One of the many attractions of Focus — the highlight of the interior-design world’s autumn calendar — is the programme of events both in The Design Club at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10, and in some of the 130 showrooms that make its three domes the beating heart of the industry.
Country Life will host three of these events, on September 16, 17 and 18, offering plenty of opportunities to benefit from the wit and wisdom of leading designers.
Blenheim: If walls could talk
Interior designer Henrietta Spencer-Churchill will offer a personal insight into the palace’s state rooms, as well the private apartments that have been home to 12 generations of her family. She’ll also explain why, as do so many of the nation’s historic interiors, they are providing fresh inspiration to a young generation. The discussion will be followed by a signing of her new book, Blenheim: 300 Years of Life in a Palace (Rizzoli).
WHEN September 18, 3pm–4pm
WHERE The Design Club, Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10
TICKETS £10 from www.dcch.co.uk
Lighting inspiration at Vaughan Designs
This year’s Focus/24 offers a rare opportunity to hear four leading designers discuss a vital element in every interior-design scheme—good-quality, well-chosen lighting that is appropriate both to the function and the aesthetics of a room.
Taking place on the second day of Focus/24, experts will include Emma Pocock, one half of design duo Turner Pocock; Sarah Peake, founder of Studio Peake; Richard Smith, product design manager at Vaughan Designs; and Jo Mann, founder of Light House Designs, a lighting-design studio in the Cotswolds.
WHEN September 17, 10.15am–11.30am
WHERE Vaughan Designs, Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
ADMISSION: Entry to this event is free
CONTACT: www.vaughandesigns.com
The secret of sympathetic decoration
Plenty of interior designers can successfully transform a country house, but few can do so in a way that respects its history and setting, as well as creating a home that meets the demands of the 21st century.
In this thought-provoking discussion, the interior designer Henriette von Stockhausen and Jennifer Manners, founder and creative director of the eponymous rug brand, will discuss how designers and homeowners can achieve the right balance between old and new, preserving character, as well as ensuring that buildings function as homes, rather than museums.
WHEN September 16, 4.30pm–5.30pm
WHERE Jennifer Manners Design, Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
TICKETS Free, but book a place at www.dcch.co.uk
Picture credits: Hugo Rittson-Thomas; Paul Massey
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