My Work placement BLOG.

(4.3.19) Forme Partitions...

I sat in on a meeting with the directors of Forme Partitions. They showed examples of their products, primarily partition walls and doors, but also included bespoke staircases and wall features. The steel frames for such pieces are hand produced in Cornwall and can be made bespoke for certain projects. It was really interesting to hear about the production process and how they can adapt the design of products to fit around a certain brief. I enjoyed getting a better understanding of the mechanisms used to make sliding doors and partitions effective... and also they bought a dog with them.

(6.3.19) CDM Training...

On Wednesday I completed a one day course on the 2015 CDM regulations along with some designers, project managers, and technical designers in the company. The course covered what the legislation is, what it is intended to do, and how it is applied to clients, designers and contractors in both commercial and residential design. It was a interesting experience for me as I had not heard of CDM prior to this and therefore I learnt a lot which I will be able to apply to future projects. It gave me a insight into the construction side of things and it was interesting to see how it applies to people within varying roles.

(11.3.19) Chelsea Harbour Trade Show...

On Monday I went to the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour with Harris Jackson Interiors. Monday was the trade day of London Design Week. Harris Jackson is not my work placement provider but I have organised to go there for work experience over the Summer time so they invited me to come along to the trade show with them, I was very excited about it! The centre has showrooms that exhibit products from a range of suppliers from within the industry, primarily for residential interiors. The day was a really good chance for me to familiarise myself with suppliers, gather samples, speak to reps and ask questions about the products. From this I learnt a a lot about the use of various upholstery and the manufacturing process of such. Due to my trip coinciding with London Design Week, there was lot of 'pop ups', one being Timorous Beasties - my favourite showroom at the centre. Timorous Beasties is a Glasgow based company, they make a range of products, most notably textiles and wall coverings. The emphasis is on pattern and colour, which really appealed to me. I took photos of my favourite products which you can see below...

Another of my favourite showrooms was Edelman Leather, they are a leather supplier based in Connecticut USA. They were actually the first all leather supplier to have a showroom at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre back in 2009. The quality of the leather is really obvious and I was amazed at the range. I asked about a few of my favourite products (and took some samples to make a keyring!) and learnt about Shagreen leather which is something I wasn't aware of prior to this; traditionally it is made from shark or ray skin but Edelman are able to replicate the look of it with cowhide. The layout of the showroom really appealed to me, it felt less like the traditional showroom spaces of some of the other suppliers, and more the feel of a contemporary loft apartment. I came to find out that this was the intention of a recent refurbishment.

(15.3.19) Learning about new materials...

This week I have been predominantly tasked with the less glamorous job of clearing and organising one of the back room which is soon to become the design studio. This has been a big job as there is ALOT of stuff to be condensed into a relatively small(ish) room with less storage than the previous space. However I have taken the time to look through what I'm organising and learn about materials and the uses of various products, this has been a really good experience for me, it made me realise how I have missed the chance to conduct more interesting material discussions in previous projects due to my ignorance to some available materials.

(20.3.19) Lunch & Learn...

Today I discovered the concept of the 'lunch and learn'. We had Ruutu come and talk to us about their range of floor-coverings; I was pleased about this as I really enjoyed listening to the reps from Forme Partitions, but beyond pleased when I saw the reps walk in with pizza! Ruutu are relatively new in the UK, previously operating in other parts of Europe, and although they have a more 'standard' range of carpets, planks and vinyls, they have been noted for their more unusual products. In terms of price they were more towards the top end, but Space have clients that this would be appropriate for, and also some of the more unusual patterns would probably only be used in smaller spaces. My favourite from the range was the 'nature shadows' tiles, which almost look like concrete!

(06.04.19) My Dream Prague Apartment...

I have come away to Prague for a few days whilst I take a break from my placement for Easter. I was determined to stay in a certain apartment I had seen online when it was nominated for the 'Big See' awards in the interior design category (http://bigsee.eu/on-the-built-on-gallery-with-the-lantern-no-architects-jakub-filip-novak-daniela-barackova/). This took some persuading given that there is just 2 of us and the apartment is for 6, but I succeeded! The apartment block is no reflection of the beauty inside the apartment; in fact as we walked through the tired, dirty and smelling stairwell, concerned looks shot between my boyfriend and I. The apartment was a project by Czech design studio 'No Architects', completed in 2017. There is a continuous light blue colour scheme throughout, fluid shapes and forms, and high ceilings, which all create a really light and relaxing space. My favourite part of the design is the 2 mezzanines which house double beds, it almost feels like an adult bunk bed! I love the apartment but it wouldn't be practical as an everyday living space, there isn't enough privacy or storage but it's perfect for a few days and I don't want to leave!

(02.05.19) Fish & Chip Thursday...

One of my favourite times of the week is when the boss buys lunch; and this week they have done so twice! Making a change to the normal Fish & Chip Friday, we fast forwarded a day as we had new people in the office who hadn't eaten lunch with us before. It is so nice for everyone to take a break together, and gives the newbies a chance to get to know everyone.

(06.05.19) Hamper Making...

Being in an office surrounded by teams that deal with not only design but also finance, client services and projects means that my experience and learning has gone beyond interior design. Today I was helping the client teams to create hampers to give to leave in the new offices once they are completed. This seems like a fairly insignificant job to a design student, and I guess it is, but getting to spend time with people who perform different roles within the company has really allowed me to ask all sorts of questions and see what goes on alongside design.

(08.05.19) Samples, Samples, Samples...

Despite working pretty hard to make the design studio organised before going on Easter break, upon my return it looked like a bomb had hit in. Although everyone insisted I did not have to do it again, I feel like that studio is my baby now and I know how busy the designers are so I decided to clear it up (and add some plants), again. There were quite a few new samples in there, some I had ordered to make sure we had the full collection of certain things, others were ordered for individual projects by the designers. I found some that I loved, like this paint finish on wood with a mosaic finish, its completely smooth and has a top coat with a slight sheen - added to my fave list!

(10.05.19) My Last Day...

Thinking back to the Friday of my first week, I was overwhelmed by the thought of the coming weeks; feeling excited, scared and slightly envious of my class mates who stayed at university. Writing this now I am overwhelmed in such a different way, the office had a special lunch together in honour of my last day, where I was presented with flowers and a card by the boss. I have met some amazing people who I have already planned to stay in touch with, I have learnt more than I could ever have imagined and I will proceed into my final year at university as a far more confident designer.