural eco with leaves and flowers
We are stirring up what was laying dorment for so long – interior design”
