Build Avenue Magazine

Preparations for next year’s Surface Design Show are well underway with a brand-new theme, the return of new &familiar elements such as the New Talent showcase, the Stone Knowledge Hub and the expert speaker programmeand ofcoursethe Surface Design Awards. Islington’s Business Design Centre will play host to the very best in material innovation giving interior designers and architects invaluable insight into the latest trends and insights.

The theme for the 2024 edition is ‘Mindful Living’ and explores the balance between design intuition and analytical thinking to achieve meaningful experiences. The idea of Mindful Living will address what role materials and their properties will play in the multi-sensory space; how the virtual and real worlds continue to merge and what technological advancements and investments in new design approaches mean for the built environment. Among the elements where the theme will feature prominently is Surface Spotlight Live, the material showcase curated by design & trend expert Sally Angharad. This is located at the heart of the show and will once again shine a light on cutting-edge surfaces, finishes and processes that embrace the future and harness the vital role materials play in design across all dimensions.

The ever-popular Opening Night Debate will also focus on the Mindful Living theme. This can be found on the Main Stage where over the rest of the two and a half days a range of debates, panels, trend forecasts and insights into the latest material innovations will take place. The Legends Live series of fireside chats with experienced industry professionals also returns.

From well-known names to those just starting out in the industry, Surface Design Show has it all. The New Talent area, curated once again by Jennifer Castoldi, Chief Creative Director at Trendease, will be a must-visit section of the show with the very best in emerging creatives displaying an inspiring range of biomaterials, natural materials, textiles, furniture and wallpaper.

The Stone Knowledge Hub is also returning to the 2024 Surface Design Show, bigger and better than ever. Building on the success of the 2023 edition and thanks to the increase in the number of Stone Federation members wanting to showcase their materials and expertise, the size of this feature has increased with confirmed exhibitors including Albion Stone, Arcturus Stone, Brittanicus Stone, Burlington Stone, Fila Surface Care Products, Stone Cladding Systems and Welsh Slate. The go-to place for architects and designers looking to find inspiration and information for their natural stone projects, the Stone Knowledge Hub is host to some of the leading names with the UK natural stone sector.

Matt Robb, Digital Media Executive, Stone Federation Great Britain says,

“Stone Federation is delighted to be returning to the Surface Design Show for 8th year running. The 2024 show will see a fresh expression of the hugely popular Stone Tapestry and an expanded Stone Knowledge Hub.Both these areas will help connect architects and designers with the beauty, versatility and sustainability of natural stone and provide them with the inspiration and information required to deliver stunning natural stone projects.The Surface Design Show has always been a fantastic event for the Federation and our members, this year is shaping up to be perhaps, the best one yet.”

The Surface Design Awards are of course a much-anticipated part of the show, receiving global recognition and attracting an impressive number of entries from the UK, Europe and Asia. The Awards celebrate and promote excellence in material innovation and the 2024 edition are judged by an expert panel, co-chaired by Charlotte McCarthy, Head of Interiors at Heatherwick Studio and NimiAttanayake, Director & co-founder of NimTim Architects. The judging panel is made up of architects and interior designers, all of whom have made a name for themselves in the industry. Some of the panellists alongside Charlotte and Nimi include Carly Sweeney, the Director of Universal Design Studio, Chris Laing, an Architectural Designer, Activist, Consultant, Founder of Signstrokes and Deaf Architecture Front and Gurmeet Sian, Architect and Founder of Office Sian. Working together, the judges will determine the 2024 Award winners in eight categories: Commercial Building, Housing, Landscape + Public Realm, Light + Surface, Public Building, Temporary Structure, Architectural Photography and new for 2024, Product of the Year Award. The deadline for entries is 29th September 2023.

This year’s Surface Design Show will see a presentation by Colour Hive entitled CMF Directions 2025.Colour Hive, which has more than 20 years’ experience forecasting and publishing design, colour and material insight will host live seminars featuring two diverse stories from their 2025 forecast exploring the macro drivers, colour palettes and material and finish directions in an inspiring and insightful presentation. The stories are ‘Soul’, which exploressustainability, wellbeing, and a devotional connection to nature as a response to increased levels of eco-anxiety and ‘Hack’ which looks at how the snowballing of advancements in tech could impact creativity. There will also be an edit of one-of-a-kind inspirational objects and materials inspired by ‘Hack’.

New for 2024, Surface Design Show is partnering with an innovative charity called Furnishing Futures. It creates beautifully designed, fully furnished healing homes for women and children who have escaped domestic abuse and been given empty social housing, often even without flooring or white goods. It partners with the interiors industry to provide a sustainable solution to waste, enabling the charity to repurpose good quality ex-display, returns, props or donated furnishings to create beautiful, trauma-informed, fully furnished homes for women who are experiencing multipledisadvantages. Founded by interior stylist, writer and social worker Emily Wheeler, the charity is based in Leyton in East London and takes referrals from a number ofspecialist domestic abuse services and grassroots organisations. As part of the partnership UK based street artist Olivier Roubieu will creating 3 live murals during the show which will be auctioned with the proceeds going to Furnishing Futures.

Don’t miss the 2024 Surface Design Show for a unique exploration of the latest trends in material innovation.