Welcome to Homes & Gardens Design Awards 2019.
We’ve relaunched these awards as we believe in recognition, and we wanted to go wider than fabric and wallpaper and acknowledge great design throughout the home. Unearthing new names has always been a Homes & Gardens mantra, so it felt right, in our 100th year, to include this aspect as part of our celebrations. The projects and products showcased are all outstanding and I’m proud to be hosting such a dynamic set. Thank you to everyone who entered. And the winners of the designer categories, nominated by our judging panel and then hotly debated, are true game changers.
I would also like to extend our gratitude to each of the judges. The editorial team was joined by a panel of tastemakers: Barbara Chandler, Sebastian Cox, Siobahn Farley, Beata Heuman, Lina Kanafani and Kit Kemp. Their input brought this year’s event to life.
Meet the winners of the new-look Homes & Gardens Design Awards, our celebration of creativity in the industry. We’ve recognised five interiors game changers, five inspiring projects and nine beautiful products – all offering a fascinating insight into new style directions.
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR –LULU LYTLE
As the co-founder of Soane Britain, Lulu is responsible for finding, supporting and selling the wares of craftspeople from the UK. It all started with a road trip around the country where she sought out cabinetmakers, blacksmiths and anyone else she felt was keeping artisan skills alive. The result was a network of producers who create an extensive array of pieces, from rattan chairs and brass lights to fabrics and accessories.
NEWCOMER TO WATCH – CAMPBELL-REY
There’s been a modern movement towards a take on a mid-century glamour – a Brideshead Revisited-inspired aesthetic that sees gilt surfaces softened by scalloped edges, bright pops contrasted with pastels, naive line drawings of faces hung above Roman busts. At the forefront are Duncan Campbell and Charlotte Rey, the duo behind design studio Campbell-Rey. So far, they’ve styled a shoot for Zara Home in a Milanese villa, worked with Christie’s and designed their own collection of Murano glassware.
INTERIOR DESIGNER MOVER & SHAKER –THURSTAN
Interior designer James Waterworth (whose middle name is Thurstan, in case you wondered about his branding) has enjoyed an illustrious career. Working for Martin Brudnizki, he was part of the team that created Soho House Miami, which then saw him become Soho House’s European design director. He now runs his own studio and antiques company, sourcing pieces to sit alongside bespoke modern furniture.
ECO DESIGNER TO WATCH –FERNANDO LAPOSSE
Rightly, sustainability has become a watchword in design. Creating pieces that have longevity and that don’t harm the planet must be at the forefront of makers’ minds, but it’s a difficult challenge that is being met to varying degrees of success. For Mexican product designer Fernando Laposse, however, it isn’t just an afterthought but a preoccupation, particularly the loss of biodiversity and what to do with food waste.
PRODUCT DESIGNER TO WATCH –SAM LANDER
From multicoloured bowls to cutout floor lights, Sam Lander’s designs are definitely quirky. There’s an intriguing roughness and a sense that each piece is one of a kind, which comes from the fact they are all made from old polystyrene, melted into a mesh of hues.
HIGHLY COMMENDED –EDWARD COLLINSON
‘Each of these design projects is innovative, imaginative and impressive in its own way. the use of materials and finishes is key,’ says Sarah spiteri, Editorial Director.
BEST RESIDENTIAL PROJECT –STRATFORD STUDIOES, TURNER POCOCK
‘This was the most soulful entry, the most sophisticated,’ judge Beata Heuman believed. ‘Everything here goes together so well – it’s so coherent,’ added Lina Kanafani. ‘I like where they’ve put the fireplace,’ Kit Kemp said. ‘There’s not much space, but they’ve made something very special from it.’
BEST GARDEN – OLD RECTORY, ANOUSHKA FEILER AT BESTIQUE
‘It’s such a wow design,’ said Siobahn Farley. ‘It has a really good story about dividing outdoor space,’ said Barbara Chandler. ‘This approach could work in town or country,’ added Kit Kemp.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Garden at Field Farm, Kim and Rob Hurst
‘There’s something poetic about the use of flowers,’ said Sebastian Cox.
BEST BATHROOM – DRUMMONDS WITH STEVEN GAMBREL
‘What I love about this design is the simplicity of its materials,’ said interiors editor Emma Thomas. ‘It will last forever,’ Kit Kemp said.
BEST COMMERCIAL PROJECT – LIME WOOD HOTEL PAVILION SUITE, SUSIE ATKINSON
‘This feels so relaxing,’ said judge Siobahn Farley. ‘It’s lovely and homely,’ agreed Lina Kanafani.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Harrods Dining Hall, David Collins Studio
‘It’s such a fun space to be in,’ said judge Barbara Chandler.
BEST PATTERNED FABRIC –EDEN, MICHAEL KIRKMAN FOR ST JUDE’S
‘This is clearly influenced by lino prints and just so charming,’ said judge Barbara Chandler. ‘It feels like something new,’ added Kit Kemp.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Jasham, William Yeoward for Designers Guild; Dabke, Alice Sergeant Textiles; Abstract 1928, Zoffany
BEST SURFACE DESIGN – ANTIQUE MARBLE, BASKETWEAVE BIANCO NERO MOSAIC, LAPICIDA
‘I couldn’t tell that this is porcelain– it looks so much like marble,’ said judge Beata Heuman. ‘It’s totally timeless,’ added Siobahn Farley.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Zoffany Boutique Clio, Alternative Flooring
‘This small-geometric patterned carpet is quite Seventies, but can goin a contemporary or traditional scheme,’ said judge Kit Kemp.
BEST FURNITURE –BLUR COFFEE TABLE, DANIEL SCHOFIELD FORTHE CONRAN SHOP
‘Daniel is just starting to break through and he’s got a brilliant story,’ said judge Barbara Chandler. ‘I can’t remember the last time I saw a piece of design using fluted glass that feels so contemporary,’ said Sebastian Cox.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Craftmaker’s chair, Susie Atkinson
BEST WOVEN FABRIC –ZEPPELIN, BOUSSAC
‘The mix of materials in this is justbeautiful,’ said judge Lina Kanafani.‘And it’s so soft to touch,’ addedinteriors editor Emma Thomas.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Oulton Stripe, Flora Soames; Bird Weave, Morris & Co; Sketched Stripe,Penny Morrison Fabrics
BEST WALLPAPER –BRAQUE, FROMENTAL
‘We’re seeing lots of oversized murals and large-scale prints, but this really is incredible,’ said interiors editor Emma Thomas. ‘It’s handmade and very textural,’ said Sebastian Cox.
HIGHLY COMMENDED –Tulips of Belgravia, Ottoline;Melsetter, Morris & Co
BEST COLLECTION –ANATOLIA, NOBILIS
‘I’m really taken with the different degrees of colour and texture in these fabrics,’ said judge Siobhan Farley. ‘This really pushes the boundaries of texture,’ agreed Barbara Chandler.
HIGH COMMENDED - Zero Waste, Ian Makin; Icon Fabrics, Zoffany; Kit Kemp Collection, Andrew Martin
COLOUR OF THE YEAR –DEVON GREEN, SANDERSON
‘Green really does seem to be the colour of right now,’ said judge Kit Kemp. ‘Yes, it’s the mood of the moment,’ agreed Sebastian Cox.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Elsie, Graham & Brown
‘It’s such acool blue, with wonderfullysludgy grey tones,’ saidexecutive editor Kate French.
BEST LIGHTING –GINGKO LIGHT SCULPTURE, ANDREEA BRAESCU
‘The porcelain petals are so pretty,’ said judge Beata Heuman. ‘It’s beautiful – a real showstopper,’ agreed interiors editor Emma Thomas.
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Sarsa floor lamp, Arteriors
‘It’s practical and beautiful and would work in almost any home,’ said Barbara Chandler.
BEST ACCESSORY – SCALLOP RUG, SALVESEN GRAHAM X JENNIFER MANNERS
‘It’s hard to find a rug with an edge like this and I don’t know anyone else who has done it,’ said Beata Heuman. ‘It’s really gutsy,’ added Barbara Chandler.
HIGHLY COMMENDED –Dip creamware collection,Richard Brendon
THE JUDGES
Meet the six tastemakers who joined the H&G editorial panel.
BARBARA CHANDLER
Design writer and photographer
SEBASTIAN COX
Product and furniture designer
SIOBAHN FARLEY
Design director, Soho House Retail
BEATA HEUMAN
Interior designer
LINA KANAFANI
Founder, Mint
KIT KEMP
Co-owner/creative director, Firmdale Hotels
