The Art of Design Issue 74 - 2025

Set to be its largest edition to date, Clerkenwell Design Week returns from 20 – 22 May 2025. With over 15 venues – including three new locations: The Charterhouse and Charterhouse Square, Studio Smithfield and the Church of Design at St Bartholomew the Great – and 160 local design showrooms, the 14th edition promises an immersive experience featuring installations, product launches, exhibitions, talks and workshops. Made from bricks Leading this year’s festival is a major new public artwork by British artist Alex Chinneck, set in Charterhouse Square. This special commission marks Chinneck’s return to sculpting with brick and playing with architectural elevations. The piece incorporates repurposed steel salvaged from the demolition of another London building, thanks to the sponsorship of Cleveland Steel. It is developed with the support of Crittall…

Trusted by Design-Led Brands Since becoming Woodbender’s exclusive UK distributor in 2022, Hill Cross has introduced their handcrafted, steam-bent pieces to acclaimed venues such as Akara London, Jesse’s House private members’ club, and Nando’s across the UK. Rooted in shared values of quality, heritage, and innovation, this partnership offers beautiful, sustainable furniture built to last—paired with Hill Cross’ seamless project management and bespoke solutions. Celebrating British Craftsmanship At Clerkenwell, Hill Cross will debut custom banquette seating and tables inspired by Woodbender’s signature curves. The banquette seating is crafted on a family-run farm in North Yorkshire where an ecosystem of local suppliers — from frame makers to upholsterers — ensure sustainable, low-carbon production. Hill Cross’ production operation runs on renewable energy and sends zero waste to landfill, combining artisanal quality with…

Consistently promoting innovative and user-centric design, Design House Stockholm believes that fantasy is not just an indulgence, but an indispensable artistic ingredient in the design process. Merged with functional elements such as technological, ergonomic, and material requirements, fantasy becomes the finishing touch that elevates a project from ordinary to one of a kind. This approach encapsulates the design ethos of the brand and highlights the intrinsic part that fantasy and function plays in the philosophy of Design House Stockholm. In collaboration with over sixty talented designers, Design House Stockholm has spent nearly three decades supporting creative ideas and bringing them to life through their publishing. Each project or product carries a story that challenges the conventional understanding of function. Through an ongoing exploration of Fantasy and Function, the publishing house…

Project name: TBC Designers: Mark Howorth, Callender Howorth Location: Paris, France Area: 191 m2 Photography credit: Vigo Jansons Callender Howorth has completed the meticulous refurbishment of a Belle Époque apartment in Paris, restoring its grandeur while reimagining it as a warm, eclectic, and romantic retreat for its Francophile American owners from California. Once stripped of its original architectural details and left in a dated state, the apartment underwent a full-scale transformation. The design team took the space back to its bare bones, carefully reconfiguring the layout to enhance spatial flow. The refurbishment introduced generously proportioned bathrooms, a dedicated wine room, and a state-of-the-art kitchen, ensuring the apartment seamlessly blends historic charm with contemporary living. A key focus of the project was reinstating architectural details. Working closely with specialists at Stevensons…

Karta, owned by luxury wood flooring specialists Ted Todd, continues to set industry standards with this sustainable offering. Karta’s Recycled Leather series is made from leather offcuts sourced from the shoe industry, with a further four layers including biodegradable wood composed of 100% PEFC certified natural fibres and resins, a cork backing for improved comfort and durability, a wood fibre layer for stability, digital print and finally each board is coated with Karta’s specially developed water-resistant barrier solution, resulting in an AC5 rated performance coat with a super matte finish. Photo-realistic designs inspired by Ted Todd’s decades of expertise within the hardwood flooring industry is printed with biodegradable ink onto the planks, replicating the appearance of real wood. This innovative design provides an accessible alternative to traditional wood flooring options.…

Pineland Furniture is a family owned business and was established in 1987 by Edward Taylor and his son Richard. We have two branches which are located fairly centrally in the UK. You’ll find our main outlet in the picturesque market town of Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire and our second branch in the old salt town of Northwich in Cheshire. Both of these premises are manufacturing centres with comprehensive showrooms. WHAT WE DO We mainly design and manufacture bespoke high quality kitchens however we also make freestanding and built in furniture for bedrooms, living rooms etc. Kitchens All our kitchens are bespoke and built to the exact size and shape to fit the shape of your room perfectly. Free Design Service We have a unique approach to our design service, in…