Ercol at Clerkenwell Design Week 18

Every May Clerkenwell Green becomes a riot of colour with all things interiors related. Possibly the most standout display for me remains the Tom Dixon lighting installation during 2016 where Dixon transformed St James's Church and crypt into a stunning display of his latest contemporary lighting, featuring a gorgeous collection of pendants and lamps. It was memorable, and for all the right reasons. This week I shimmied around the various marquees and attempted to soak up as much of the new products as possible.

(Images: Von modular range from Ercol, designed by Hlynur Atlason for Ercol, 2018)

There was a particularly nice installation highlighting a collaboration between carpet experts Brintons and the Glasgow-based design firm Timorous Beasties. A stones throw away at the end of Exmouth Market, Shape London teamed up with Grey Giffiths Architects to capture, in essence, modern interior architecture room sets on a miniature scale. Whilst the Brintons stand had the ability to spark interest from 10 feet away, the latter was an opportunity to draw the viewer in closer for a more intimate experience. Both worked.

Approaching interiors from another angle again, Ercol, the furniture maker synonymous with classic wooden framed pieces, decided to install their new furniture additions into a busy London cafe. This, for me, was a genius approach to demonstrating that you don't necessarily have to live in a show home, or a space akin to a furniture showroom, in order to buy into designer furniture.

The Von range which consists of modular chair and sofa frames is available in 8 different wood and colour finishes. Von fitted seemlessly into the Albion cafe surroundings, which makes sense as it has been specifically designed to fit into both residential and commercial environments, potentially making Monday to Friday office life that little bit more homely. My choice? I'd opt for the black wooden frame and navy upholstery colour combination.

Feature: Rory Robertson

Images: Ercol