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Europe’s top event for interior design professionals, Decorex International, transitioned from a live event to an all-virtual format this November. Decorex Virtual 2020 will be held from 17-19 November through a three-day digital experience, focused on sourcing new products, meeting new suppliers, networking and gaining knowledge through seminars. CovetED is an official partner of this amazing event and is here to let you know all about this years Decorex virtual event. Stay tuned for more!
“We aim to open up opportunities for visitors to do business in a way they are otherwise unable to in this current climate and hope they will use it as a stepping-stone to when we can get back to meeting each other face to face at exhibitions,” comments Decorex event director, Sam Fisher.
“Although the decision to transition this year’s in-person event was difficult and we will miss seeing everyone in Olympia, we are excited about a new way to engage and interact with our industry. Alongside a Talks Programme with designers and industry leaders, Decorex Virtual will have a Product Directory with a selection of suppliers across design and interiors. There will also be the opportunity to request Video Meetings with suppliers to understand more about their collections and discuss them in more detail as well as specific times where visitors can join Speed Networking sessions with their community within the platform.
Decorex International will return to Olympia London next year, on the 10-13 October 2021.
WHO’S ON THE AGENDA?
WHAT’S NOT TO MISS
House & Garden In Conversation With Susie Atkinson
Get ready for an in-depth chat with esteemed interior designer, Susie Atkinson. Drawing upon over 20 years of experience, she is known for crafting exquisite interiors and spaces that indulge in all the senses. Hatta Byng, Editor of House & Garden, will be delving into Atkinson’s life, inspiration and past projects.
The Fundamentals of Art: Questions from an Interior Designer
The panel will go through the basics of what interior designers should be considering beyond just the purchase of an artwork. The discussion will cover important factors including transports, storage insurance, conservation and general record keeping.
Sustainable Sourcing For Interior Designers: Cutting Through The Greenwash
As awareness of the crisis facing our planet grows, more and more interior suppliers are making environmentally friendly claims for their products; but working out who to believe can be a minefield for designers. In this panel hosted by The Interior Design Business Podcast, the experts have carried out the interrogations and are now putting their eco-findings at the forefront of design schemes.
Bathroom Bliss
It may be one of the smallest rooms in the house but there is so much to think about when it comes to planning and designing a bathroom. Are you after a spa-like sanctuary or space injected with colour and pzazz, how do you mix mood and task lighting and what’s the best way to allocate budget? Carole Annett of Country & Town House navigates a path through the soap suds with the guidance of interior designers Charu Ghandi of Elicyon and Tiffany Duggan.
The Beauty’s In The Detail: Upholstery In The Hands Of Interior Designers
Tara Craig founded Ensemblier to create custom upholstery handmade by British artisans using natural materials and built to last a lifestyle. Having long admired this craftsmanship, interior designers Joanna Plant and Bunny Turner have commissioned headboards which are now part of a new collaborative designer series. Country Life’s Giles Kime hosts a lively panel talk and asks how do these interior designers add by value to what they provide.
Design with purpose; legacy without ego
The unprecedented circumstances of 2020 have given rise to a powerful period of re-evaluation and refocus, not only upon the ways we work and collaborate within the interior design industry but on the impact we individually and collectively have in the wider world. In this probing conversation, our panel will consider the ways in which designers and business owners can become positive change-makers as well as tastemakers, the innovations already making waves, and the challenges and opportunities that come with enlightened approaches to the creation of beautiful, useful, purpose-driven designs. Covering everything from sustainable materials and circular production, to craftsmanship and social enterprise, it promises to be a thought-provoking and directional forum for subjects high on every discerning designer’s agenda.
Back To Nature Is The Future
Our environments shape who we are, from our sense of wellbeing to our behaviours and productivity. Three recognised thought leaders – Karen Haller, Olga Turner and Nicola Keenan – join journalist Harry McKinley, to discuss why designing with nature in mind is not only good for us but good for the planet. In the discussion, they will be exploring why rekindling our connection to nature is paramount, how our urban environments can adapt and what biophilic design truly means.
THEMES THAT MATTER
Sustainability in Design and the Pitfalls of ‘Greenwashing’
Sustainability has become somewhat of a buzzword over the last few years, with brands across every industry promising to roll up their sleeves and be kinder to the planet. But what does it really mean to be a sustainable brand in the design industry and what are the pitfalls of ‘greenwashing’? Decorex explores this very topic.
With commentary from Jeff Hayward – Presenter and Producer of The Interior Design Business Podcast and Susie Rumbold – Founder of Tessuto Interiors, we also give a glimpse into what will be covered in the Decorex Virtual discussion – Sustainable Sourcing For Interior Designers: Cutting Through The Greenwash – airing this November.
Making a change
Some say that it was Sir David Attenborough’s poignant documentary series, Blue Planet – which aired in 2001 – that turned the tides and jolted the public into the realisation that reversing the effects of climate change would require a joint effort: both from consumers and brands themselves. After years of damaging processes, the high-end design industry is slowly changing its attitude and switching to healthier methods of procurement by using more materials that are less damaging to the environment. Conscious interior design consumption can help conserve energy, reduce waste and pollution and help create more positive interior environments that are better for the planet and the economy.
Designers in the high-end sphere that have been making this change and reconsidering the materials they use are gradually growing in numbers. In the Financial Times article, The Morality of Marble: Interior Design’s Crisis of Conscience, Marie de Beaucourt – Parisian Illustrator and designer – discussed her conundrum of whether to use real or imitation slab marble in the bathroom of a luxury private jet she was designing for a client.
‘Greenwashing’ – what is it?
While the general consensus is that the design industry needs to change its ways and move positively towards a more sustainable practice, there are brands whose commitment to sustainability is more about consumer perception than a genuine desire to be Earth-friendly. Recognising the lean towards ‘greener’ brands from consumers, a select few may use exaggerated or misleading claims about the environmental impact of their products – this is known as ‘greenwashing’. At best, greenwashing is used to make a company appear ‘greener’ than they are; at worst, it’s a way to distract buyers from other business practices they are using that are actually damaging the environment.
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