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      “I don’t think we should put celebrity designers on a pedestal” says Bobby Berk

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      Queer Eye star Bobby Berk recently quit the hit show to run his interior design studio full-time. In this exclusive interview, he discusses how his TV experiences have shaped his approach.

      Having announced in November 2023 that he would be leaving his role as the Netflix reality series’ interior design expert after eight seasons, Berk has since leaned full-time into work through his eponymous studio – as well as being a Dezeen Awards judge.
      “I think the show really did make me more confident in using colour”
      “Designing for TV is very different from designing for a ‘real world’ project,” Berk told Dezeen. “The timeline is so much quicker [in TV], and you’re also creating a space that has to work in person and translate on screen.”
      Berk described how his work on Queer Eye – which sees the five expert presenters make positive changes to an ordinary person’s lifestyle – required him to adapt his usual design style in order to satisfy the needs of the show’s makeover subjects.

      “Design-wise, my work on Queer Eye often featured much more colour and pattern than I typically use,” he explained. “I wanted to reflect the personalities and desires of the inhabitants, and that often meant going bold.”
      Berk appeared in eight seasons of Netflix’s hit reality show Queer EyeIn contrast, Berk describes his personal style as a “mix of organic, modern, classic, Spanish, and minimal with a mostly neutral colour palette” that leans towards working with natural materials and geometric shapes.
      He cites his LA-based studio, in a recently renovated 1970s Spanish-style home, as the project that most accurately reflects his own style.
      Rooms filled with a palette dominated by black, white, marble and wood detailing house the designer’s headquarters and various home products.
      Nevertheless, he reports that Queer Eye has opened him up to experimenting with bolder tones and patterns.
      “I believe we should let the work speak for itself”
      “I’ve brought in hits of colour in a handful of projects since then, and I think the show really did make me more confident in using colour – especially in wallpaper, unique paint treatments, and murals,” he said.
      Berk argues that his style isn’t definable in a single term or phrase – but acknowledges that certain aspects of his taste were cemented by moving from New York to California, after a childhood spent in the Bible Belt.
      “It really all developed over time, there wasn’t an exact moment my style all came together,” he said. “Rather, I feel all my past experiences and influences blended into a more discernible look and feel when I moved to California.”
      The interior designer says working on TV pushed him to be more confident in experimenting with colourLos Angeles continues to have the greatest influence on his work, ahead of the various locations Queer Eye filmed – including Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Orleans and a spin-off season in Japan – or Portugal, where the designer now lives part-time.
      “Of all the places I’ve lived and travelled, Los Angeles is the city that continues to drive my creativity and help me to see through fresh eyes,” he said.
      “It’s a very inspiring place on many different levels, and there is such a legacy of incredible architecture and design.”

      Five key projects by interior designer and Dezeen Awards judge Bobby Berk

      Design as a tool for improving well-being has remained at the centre of Berk’s work before, during and after Queer Eye, and he explored the theme further in his book Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good For The Mind, published last year.
      “From the very beginning of my career, I’ve known the power that design can have to change your life,” he said.
      “That will always be the throughline of my work, to use design as not just a way to make a beautiful room, but as an invaluable tool for improving wellness and mental health.”
      Berk’s LA office exemplifies his “organic” and “minimal” styleWhile he admits being in the spotlight can be both “challenging” and “flattering”, Berk is keen for his design work to be judged on its own merits.
      “Being cast on a television show has obviously changed my life in incredible ways and afforded me so many amazing opportunities,” he said. “Part of that also means being a public figure and having people be interested in more than just your design work.”
      “Sometimes it’s challenging, sometimes it’s flattering, but it’s what I signed up for,” he added. “I also don’t think we should put celebrity designers on a pedestal or value their work above other working designers who may not have had the same exposure.”
      “I believe we should let the work speak for itself, and give space to anyone that is talented and creating compelling design.”
      The photography is by Sara Ligorria Tramp.
      Dezeen In DepthIf you enjoy reading Dezeen’s interviews, opinions and features, subscribe to Dezeen In Depth. Sent on the last Friday of each month, this newsletter provides a single place to read about the design and architecture stories behind the headlines.

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      Feature in Dezeen’s digital guide for London Design Festival 2024

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      London Design Festival is on the horizon. Make sure you don’t miss out on featuring in this year’s Dezeen Events Guide’s digital guide for the festival, which takes place from 14 to 22 September.

      The nine-day festival hosts a series of events across 11 districts, including exhibitions, open showrooms, talks, tours, product launches, pop-up shops and parties.
      This year marks London Design Festival’s 22nd edition, with hundreds of events expected to take place across the city attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees.
      Get listed in Dezeen’s digital guide to London Design Festival
      Get in touch with the Dezeen Events Guide team at [email protected] to book in your listing or to discuss a wider partnership with Dezeen. There are three types of listings:

      There are three types of listings:
      Standard listings cost £125 and include the event name, date and location details plus a website link. These listings will also feature up to 50 words of text about the event.
      Enhanced listings cost £175 and include all of the above plus an image at the top of the listing’s page and an image in the listing preview on the Dezeen Events Guide homepage. These listings will also feature up to 100 words of text about the event.
      Featured listings cost £350 and include all elements of an enhanced listing plus a post on Dezeen’s Threads channel, inclusion in the featured events carousel on the right hand of the homepage for up to two weeks and 150 words of text about the event. This text can include commercial information such as ticket prices and offers and can feature additional links to website pages such as ticket sales, newsletter signups etc.
      About Dezeen Events Guide
      Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year.
      The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks.
      For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide, including in our guide to London Design Festival, email [email protected].
      The illustration is by Justyna Green.

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      Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour reveals Wow!house 2024 in exclusive Dezeen video

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      Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is hosting the third edition of Wow!house, a purpose-built showhome in London exhibiting works by international designers, as seen in this video produced by Dezeen for the interiors hub.

      Designers were invited to showcase their designs in separate rooms of the house over which they are given complete creative control.
      Wow!house 2024 is held at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour and features 19 rooms by international designersThere are 19 custom rooms in total at Wow!house, including a study by Anahita Rigby and a Zimmer + Rohde bedroom by Tolu Adẹ̀kọ́.
      “It’s about accessing all of these creatives under one roof,” says Claire German, CEO of Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour in the exclusive Dezeen video interview.
      The Home Bar was created by OZA Design and draws inspiration from Western and Eastern culturesThe Home Bar was designed by OZA Design with the aim of bringing together Western and Eastern cultures.

      “We wanted the guests to come on a journey… like on the Orient Express,” said OZA Design’s Alexandre Simeray.
      The Zimmer + Rohde Bedroom Suite was designed by Adẹ̀kọ́ & Co. Studio.
      “We want it to take guests away from what would be the normal, expected bedroom and create something quite… unusual,” said the studio’s founder Tolu Adẹ̀kọ́.
      The Zimmer + Rohde Bedroom Suite was created by London-based designer Tolu Adẹ̀kọ́”Exhibiting at Wow!House means a great deal to me personally,” he went on to explain.
      “Being the first British-Nigerian designer selected to work on the space and to show the public what could be done from a small studio based in southeast London.”
      The House of Rohl Primary Bathroom features a painted landscape above a circular bath tubA large circular bath takes centre stage in the House of Rohl Primary Bathroom by Michaelis Boyd, which sits within an alcove with a painted dome on top.
      The Study was designed by Anahita Rigby and fuses Georgian and Japanese design principles.
      The Study at Wow!house features Georgian and Japanese aestheticsRigby mentioned that she was inspired by the objects people bring home from their travels abroad.
      “Falling in love with something on holiday and bringing it home and it’s your new favourite thing you put on your mantelpiece… it’s what interiors are all about,” said Rigby.
      German cites the “incredible” level of detail in each room, noting that the importance of the ceiling continued as a theme throughout the home. “The designers have used it as the fifth wall,” she explained.

      Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour to host WOW!house 2024

      Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour has stated that the materials used throughout the home will be repurposed, or returned whenever possible, while rooms such as the Martin Moore kitchen will be re-installed in a new location after the event.
      There will be a programme of events, including tours of WOW!house, open to the public until 4 July 2024.
      WOW!house runs from 4 June to 4 July 2024 at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour in London. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
      Partnership content
      This video was produced by Dezeen for the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here.

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      Objective Studies drops first equitable design collection with A Calm Place exhibition

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      A tranquil exhibition during 3 Days of Design showcased the launch collection for Objective Studies, a digital platform that shares its profits with designers and makers.

      A Calm Place featured furniture and homeware from 10 designers and studios, all now being marketed and sold directly from Objective Studies.
      Objective Studies launched with an exhibition at RefugioThe objects were presented in a scenography inspired by Korshagehus, a thatched, modernist summerhouse in Odsherred, Denmark, built by architect Erik Korshagen in 1960.
      The exhibition was staged at Refugio, a co-working studio in Copenhagen’s Østerbro neighbourhood.
      The inaugural collection includes furniture pieces by Mario Martinez and Ted SynnottDesigner Matteo Fogale and e-commerce expert Lijana Norkaityte co-founded Objective Studies with a vision to bring greater equity to the design industry.

      “We are building a business model where we will share equal profits with designers and makers,” they told Dezeen.
      “We joined the industry with the belief that we can put designers and makers at the forefront, and shed light on the quality and hours needed to create unique objects that will stand the test of time.”
      Exhibition curators Sébastien El Idrissi and Sara De Campos also contributed piecesObjective Studies will launch products in limited editions, with product drops rather than seasonal collections.
      “Drops will appear when we have something valuable to show, not simply for the sake of launching or to keep adding items to an infinite collection,” said the founders.

      NoDe exhibition presents 28 emerging designers from the Nordics

      “We want to discourage unnecessary production, keeping quantities limited and made-to-order to encourage conscious consumption.”
      The first drop of 20 objects includes the pine-wood Korshage bench by Spanish designer Sina Sohrab, the Unité daybed by CPRV and the characterful Salas chair by Copenhagen-based Mario Martinez.
      Juhl & Lange designed the woven baskets, while the Korshage bench is by Sina SohrabAmong the lighting works is Arète, a vertical pendant made from sailcloth designed by Asca Studio, while pieces by New Zealand-based Ted Synnott include the aluminium Terra stool.
      Accessories also feature, with woven baskets and dustpan and brush sets by Danish studio Juhl & Lange.
      Sébastien El Idrissi designed the Stack plantersThe exhibition was curated by designers Sara De Campos and Sébastien El Idrissi with the aim of promoting slow living, inspired by Danish culture and in line with the ethos behind Objective Studies.
      The curators also have works in the collection; designs by De Campos include a hand-woven wool rug and an aluminium tray, while El Idrissi’s pieces include the Claro salt and pepper grinders.
      Juhl & Lange’s works also include dustpan and brush setsFogale and Norkaityte hope the launch of Objective Studies will bring greater transparency to the process and costs involved in designing and producing furniture, and how profit is distributed.
      “We want to challenge how design and craft products are marketed, and how designers are compensated for their work,” the pair said.
      “We want people to know why certain items cost what they do,” they continued.
      The scenography took cues from modernist summerhouse Korshagehus”We are well aware that not everyone can purchase a piece of furniture for over €1,000 but we hope we can expose the value that comes with each design object, from the materials chosen to the hours that it took to make them.”
      “We live with these objects, we use them every day and if we choose well, we can pass them on to generations to come.”
      A Calm Place was on show at Refugio in Copenhagen from 12 to 14 June as part of 3 Days of Design. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
      The photography is by the curators.

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      Natural Material Studio crafts entire home interior from bioplastic

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      As part of 3 Days of Design, Danish practice Natural Material Studio has created a futuristic fossil-free home interior where all the elements, from the curtains to the sofa, are made from the same bioplastic.

      White Utopia is Natural Material Studio’s most ambitious installation to date, adapting the studio’s Procel bioplastic to form massive functioning furniture pieces across three separate rooms – a dining room, a lounge and a bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe.
      The White Utopia installation includes a lounge (top image) and dining room (above)The exhibition envisions a future where our homes are made entirely using biomaterials like this, which can be endlessly remade into new products and backyard composted at the end of their life, rather than ending up in landfill.
      “The installation has for sure been the most challenging to date due to the complexity in scale and the three-dimensionality of the whole ‘house’,” studio founder Bonnie Hvillum told Dezeen. “You can really start to see how we can live with these new materials.”
      Every element down to the lampshades is made from Procel bioplasticNatural Material Studio initially developed Procel as a flexible biotextile, used to form everything from clothes to curtains. But recently, the studio started experimenting with adapting its recipe to create whole load-bearing furniture pieces.

      The core ingredient is a specific – although nondisclosed – natural protein, which Hvillum says can be derived from either plants or animals.
      Among the larger pieces is a monobloc biofoam sofa”It’s very much used in the medical industry, also in bookbinding,” said the designer, who sources her protein from different suppliers across Europe.
      “It’s used in many different places,” she added. “But when I called them and said ‘can you figure out a way of supplying this to me’, they were like ‘okay, we’ve never had this question before’.”
      The installation also features a bedroom with a walk-in wardrobeTo create Procel, this natural protein is mixed with a small amount of chalk for strength and a natural softener made from plant oils for flexibility.
      Combined in different rations and cast into different moulds, this mixture was used to create not just the textile room dividers found in White Utopia but an entire bio-foam sofa for the living room, stools for the dining area and a giant platform bed that visitors were encouraged to sit on.

      Natural Material Studio creates restaurant panels from leftover beer

      By taking out the softener, Natural Material Studio was also able to create more rigid pieces, including a dining table that was originally cast as a simple rectangle but deformed into a more organic shape as it dried.
      “The presented design objects are really pushing the possibilities of these materials,” Hvillum said. “Opening the door to making them structural is a completely new route for us.”
      “I think it holds so much potential, creating materials that resemble polystyrene and vacuum-formed plastics.”
      Visitors were encouraged to sit on the bioplastic bedFurnituremakers including Isomi and Natuzzi have already started experimenting with using natural latex as an alternative to traditional polyurethane upholstery foam, as the plastic is hard to recycle and contains toxic chemicals.
      Hvillum argues that Procel could offer another promising alternative, as it can be endlessly recast to form new products or simply buried outside in the garden, where it will degrade within a month.
      “We are basically investigating fluidity,” Hvillum said. “So everything is in motion and things can move on to have another life. ”
      “This is how we envision the future to be.”
      Procel biotextiles were also used to form wall coveringsProcel has already made it out into the real world with clients including Calvin Klein and Copenhagen restaurant ÅBEN.
      A collaboration with a Spanish luxury fashion house is also in the works, despite the brand being weary of using animal-derived protein.
      However, Hvillum argues that animal polymers can actually be more sustainable than their vegan counterpart because they are made from waste residues from the meat industry.
      The dining table deformed as it dried”When we work with animal-based materials, we can actually tap into a waste flow so we work with second-generation materials,” she explained. “Whereas when we work with plant materials, we work with virgin materials.”
      “Sustainability is a lot more complex than just: is it animal or is it vegan,” she added. “It’s more about: what sources can we reuse from so that we keep things in a circular loop.”
      The photography is by Peter Vinther.
      White Utopia was part of 3 Days of Design, which took place at venues across Copenhagen from 12 to 14 June. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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      Jens Quistgaard Around The Table celebrates legacy of “world-famous unknown Dane”

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      An exhibition during 3 Days of Design showcased the vast archive of Jens Quistgaard, who is one of Denmark’s most successful designers, despite being relatively unknown.

      Quistgaard, who passed away in 2008, was responsible for bringing Scandinavian design to homes across America.
      As chief designer for US-based homeware manufacturer and retailer Dansk Designs for three decades, he designed more than 4,000 objects, many distributed to hundreds of stores nationwide.
      Jens Quistgaard Around The Table showcased furniture and tableware by the late Danish designerQuistgaard’s name is nowhere near as well known as the products he designed, so his contribution to Danish design history is largely unrecognised.
      With Jens Quistgaard Around The Table, archive consultancy Form Portfolios hoped to promote a wider appreciation of this “world-famous unknown Dane”.

      The exhibition was on show at Form Portfolios’ Copenhagen office for 3 Days of Design.
      A dining table showcased many of the products Quistgaard developed for Dansk Designs”With his 30-year collaboration with Dansk, Quistgaard was the design genius behind the scenes of that seminal brand,” said Mark Masiello, CEO and founder of Form Portfolios.
      “He was more committed to bringing Scandinavian modern design into American homes than building his own design legacy,” he told Dezeen.
      Quistgaard’s series of sculptural peppermills was displayed on the wallQuistgaard was recruited in 1954 by Dansk Designs founders Martha and Ted Nierenberg, who were impressed by a cutlery set that the designer had previously developed.
      Many of the designs that Quistgaard produced for the brand were tableware and kitchenware, which is why Form Portfolios made a dining table the focal point of its exhibition.
      The designer developed more than 4,000 objects in his 30 years at Dansk DesignsThe table provided display space for dozens and dozens of Quistgaard-designed objects, including plates, cutlery, candleholders, glasses, cooking pots, jugs and more.
      Behind the table, rows of shelves accommodated a series of sculptural peppermills.

      Crafting the Present reveals manufacturing techniques behind mid-century furniture classics

      As the designs for which Quistgaard is most likely to be remembered, these turned-wood peppermills recall the shapes of familiar objects, from chess pieces to pieces of fruit.
      “The peppermill designs clearly show the love of sculpture that flows through Quistgaard’s work,” said Masiello.
      The exhibition was on show for 3 Days of Design”His daughter, Henriette Quistgaard, said he hoped the peppermills on their own could be the beginnings of great dinner conversations,” he stated.
      The exhibition also featured larger objects, including a handful of furniture designs. Masiello pointed to the Stokke Armchair (1965) and the Sculptors Chair (2004) as being particularly noteworthy.
      The Sculptors Chair was among the furniture works on display”I find his creative range so inspiring,” Masiello said. “Working with different materials and object types, he was always pushing his design practice to new frontiers.”
      “He is more well known for the kitchen objects, but he was always exploring other designs too, including chairs, stools and tables,” he continued.
      Many of the objects were sourced from Quistgaard’s former homeThe show was curated in collaboration with Stig Guldberg, author of the monograph Jens Quistgaard: The Sculpting Designer, which was published by Phaidon in 2023.
      Many of the exhibits were sourced from the home where the designer spent his final years, a farmhouse on the outskirts of Copenhagen where Henriette Quistgaard still lives today.
      Original sketches featured alongside the objects”My father was a visionary of design, bridging the old world of craftsmanship into the new world of manufacturing,” Henriette said.
      “It is thrilling to see the full body of his life’s work being shown.”
      Jens Quistgaard Around the Table was on show from 12 to 14 June as part of 3 Days of Design. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
      The photography is by Sofie Hvitved.

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      NoDe exhibition presents 28 emerging designers from the Nordics

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      Swirling metal lamps, stools made from old kitchen cabinets and a fur-covered desk were among objects on show at House of Nordic Design’s exhibition during 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen.

      Titled NoDe, short for Nordic Design, the exhibition featured furniture, homeware and sculpture created by 28 up-and-coming designers and makers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
      Sissel Warringa’s Peel Lamp rests atop Anton Mikkonen’s Silhouette tableThese works were dotted around the rooms of a century-old artist’s atelier, located in a loft apartment on Store Strandstræde that could only be accessed via a small old-fashioned lift.
      The show was curated by Natalia Sánchez, who founded House of Nordic Design in 2023 to provide both a sales platform and a business support network for designers at the start of their careers.
      At the entrance, a textile by Plain Weavers hangs over Lisa Darland’s Mylla rug”When you’re on your own in a studio, it’s very hard to do everything that’s needed to get out there, be part of the market and get attention in the magazines,” she explained.

      Some objects were positioned as you might expect to find them in a home, while others had more surprising settings.
      Upon entry, visitors were greeted by a ceiling-hung textile by Plain Weavers, which created an unusual juxtaposition with Lisa Darland’s textural rugs underneath.
      Works by Moa Markgren, Atelier Marée and Netta Kandelin on display in the kitchenIn the adjacent kitchen, bulging wooden vases by Moa Markgren and ceramics by Atelier Marée are among objects that can be found on the work surfaces.
      A bright green stool by Better Weather provided a focal point here. It was playfully displayed atop a fridge freezer in a nod to its materiality – the product is made from recycled cabinet doors.
      Better Weather’s Transformer stool stands atop the fridge freezerThe living room featured Studio Kasa Kasa’s fur-covered desk, plus another by Anton Mikkonen with sculpted metal trestles and a glass top.
      Other works in this room included Sissel Warringa’s swirling Peel Lamp, Carlberg Design’s bent wire chairs, marbled panelling by Snedker Studio and a granite table by Reeta Laine.
      Studio Kasa Kasa’s furry desk stands with Carlberg’s Design’s Skir chairThe final room was a bedroom where a wall of shelves provided display space for many more curiosities. The room also featured a daybed embellished with a patterned textile by A Seat in Siena, as well as Tobias Berg’s bent aluminium chair.
      The list of contributors was completed by Anne Nowak, Bellamoli Studio, Dain Kang, Gabi Humnicki, Kajsa Willner, Linda Weimann, Live Berg, MMH Objects, Netta Kandelin, Shunsuke Koya, Stine Mikkelsen, Studio My Comét, Studio Wes, Tale Berger Hølmebakk and Tessa Lulu Kaner.

      Kasper Kyster handcrafts “organic” plastic furniture

      Sánchez made the selection after receiving 140 responses to her open call. Many of the designers will continue to work with House of Nordic Design, as it is set to launch an online shop later this year.
      “NoDe is an exploration of what’s to come,” said Sánchez.
      Artworks by Linda Weimann hang above Reeta Laine’s Torner Side Table”It’s about giving a platform to young designers who are not only pushing the boundaries of design but are also deeply committed to exploring and experimenting with their chosen material,” she continued.
      “These designers are the voices of the future, and their work reflects the innovative spirit that is at the heart of Nordic design.”
      Bellamoli Studio’s Ratio tables sit beside A Seat in Siena’s Verona daybedNoDe is the second exhibition that House of Nordic Design has staged, after launching with a smaller show at last year’s 3 Days of Design.
      The project forms a continuation of Sánchez’s long-running support of emerging designers. She was previously the curator of DAWN, a regular 3 Days of Design show dedicated to young Danish designers.
      Visitors to this year’s 3 Days of Design could also explore reiusses of a number of classic chairs and a colourful collaboration between designer Faye Toogood and Danish brand Frama.
      NoDe was part of 3 Days of Design, which took place at venues across Copenhagen from 12 to 14 June. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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      Works by Fernando Laposse and others showcased in beachside Mexican pavilion

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      Works by Mexican designers Fernando Laposse and Claudina Flores were among those shown in a remote seaside house near Puerto Escondido, Mexico, during Mexico Design Fair.

      Dozens of works were placed throughout the house, called Casa Naila, which was designed by Mexican architect Alfonso Quiñones – who used techniques gleaned from his work with Japanese architect Tadao Ando on the nearby Casa Wabi arts centre.
      Mexico Design Fair took place in a seaside home made up of pavilions. Photo by Jaime NavarroCasa Naila’s concrete foundations, wooden structure and thatched walls and ceilings were at risk because of the erosion, so their was turned into a pavilion and used for years as a location for the invite-only fair.
      According to the fair, the purpose of the exhibition was to execute a “long-term vision that foresees better conditions for the design disciplines in the country through critical dialogue, production and quality exhibition contents”.
      Furniture was displayed throughout the house’s multiple structuresArranged throughout the different pavilions of Casa Naila were furniture and decor objects.

      As visitors entered the structure there was an arrangement of colourful stools by Oaxaca City-based designer Jaime Levin, with sculptural legs, woven nylon tops and multiple seats on some of the stools.
      Directly across, in the kitchen area, was an arrangement of glassware by Mexican company Xauixe – noted for its use of recycled glass in its products and recycled cooking oil used to heat its ovens.
      Glassware from Xauixe was featuredThe other furniture installations filled the ground and second levels of the other two pavilions.
      These included works by Mexico City and London-based designer Laposse, who uses materials like agave fibres to create material with applications for rural communities. His works included the small, white and “hairy” Pup bench and wall panels with marquetry made from corn husks.
      Laposse was named Designer of the Year award from the fair.

      The programming included a pyrotechnic installationArranged in tandem with Laposse’s pieces were intricately constructed cabinets by Guadalajara-based designer Claudina Flores, who recently featured in our round-up of design studios in Guadalajara.
      The show also included a colourful set of outdoor metal furniture by César Ponce and Carlos Torre Hütt, wooden chairs draped with plush leather cushions by Brooklyn studio Prime Project, as well as floor rugs by Indian firm Odabashian with designs by American designer Little Wing Lee and Argentinian Pilar Zeta.

      Ten noteworthy exhibitions from Design Week Mexico 2023

      On the beach was a spindly structure by artist and producer David Sánchez, which became a pyrotechnic installation at the end of the one-day showcase.
      Many of the guests and designers were housed in Hotel Escondido, an hour’s drive north from the fair’s location.
      Mexican designer Fernando Laposse showed his material experimentations and was awarded the Designer of the Year honour. Photo by Jaime NavarroSelect programming took place in the architecturally significant homes around Hotel Escondido – including the temple-like Casa Monte by Carlos Matos.
      At Casa Malandra, a beachside home designed by Taller Alberto Calleja, visitors were treated to traditional tamales made in a massive basalt oven designed by artist Julio Martinez Barnetche.
      A massive basalt oven was shown as part of the satellite programmingWhile the fair showcased a wide array of designers, some of the participants commented on the remoteness of the venues, and the invite-only status of the guests meant that the participants were limited but that the visitors did become tight-knit as the programming went on.
      Other small-format design fairs in Latin America included a showcase in a monument in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic organised by Galerie Philia last year.
      Photography by Gerardo Maldonado unless otherwise stated. 
      Mexico Design Fair took place from 24 to 26 May in Puerto Escondido. For more fairs, exhibitions and talks in architecture and design visit the Dezeen Events Guide.

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