One word cropped up repeatedly during the judging of the ninth Design Guild Mark last month: interactive. Spearheaded by the the charitable Furniture Makers’ Company and celebrating British design excellence, the coveted prize allowed the judges panel to thoroughly examine each of the entries within the confines of the medieval Carpenters’ Hall, with the shortlisted designers presenting the materials, inspiration, and manufacturing behind their products.
The vast selection was whittled down to 34 Guild Marks, including Forpeople’s ‘Keyn Family’ task chairs for Herman Miller; and young designer Charles Dedman’s ‘Turner Carver’ chair, originally launched as a prototype, before being put into production by SittingFirm. Elsewhere Bisley’s classic filing drawers were honoured, alongside Robin Day’s colourful armchairs for Hille.
Judge Jeremy Myerson – the Helen Hamlyn professor of design at the RCA – noted the diversity among the applicants this year: ‘There was a marked accent in terms of design quality on furniture for the workplace, signalling a blurring of the lines between office and hospitality.’ This shift was reflected in a number of designs: Sebastian Conran was awarded for his workstation that utilises craft from the Japanese region of Gifu, while Another Country’s farmhouse-style dining room collection charmed judges for bringing a little English countryside into the modern home.
There was a strong array of wooden design that flourished including two Benchmark pieces, both by Nathalie de Leval in addition to Matthew Hilton’s adaptable desk and shelving for Ercol, as well as David Irwin’s nifty foldaway wooden chairs for Case Furniture.
‘The calibre of 2017 applicants was extremely high and a diverse range of typographies, materials and processes were judged over an engrossing day,’ commented Twentytwentyone co-founder Simon Alderson (a judge for DGM many times over). ‘The vitality and quality of British design remains in excellent health, and the Design Guild Mark acknowledges this. The interactive judging process allows a level of communication between designer and the panel that is both instructive and stimulating, for all parties.’
Left, ‘Turner carver’ (in black ash), for Sitting Firm. Right, ‘Orbit’ wall mount for OMK 1965
Keyn Family’, for Herman Miller won the Most Outstanding Britsh design award in the DGM, The Jonathan Hindle Prize
Left, ‘Robin Day’ armchair, for Hille. Right, ‘Krusin Chair’ for Knoll
Another Country’s Series Four mastered the art of bringing farmhouse style dining into a contemporary environment. Pictured, ‘Dining Table Four’ and ‘Bench Four’, from Series Four
David Irwin refined the concept of the folding chair with his ‘Narin’ chairs, for Case Furniture
Many classic designs featured in this year, including ‘Multidrawer’ by Frederick Brown for Bisley
Floating Bench’, for Sitting Spiritually Ltd
Samuel Chan showcased expert woodwork in his contemporary bookshelf for Channels, titled ‘Mr Knock 1
Tailor’ chest of drawers and tallboy, for Benchmark
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Design Guild Mark website
-
Find yourself at Six Senses Kyoto, the brand's breathtaking Japan debutSix Senses Kyoto opens its doors boasting tranquil, luxurious interiors by Blink Design Group
-
Shigeru Ban’s mini Paper Log House welcomed at The Glass House'Shigeru Ban: The Paper Log House' is shown at The Glass House in New Canaan, USA as the house museum of American architect Philip Johnson plays host to the Japanese architect’s model temporary home concept
-
Artist Mickalene Thomas wrestles with notions of Black beauty, female empowerment and love'Mickalene Thomas: All About Love’, a touring exhibition, considers Black female representation
-
RH takes over historical Aynho Park, UKAynho Park becomes American furniture brand RH’s first destination outside the US, a new venture that merges architectural history and hospitality
-
Chatsworth House design exhibition explores contemporary design themes in an eclectic setting‘Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth House’ (18 March – 1 October 2023) offers a novel point of view on the house's interiors and contemporary design, through a series of works by some of today’s most celebrated designers
-
Brexit and the design industry: ‘It’s hampering creativity’Three years after Brexit, we asked designers, design entrepreneurs and representatives of British design organisations how the withdrawal from the European Union has affected the design industry
-
PAD London celebrates the past and present of collectible designPAD London (until 16 October 2022) returns for a new edition presenting historical and collectible design
-
Carpenters Workshop Gallery opens in Ladbroke HallThe new west London location includes gallery space as well as a restaurant, a hidden garden and events spaces, and makes its debut with displays of works by David Adjaye and Jose Zanine Caldas
-
Made in London dives into the city’s rich collection of 21st-century factoriesMade in London is a photographic journey through the capital’s surprisingly rich and diverse manufacturing scene, capturing everything from aircraft interiors to cardboard boxes, and everything in between
-
Park benches in unexpected materials nod to Scottish landscapeFive designers breathe new life into the traditional park bench as part of a project with Design Exhibition Scotland (until 15 October 2022)
-
London’s iconic Tube map design grows two new stationsAs the London Tube map grows to include two brand new stations, we speak to the designer safeguarding its famous design codes
