Surface Design 2023
You know what they say: creativity never rests - and neither do we!
With the interior design industry constantly evolving in a bid to keep up with ever-changing consumer habits, events like Surface Design 2023 are an invaluable resource for designers like us who are looking to spark creativity and keep up with the latest design products/materials/news.
So last week, our team excitedly set off to London in time to catch the first full day of the event.
Surface Design 2023: 'Shaping Communities'
'Shaping Communities' was the theme of this year's show, which was right up our street!
Aiming to celebrate sustainability practices and the use of repurposed and recycled materials in interior design, Surface Design 2023 had a very apparent 'green' thread woven throughout.
This focus on sustainability, repurposing materials and upcycling was further emphasised by the expert-led talks, such as ‘Scalable Solutions From Recycled Plastic Materials' and ‘Repurposing: Finding The Sweet Spot Between Old and New’.
Our team also enjoyed engaging with an incredible mixture of exhibitors whose business practices match our own company values. Some of these brands included:
● ‘The Good Plastic Company’ - uses plastic from old fridges, single-use cutlery and more to create funky 'polygood' wall panels and various surfaces.
● ‘Surface Matter’ – transforms recycled post-industrial plastics and paper into durable and modern surfaces at their renewable energy-run manufacturing facility.
● ‘Organoid’ – striving to ''bring nature indoors'', Organoid creates fragranced surfaces using hay and coffee grounds.
Our Top 5 Surface And Product Highlights
It's safe to say this exhibition really helped to get our creative juices flowing, and after exploring close to 200 vendors on the day, we have finally managed to narrow down our top 5 most-inspiring products from Surface Design 2023 - trust us, it wasn't easy!
1.Wonderwall Studios (Netherlands)
Determined to give discarded timber a new lease on life, Wonderwall Studios combs local land for wood with potential. Their policy against cutting down trees has prompted them to explore unusual methods of sourcing wood, which they use to make a range of products, including timber wall tiles.
We quickly fell in love with the extraordinary, eco-conscious story behind their iconic 'Bog Oak'.
Specialist divers will scan bogs, rivers and peatland for oak wood, which they carefully extract. And because this wood has been buried deep in the mud, it is stained brown or even deep black depending on the age of the wood - the older the wood, the darker it will be.
2. Firth By Design (Carmarthen, Wales)
We were impressed by the bold colours and flexibility of Charlie’s products. The recent university graduate creates striking snake-like table bases, of which no two are ever the same.
3. Concrete Interior Finishes (Worcester, UK)
Concrete Interior Finishes provides bespoke Venetian and concrete wall finishes, as well as: inset logos and striking furniture pieces for domestic and commercial spaces. They offer a range of finishes, including textured or smooth and can colour-match plaster for a seamless design.
4. Revello Marta (Darlington, UK)
Using epoxy resin to layer different materials, Revello Marta creates captivating hand-crafted wall designs rich in texture and visual effects.
5. IP Surfaces (Bolton, UK)
We were inspired by IP Surfaces' world-class etching skills. From granite and concrete to metal and timber, they promise to create beautiful logos, designs and patterns on any surface material. Our team especially loved how they made a standard white metro tile a whole lot more interesting to look at with the etching of a distinctive design.
