Behind the scenes of a W* interiors shoot

last updated 25 September 2022

From big-ticket beds and dining tables to smaller lamps and lights, our regular ’In the market for...’ shoot always focuses on a single product. For April, it was consoles, for which our interior stylist Matthew Morris created a grand entrance of fiery pyrotechnics.

Watch sparks fly during the making of, above...

Pictured left: ‘Signore Degli Anelli’ console, £2,480, by Disegno Reflex, for Reflex Angelo, from Chaplins. ‘Seine Tall’ bridge console, £7,140, by Armani Casa. ‘Revolve’ table lamp, £798, by Robbie Llewellyn, for Bert Frank. ‘La Barca’ console, £2,050, by Piero De Martini, for Cassina. ‘Kuula’ table lamp, £695, by Uli Budde, for Thonet, from The Conran Shop. Right: ‘Nicholas’ marble console, $3,295, by the Van Thiels, for RH Modern. ‘Tab.u Luce’ suspension lamp, €1,354, by Bruno Rainaldi, for Opinion Ciatti, from Aram

Photography: Ryan Hopkinson. Interiors: Matthew Morris

Our regular 'In the market for...' shoot always focuses on a single product; our edit of the ‘best of’ a particular item. From big-ticket beds and dining tables to smaller lamps and lights, we help you pick the most elegant, refined and show-stopping picks from across the design world.

The shoots are never simply a list; we strive to display these masterpieces at their most powerful, getting innovative with backdrops and sets. For our April issue, we honed in on console tables, choosing the best long and lean forms. Taking these everyday yet luxurious pieces further was an explosive narrative of pyrotechnics and vibrancy, titled 'Love me Slender’.

The abstract interpretation, realised by our interiors stylist Matthew Morris, opens with a grand display of fiery sparks, drowned in deep shades of misty electric blues and glowing reds. ‘It is like the cloche coming off your meal at a restaurant, the big reveal,’ Morris explains.

From the Italian mastery of Flexform, Minotti and Marsotto to American modernism from Restoration Hardware Modern, it's nigh on impossible to keep one's eyes off the magnificent show.

We've captured the magic reveal of the sleek pieces with an electrifying video and original sketches – giving you a peak into how sparks fly on our special shoots...

Technical drawing of an installation for a furniture photo shoot — Starting from initial technical drawings, the set is imagined in full scale, here incorporating the explosive backdrop

Technical drawing of an installation for a photo shoot — ‘It is like the cloche coming off your meal at a restaurant, the big reveal,’ Morris explains of his concept

Electric blue background with console tables on a platform — The backgrounds were drowned in deep shades of misty electric blue and glowing reds.

Clockwise, from front left: ‘Giano’ console, from €3,026, by Antonio Citterio, for Flexform. ‘Asya’ console, £1,713, by Marelli & Molteni, for Porada. ‘Stars’ console, €6,550, by Bartoli Design, for Laurameroni, from Keir Townsend. ‘Virgo’ console, from €4,095, by Mauro Lipparini, for MisuraEmme, from Lamco. ‘Washington’ table lamp, £504, by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, for Lumen Center Italia, from Barry Perrin Lighting and Interiors. ‘DC212A’ console, £18,830, by Vincenzo De Cotiis Progetto Domestico, for Vincenzo De Cotiis, from Willer

*Photography: Ryan Hopkinson. Interiors: Matthew Morris*

Console tables in front of a red/blue background with fire pyrotechnic effects — Pictured left: ‘Catlin’ console, £4,950, by Rodolfo Dordoni, for Minotti London. ‘Hex 750 Brass’ light, £2,250, by Resident Studio, from Dodds & Shute. Right: ‘Helsinki’ console, €991, by Caronni + Bonanomi, for Desalto, from Staffan Tollgård. ‘Closer’ console, €10,780, by Lawrence Steele, for Marsotto Edizioni. ‘Brimstone’ console, from £11,182, by Holly Hunt

*Photography: Ryan Hopkinson. Interiors: Matthew Morris*

Decadent marble and brass console table — From the pack: the shapes and styles of the consoles mould the shoot; this model in decadent marble and brass is inspired by 1960s French aesthetics and created by American stalwarts RH Modern

Minotti 'Catlin' console table with marble top — Simple and sophisticated, the Minotti ’Catlin’ console explores marble in a less robust, sleeker fashion

Console tables by Flexform in marble and wood — The altering levels of Flexform's console, alongside two different finishes in marble and wood, make it appear incredibly dynamic

A contemporary console in Marsotto marble — A contemporary console, 'Closer', plays with geometry and angles in Marsotto marble

Sujata Burman is a writer and editor based in London, specialising in design and culture. She was Digital Design Editor at Wallpaper* before moving to her current role of Head of Content at London Design Festival and London Design Biennale where she is expanding the content offering of the showcases. Over the past decade, Sujata has written for global design and culture publications, and has been a speaker, moderator and judge for institutions and brands including RIBA, D&AD, Design Museum and Design Miami/. In 2019, she co-authored her first book, An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture, published by Hoxton Mini Press, which was driven by her aim to make the fields of design and architecture accessible to wider audiences.

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