Emilio Pimentel-Reid - Bold British Design: Modern living spaces to inspire fearlessness and creativity

As a British citizen by choice, the idea for this book came from a desire to share the energy, inspiration and delight I have experienced in my roles as an editor, stylist and designer collaborating with the individuals I encounter in the UKs interiors world. Created in partnership with the talented photographer Sarah Hogan, Bold British Design (BBD) reveals a snapshot of UK design today by showcasing the houses and studios of 21 British-based people working in a range of interiors-related fields. Through profiles and short interviews we provide context and insight into their design choices. The various spaces reveal the distinctive elements of their work, personality, taste and training that leads them to create personal, stylish workplaces and homes.

Britains history is woven through the narrative as creatives share their debt to designers of the past. From the technical virtuosity of Wedgwood founder Josiah Wedgwoods pioneering eighteenth-century ceramics manufacture to William Morris (and the Arts and Crafts movements) focus on craftsmanship in the nineteenth century, British innovators have since continued to propel design forward. Today creators the world over continue to admire British designers who combine heritage with wit, modernity and fun as they reinvent the elements of our interiors.

An understanding of the history behind todays design landscape should highlight retailers like Liberty (founded in 1875). Known for its printed textiles, the department store led the craze for Japanese and Indian craft as well as working closely with designers promoting the then nascent Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. The furniture store Heals, under the founders great-grandson, Ambrose Heal, later led in innovation, combining good design with industrial production to supply well-made furniture to a broader audience. Both stores still continue to encourage and discover new talent and introduce the public to the latest in design. They were joined in the 1960s by Sir Terence Conrans democratic Habitat and the more upmarket The Conran Shop in the 1970s. Today, at a more rarefied level of the market, pioneering furniture and decorative objects are promoted by the David Gill Gallery, founded in 1987, one of the leading international galleries in contemporary design. Over the years the gallery has championed and collaborated with talent including the late internationally-renowned architect Zaha Hadid and award-winning David Chipperfield.

Looking towards other influences on British innovation the Festival of Britain national exhibition of 1951 promoted British design, architecture and the arts, paving the way for a contemporary and colourful post-war world. The exhibition influenced creativity in the years that followed and that periods aesthetic still attracts collectors of mid-century furniture to markets like Sunbury Antiques Market and the Midcentury Modern Vintage and Contemporary Interior Show.

It is relevant that this introduction was written in the double height library of the worlds leading museum of applied and decorative arts and design the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. With its origins in the Great Exhibition (1851) organised by the institutions first Director, Henry Cole, and Queen Victorias consort Prince Albert, the V&A was created with the specific mission of enhancing industry and the applied arts. The vast collections, 145 galleries, exhibitions and archives continue to spark curiosity and inspire British creativity.

During the 1950s interior designers Nancy Lancaster and John Fowler began reinventing the past, creating the modern English country house look that is still channelled by lovers of traditional interiors. Not to be ignored are the bold influences of designers like David Hicks, known for his colour sense and love of graphic pattern (at his height of popularity in the 1970s), as well as David Mlinarics connoisseurship of historic interiors and the great dealerdecorators, such as Geoffrey Bennison, Christopher Hodsoll and Christopher Gibbs.

And then there is the influence on young designers from the excellent schools such as Central St Martins and The Royal College of Art that have trained many of the talented people you will read about in this book. British designers have an irreverent attitude to rules, which originates in the art schools teaching they encourage pupils to follow their instincts, resulting in the great freedom and originality that particularly characterises British design.

In todays interiors scene a respect for history coexists with extreme modernity. Craftsmanship and tradition are revered but not left to grow stale. International artistic influences blend with the home-grown, both as a result of media exposure and the arrival of immigrants who keep their traditions alive while becoming a part of our nation. It is in this context that the interiors and design we highlight here sit. The 21 individuals we showcase are by no means an exhaustive list of Britains great talent pool; they have been chosen for the originality and boldness of their work as well as that of their interiors, and to higlight a breadth of styles and design categories.

The designers are bold, not just in the obvious sense of being colourful or quirky (as some gravitate towards muted palettes and their work is subtle) but they are all deeply original, fearless in their interior choices, either breaking the mould or pushing the boundaries of creativity. They are also bold in personal ways, often unconstrained by rules; joyful and courageous both in how an individual product is made or how disparate elements are bravely combined in a room. They also each exemplify many of the characteristics that make design in this country unique a sense of humour and an appreciation for history, craft and modernity.

The interiors cover small and larger spaces and their owners make use of old and new, mass-produced and crafted products, colour and monochrome palettes. They range from the quietly refined to the eclectic with a hint of luxury; many break design rules and achieve inspiring results. While the designers have put great thought into their houses and flats, we have chosen to balance these by also showing studios for some. The workspaces give us an understanding into their design process while also helping to highlight the many product categories available in our industry and the immense thought that goes into creating these important elements of our home.

BBD is not meant as a how to book or a guide to what to do in your home; it is more of a why not?. Let yourself explore your own taste and creativity just like the designers featured. Our hope is that you feel emboldened by these personal insights to unleash your own story and creativity!

Emilio Pimentel-Reid

Realising early on that neither the army nor the unstable life of a practising sculptor were quite right, Guy Tobin joined an auction house at the lowest rung. Coming into contact with and handling objects in multiple sales week-in-weekout led him to a love and understanding of antique furniture. From there it was a short hop to the magnificent galleries of dealer Christopher Hodsoll where he further developed his connoisseurship over a period of 10 years. When Hodsoll closed, Guy went into partnership with another dealer with fathomless knowledge, Patrick Jefferson. Then, given the opportunity to join Rose Uniacke, a major tastemaker, Guy leapt to his current role as Head of Product. His eye and business sense have continued evolving while working alongside an interior designer with a deep sense of how a home should work and flow.