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Searching for the future of design
WE want fixtures, fittings and finishes for the 21st century but where do we find them?
Apparently, if you type "glass ceiling" into the internet, you will be offered a bewildering choice of 40,000 websites.
Nonie Niesewand knows because she's tried it, along with numerous other searches that have eaten hours of her time.
Finding "something a little bit different", be it a glass ceiling or a simple door handle, can be a time- consuming and frustrating business, both on the internet and the high street.
It's the reason Nonie embarked on a quest to find 21st century fixtures, fittings and finishes, and she has brought them all together in a book that is proving invaluable for everyone from architects to interior designers. Nonie turned detective and spent the past two years searching the globe for modern and innovative designs, which include the waterless dishwasher and see-through cement.
Her discoveries are published in Contemporary Details, which includes pictures of inspirational interiors, over 650 products and that all-important contacts directory. Nonie, a former design editor on Vogue, says: "I spent two years going to international trade fairs and looking on the internet for cutting edge designs. It was hard going sorting the wheat from the chaff, but it was incredibly interesting."
One of Nonie's favourite finds is see-through cement. This, she says, is the invention of the century so far. It is manufactured using Litracon cement mixed with glass fibre optics to give it an opaque effect.
"It was invented by a Hungarian and because it is a recent innovation, it is still quite expensive, but it is amazing," says Nonie.
"It is strong and substantial, yet you can see dimly through it. It also allows natural light through, and light is becoming crucial in the design of buildings. This product would be ideal for offices, where you want natural light at a low level so people can read their computer screens."
Her book, which has sections on everything from walls to bathrooms, also includes a large amount of eco-friendly products, including an experimental American fire (www.heatnglo.com) that is fuelled with hydrogen from water, water-saving taps and laminates made without CFCs or corrosive glue.
She says: "This is an area that is consumer-led. People are concerned about the environment and eco- friendliness is becoming very high on their agenda.
"Green thinking is one of the key trends."
Other major trends include much more colour in the home. "The minimalist white box is on its way out," says Nonie, who adds that the biggest trends in architecture are affordability and eco-friendliness.
When Nonie published her first version of Contemporary Details 15 years ago, her readers were mostly architects, but this time, she says, the audience is much wider, which reflects the increased interest in home interiors.
"It was all English country house style back then and it was only architects who were interested in modern fixtures and fitings.
"This time, the book is appealing to homeowners and I think that's because of the internet. It has literally opened up a whole new world and made new products more accessible."
Contemporary Details is published by Mitchell Beazley, 30.To order a copy from the Yorkshire Post Bookshop, call free on 0800 0153232. Postage and packing costs 1.95. Order online at www.yorkshirepostbookshop.co.uk
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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