Design titans Terence Conran, Zaha Hadid and Norman Foster commission their wish list for the London Design Festival 2014

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girl working on art work
Watch the designs for ‘The Wish List’, a forthcoming exhibition at the V&A, come to life in British furniture brand Benchmark's workshops in Berkshire…
(Image credit: press)

Benchmark Furniture co-founder and design icon Sir Terence Conran has teamed up with the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) for this year's London Design Festival, tasking a crop of creative luminaries to whip up their ultimate design wish list, which will be unveiled at the V&A on Saturday.

The project first began when Conran pitched this question to friends: ‘What have you always wanted in your home, but never been able to find?’ Of course, the Design Museum-founder counts some of the design and architecture world’s starriest names amongst his acquaintances. These top minds have taken a host of up-and-coming names under their wings to realise products for ‘The Wish List’, all crafted from American hardwood.

Alex de Rijke tasked Barnby & Day with creating a dining table; Norman Foster challenged Norie Matsumoto to create the perfect pencil sharpener; Allen Jones wished for a chaise longue by Lola Lely; and Zaha Hadid asked Gareth Neal to condense his furniture design vision into tableware. Meanwhile, John Pawson turned to sister duo Gwendolyn and Guillane Kerschbaumer of design studio Areti to concoct a trio of items: a triangular shelf, slanted door and a hook.

The resulting objects will be displayed on the V&A's Architecture Gallery landing and the staircase leading up to it from the Grand Entrance. Meanwhile, Sir Paul Smith's most wished for item – a shed designed by Nathalie de Leval – will be on show in the V&A’s John Madejski Garden.

wooden desk cum workstation

Sebastian Cox has designed a desk-cum-workstation for Sir Terence Conran

(Image credit: Sebastian Cox)

crafted american hardwood drawer

Like all of the objects on 'The Wish List', Cox's design is crafted from American hardwood

(Image credit: press)

wooden sculpture

Zaha Hadid asked Gareth Neal to design tableware

(Image credit: Gareth Neal)

dining table with chair

Alex de Rijke tasked Barnby & Day with creating a dining table

(Image credit: Barnby & Day)

white room with triangular shelf and hook

John Pawson turned to sister duo Gwendolyn and Guillane Kerschbaumer of design studio Areti to concoct a trio of items: a triangular shelf, slanted door and a hook

(Image credit: press)

pencils with sharpener

Norman Foster challenged Norie Matsumoto to create the perfect pencil sharpener...

(Image credit: press)

wooden lined pyramid

...which also comes in a clean-lined pyramid form

(Image credit: press)

white room with wooden ladder

Richard and Ab Rogers requested a ladder from Xenia Moseley

(Image credit: press)

wooden shed

Sir Paul Smith asked Nathalie de Leval to conceive a shed

(Image credit: Nathalie de Leval)

wooden house

Material used for this project was donated by timber and panel products distributor James Latham

(Image credit: Nathalie de Leval)

wooden chase lounge

Allen Jones can stretch out on a chaise longue by Lola Lely

(Image credit: Lola Lely)

wooden extendable fruit or cheese bowl

Amanda Levete requested an extendable fruit or cheese bowl from Win Assakul

(Image credit: Win Assakul)

wooden kitchen stools

Alison Brooks charged Felix de Pass with creating a set of kitchen stools

(Image credit: Felix de Pass)

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