Columnist
The Magic Dinner
“The thought . . . called up the flavors of an elaborate and bold cuisine, . . . an incomparable experience.” – Italo Calvino, Under the Jaguar Sun How often does a friend or someone from work ask you to book a table in a nice restaurant? Often. It’s easy, right? We all know that… Read More >
Women in Lighting: The Extraordinary Light
Details have the task of expressing that which the basic design requires in that particular point of the object: union or disjunction, tension or lightness, friction, solidity, fragility (…). Details, when they are successful, are no mere decoration. They do not distract or entertain, but induce the observer to understand the whole, to whose essence… Read More >
A Busy Time
It’s currently a very busy period in the development of standards and regulations. In previous columns I’ve mentioned the proposed revision of the UK’s Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations, together with the UK government’s aim to revise, replace or repeal all legacy EU regulations on the statue books by 31 December 2023. In addition,… Read More >
Women in Lighting: Light as a Material
“We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.” – Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows How does a lighting design project start and how does it evolve? Often it is the client or interior designer who requests the… Read More >
Women in Lighting: See the Light, Feel the Light
“Architecture is the learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in the light.” Sometimes I wonder how many people are engaged in the process of designing a space and how many industries are involved in its construction. Moreover, what was the space designed for and how many different activities will be carried out in… Read More >
Home Office with Phil Reynolds
Through the various lockdowns (I’m sure we’re all tired of that word) many of us found we could continue to do our jobs successfully from home. Now the country has opened up, it’s striking how less busy roads, rail and offices are, as flexible working becomes the norm for many. What does that mean for… Read More >
Fire Retardants with Phil Reynolds
I thought for this instalment I would revisit the subject of furnishings fire safety, and the other question I get asked a lot – why do we have to use chemicals in our products to make them fire safe? It’s an interesting dichotomy. We don’t want to see building fires that start in, or are… Read More >
BS 6396 with Phil Reynolds
I thought this month I’d introduce one of our newest standards: BS 6396:2022 – ‘Electrical systems in furniture. Specification’ The standard has a long history within the office sector, where it was used to guide the correct installation of electrical power and data systems, primarily in office desks. Times have changed however, and we want… Read More >
Fire Safety with Phil Reynolds
When I was thinking about writing this piece, it struck me that the subject I get asked about most is furniture and furnishings fire safety, in fact last year I recorded a whole series of videos interviews about the subject with Design Insider. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me, as the UK has some of… Read More >
A natural way of building
When it comes to building, we’re increasingly aware that we should be doing it better; that the new environments we create should be better for us, and the planet. But how might we actually go about this? There’s a lot of discussion and more and more awareness of “greener” practices but for many specifiers, they… Read More >
Women in Office Design – Suzanne Stuart
This month’s Women in Office Design (WOD) column features Suzanne Stuart, Account Manager, KI Europe. Explain your current role I work alongside our dealer partners to identify and win Workplace projects. This is achieved by building relationships with the furniture consultants, listening to their requirements and putting forward the best solution KI can offer. What… Read More >
Union Park
The pandemic has affected us collectively in myriad ways, but one of the positive realisations that we can garner from the experience is the desire, even need, for open spaces, fresh air and a connection to nature. Having been given permission to do so, people grabbed the opportunity to be outside and in nature with… Read More >
Women in Office Design – Joanna Knight
This month’s Women in Office Design column features Joanna Knight, Partner at The Knight Partnership and Sustainability and Circular Economy Manager at Women in Office Design (WOD). She will be hosting the Sustainability seminar for the forthcoming BCFA/WOD ‘Clerkenwell Open’ event. The Journey in the Workplace Sector Joanna started her career in the workplace and… Read More >