Creatif's Managing Director Looks Back at Clerkenwell Design Week

Creatif's Managing Director, Dwight Bailey, talks at length about the company's wildly successful Clerkenwell Design Week and the innovations that were - and still are! - on display at 79 Clerkenwell Road.

Every year, we associate Clerkenwell Design Week with sun, ice-cream, thousands of industry professionals descending on central London and the occasional G&T.

This year was again no different as the streets of Clerkenwell were packed with designers, architects and workplace consultants all on their individual quests to see the latest trends and concepts.

For Creatif, I don’t think there’s a better way to describe this year’s Design Week as anything less than awe-inspiring. This was our fifth time presenting at CDW and our second in our dedicated, two-floor showroom at 79 Clerkenwell Road.

Just like last year, people loved our space and it attracted an unprecedented volume of visitors, ranging from end-users to leading designers, architects and consultants.

It didn’t take long for everybody here to realise that our newly launched Constructif system was capturing the imagination of all who came to see it. The reactions we saw in person and the buzz on social media about our new concepts were fascinating, to say the least!

Upon entering our Wellness Hub, the first product that caught the eye was the Concierge desk. Like the majority of our showpiece items, it’s made from our signature steel frame system Constructif, and features a green coloured frame and plenty of integrated biophilia.

Immediately after, our Float moss and pegboard panels prompted exclamations from all. And when people saw the panels move along the overhead tracks, turn corners and shape space, the amazement was evident! And nearly everybody got hands on with the biophilic panels and we saw a real feel-good factor in that area.

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With all this said, moss walls that we see everywhere are static. With that – and from what we were told – it’s very clear that our movable Float moss panels are an innovation that will benefit users the far more than fixed alternatives. With people being able to configure and enhance a zone with biophilia or take nature where its needed, I feel we’re able to offer designers and end users something truly special.

Near the moving panels, we have a High Work Desk and a Low Enclave - again, both made with Constructif and, again incorporating Whisper elements with bespoke cut-outs to enhance its visual appeal.

We had a Director visit us from renowned furniture experts Sketch Studios and when she saw our High Desk, she commented to me; "I like this... This really is different. I've not seen anything like this out there". 

Another designer from Wagstaff Interiors said that Constructif “really is so fun, especially being able to play with the colours and acoustic inserts".

Those are just two of the quotes that stick in my mind - I need not say anymore!

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The star of the show for Creatif was the High Enclave, situated in a prime position opposite our staircase to the Lower Ground Floor. The serene colours and pastel tones, dressed with trailing ivy and pot-plants combine to create a zone to aid work that’s calming, relaxing and invigorating.

Flanking the High Enclave is two Constructif shelving units. These appear to be full-height, fixed units but in fact they are mounted on a ceiling track and can be moved to open or close the High Enclave. While demonstrating this, I could hear whoops of delight and surprise. This is one of those installations that you have to see to believe, as we discovered!

Our crazy golf course was the talk of Clerkenwell. Made from Whisper, our acoustic polyester material that's comprised of 60% recycled PET, it attracted want-to-be golfers from the design world to 79 Clerkenwell Road and we received several enquiries for this solution to be implemented into workspaces which was a nice surprise.

I feel this is a true innovation that's designed to support wellness, provide acoustic absorption and inject a little fun into a space!

To complete the Constructif range we displayed the Multi Lounge Combo unit in retro-style, inspired by "Own Label Sainsbury’s Design Studio 1962 - 1977." The configuration we displayed comprised of sofas on wheels, stools that stack away and a complimentary central table. The whole system is designed to be space efficient, supporting the ability to configure space and minimising its footprint.

Throughout the showroom, the range of colours incorporated into the Constructif system really did demonstrate how playing with colours can change the look and feel of the product. And when including our market-leading acoustic baffles and rafts overhead, you really do end up with a synergistic system that displays flexibility, design aesthetics and acoustic performance in one complete package.

Thanks to this, we were able to demonstrate how our solutions consider design, aesthetics and acoustics, and effectively enhance the wellness, productivity and interaction of the users of the space. 

The amazing thing is that our space remains exactly as is and will do so long after Clerkenwell Design Week. The showroom is open all week and we invite you warmly to come along and experience the benefits of our products as launched during CDW 2019.

Dwight Bailey
dwight.b@creatif.org.uk