Yinka Ilori applies joyful hues to London's Mira Mikati store

Multi-coloured walls, geometric floors and a seesaw feature in this west London fashion store, which Yinka Ilori has designed to match the playful nature of the brand's clothing collections.

The 74-square-metre store, which Mira Mikati has nicknamed Happy House, is nestled amongst a row of boutiques in London's affluent Chelsea neighbourhood.

This is the first flagship store for the brand, which produces brightly hued items of clothing that are "imbued with smiles". Until now it has exclusively been available through pop-ups or high-end fashion retailers.

Designer Ilori was approached by the brand's eponymous founder to create the inaugural fit-out of the store, which will be revamped by a different creative each season.

The pair had first connected over Instagram.

"One thing me and Mira share in common is our love of colour and pattern so she trusted my vision and gave me full creative control," the designer told Dezeen.

"We didn't know what, when, or how we would collaborate but we knew when the time would come it would be something special – I'm really glad we took our time," he continued.

"I spent a lot of time with Mira and her team discussing patterns, colours palettes, shop layouts etc until we finally had a concept that wasn't interfering with the colour palette on the clothes, but complemented them."

Blocks of the flagship store have been painted in different colours. The front section is sunshine-yellow, the rear is sea-green and door frames and skylights are bubblegum-pink.

Garments have been hung from simple white rails, while books, accessories and homeware are displayed on blocky plinths or the timber table that appears in the middle of the store.

Some items are also presented on the playful upcycled chairs that Ilori has become known for producing, each one splashed with eye-catching shades.

Vinyl printed with multi-coloured circles, squares and triangles has been laid across the floor.

This flooring extends out into the store's rear garden, where the peripheral brick walls have been painted azure blue. At the centre lies a multi-coloured seesaw.

"Mira Mikati's clothes have elements of joy and hope which I feel can be very uplifting, so it was extremely important for me to extend those elements of play, joy and hope into the outdoor space." added Ilori.

A corner of the shop also offers edible treats to customers, including chocolates, energy bars and vibrant cold-pressed juices.

The Mira Mikati store follows Ilori's signature vivid palette. Last summer, the designer worked alongside architecture studio Pricegore to create a pavilion for the London Festival of Architecture – the structure referenced the bright hues seen on traditional African textiles.

Ilori also used boldly-coloured panels to revive a "forbidding" London railway bridge and erected a geometric-print adult playground for visitors of the Cannes Lions festival.

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15 reasons to enter Dezeen Awards 2020 and save 20 per cent on entry fees

With 15 days left to take advantage of reduced early-entry rates for Dezeen Awards 2020, here are 15 reasons why architects, interior designers and designers should enter now.

The early entry period ends on 31 March. Enter before then and save 20 per cent! The standard entry deadline is 2 June.

Not sure if you want to enter? Here are 15 reasons why you should:

1. Your work will be seen by a star-studded judging panel. Our 75 judges include world-renowned architects and designers such as Norman Foster, Annabelle Selldorf and Jaime Hayon.

2. All longlisted projects will get a dedicated page on the Dezeen Awards website. Shortlisted projects and winners will also get further dedicated pages.

3. The Dezeen editorial team will see your work. Our editorial team are involved in the longlisting process and are always on the lookout for great work to publish.

4. All shortlisted projects will be published on the main Dezeen website. They will also feature in our daily newsletter, which is read by 160,000 people each day.

5. We'll promote you on Dezeen's social media channels if you are shortlisted or win. With five million followers across all channels, that's a big deal. All longlisted, shortlisted and winning studios will get special promotional badges so you can show off on your own social channels.

6. Winners get a unique, hand-made trophy designed by Atelier NL, plus a winner's certificate. Where will you display your trophy? See the "shelfies" past winners have sent us.

7. All entrants will be added to our VIP mailing list, meaning you'll receive invitations to exclusive Dezeen events.

8. You'll be invited to a glamorous winners party if you are shortlisted. Winners will be announced online ahead of the event, so you don't have to attend to find out if you’ve won. Winners are not obliged to attend.

9. You have a higher chance of winning this year, as there are eight new categories that you can enter.

10. It's quick and easy to enter. Dezeen Awards has a very simple and intuitive entry process.

11. It's cheaper than other awards programmes. Dezeen Awards is one of the most affordable paid-entry architecture and design awards programmes.

12. Small companies pay even less. Firms with less than 10 employees benefit from half-price entry fees.

13. Once you've paid for your entries, you don't have to pay for anything else. Attendance at the winners' party is optional.

14. Winning could be the best thing that ever happened to you. Seriously! Read about how past winners have benefitted.

15. Did we already mention that you can save a further 20 per cent if you enter before 31 March? What are you waiting for! Enter Dezeen Awards now.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop us an email at awards@dezeen.com!

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Neolith unveils top surface design trends to look out for in 2020

Dezeen promotion: from sustainable materials to the rise of terrazzo, Spanish sintered stone manufacturer Neolith has released a breakdown of the trends that are set to dominate surface design in the year ahead.

The list was compiled after the brand spent a year on the design fair circuit, chronicling the latest innovations and common themes across interior and exterior surfaces.

According to Mar Esteve Cortes, director at Neolith, the first major trend the team noticed was a shift towards technical, protective coatings that enhance the performance of different materials.

"With increasingly strict building regulations, 2020 will see a desire for construction materials with inherent properties that actively protect the public inside and outside the home," Esteve explained.

"That includes everything from surfaces which contain anti-slip treatments to Pureti's photocatalytic applications which purify urban air."

This treatment, which has also been explored by NASA to maintain hygiene in space, utilises a natural process called photocatalysis through which plants create energy while trigging a chemical reaction that breaks down organic matter.

When applied to surfaces, this means they stay cleaner for longer, while reducing odours and pollutants in the surrounding air.

Sustainability is a key trend for 2020

As the world wakes up to the threat of climate change, sustainable production is another key trend identified by Neolith, as architects and designers alike are increasingly reaching for low-carbon materials that either have already been recycled or can be in the future.

Popular, more sustainable options include sintered stone – as a wholly natural material created by pressing and firing a mixture of granite, glass minerals and natural oxides – as well as terrazzo, which lends itself to repurposing offcuts that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Terrazzo is another trend in and of itself that Neolith has identified. According to the manufacturer the material continues to be a popular interior choice due to its ability to incorporate a myriad of different colours, grains and patterns.

Flexible working will lead a demand for flexible surfaces

On a practical level, Neolith predicts that the rise of freelance culture and flexible working will result in a demand for surfaces in the home that can serve multiple purposes.

"People will look to furniture and fixtures which can be adapted for both personal and professional use," Esteve said.

"This includes large kitchen islands which can function throughout the week either as a workspace, breakfast bar or a casual dining table for entertaining."

In terms of colours and finishes, Esteve forsees a move towards a moodier palette, with entire rooms styled in different textures and shades of grey.

"Where bright and bold colours dominated 2018, 2019 witnessed a gradual move towards more luxuriant and earthier tones," Esteve continued.

"Expect to see this develop further with richer browns, umbers and ochres contrasted with mossy greens, deep creams and muted blues in 2020."

Contrast and subtle striations will be trends for flooring

Flooring meanwhile is set to be all about contrasts, with simple black-and-white tiles arranged into the kinds of intricate patterns usually found in Florentine palazzos.

With the advent of ever-more sophisticated finishing techniques, it has also become possible for composites such as sintered stone to mimic the qualities of rocks, which usually have to be formed under the earth for millions of years.

This, Neolith predicts, will lead to a move towards subtle striations, like the ones found within otherwise snowy white, quartz-like slabs, as well as towards more distinctive "full-bodied veining".

"After extensive research and development into surface production, we've been able to create profiles which truly capture the deep veining found in marbles, granites and quartzite," said Esteve.

"This adds an element of hyper-realism to the slabs while having superior performance qualities when compared to the original materials."

That goes not just for the look but also for the feel of these materials, which is becoming more and more important to customers.

"Over the last year, we've seen an increase in requests for surfaces with a distinct texture," said Esteve.

"That's why we developed Ultrasoft – a finish that mimics the unique and captivating feel of clean cut, unpolished natural marble."

To find out more about Neolith's surfaces and how they embody the design trends of 2020 visit neolith.com.

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Snarkitecture creates labyrinth-like stand for Bolon at Stockholm Furniture Fair

A multi-room stand designed by Snarkitecture at Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair features in this captioned video produced by Dezeen for flooring brand Bolon.

New York-based design studio Snarkitecture created the labyrinth-like booth to showcase the Swedish brand's flooring products and offer visitors a chance to interact with them.

New York studio Snarkitecture created a maze-like stall for Bolon at Stockholm Furniture Fair

Bolon is a design company and flooring producer known for its durable woven vinyl material, which has been used in project with collaborators such as Neri&Hu, Missoni and Jean Nouvel.

The material was displayed on the floor, outer walls and furniture of the installation.

The stand showcases the Swedish brand's flooring products in a postmodern setting

Snarkitecture's postmodern design featured a multiplicity of arched doorways and mirrors, creating a number of different rooms through which visitors were led.

The booth was an interpretation of Bolon's new brand concept The Art of Performance, and is intended to demonstrate the material's core attributes of "designability, sustainability, cleanability and durability."

The multi-room booth featured arched doorways and mirrors

Tactile exhibits and video displays throughout the stand showed how Bolon's woven vinyl flooring material is made and demonstrated its properties, as well as showing how the brand recycles production waste to create new products.

The company was founded in 1949 by Nils-Erik Eklund, grandfather of current directors Marie and Annica Eklund, who collected waste material from local factories to make rugs.

Snarkitecture, known for its playful and interactive multidisciplinary projects, has previously installed a giant bouncy ball playground on Hong Kong's waterfront and filled a space at the Hudson Yards development in New York with spherical orbs that light up in a blue hue when touched.

Last year, Dezeen identified Bolon as one of eight design companies leading the way in promoting sustainability.

Bolon is known for manufacturing its durable woven vinyl flooring material

The stall was on display from 4-8 February at the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair.

Bolon's flooring was also installed at the event spaces of the furniture fair, at which Dezeen hosted and streamed a filmed talk with London design studio Doshi Levien.

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Jan Hendzel Studio combines ceramics, beaten copper and recycled plastic for hotel valet stands

London-based Jan Hendzel Studio has developed a series of valet stands for a renovated hotel in Hertfordshire, England, featuring hand-crafted details that make each one unique.

Designer Jan Hendzel oversaw the development and production of 120 bedroom valets for use at the Birch hotel in Cheshunt, which was renovated by Red Deer.

The sculptural objects can be used for hanging a jacket or dress, as well as providing a useful place to drop loose change, a mobile phone, a watch or jewellery.

The studio was asked to create valets for the guest rooms of a Georgian mansion house set on a 55-acre estate, which Red Deer turned into a contemporary retreat that includes a co-working space, two restaurants, a ceramics workshop and a bakery.

Red Deer's vision for hotel the was to "challenge wastefulness and uniformity" and the furniture within it is designed to encapsulate these values.

The architect had identified ceramicist Emma Louise Payne and designer Charlotte Kidger as suitable collaborators for the project. Hendzel added metalsmith Lucie Naujalis to the team and oversaw the composition of the various elements.

"We worked with Red Deer on the initial design phase to create an object that would harmoniously unify all of the different pieces," Hendzel told Dezeen, "then everyone went off and did their own thing."

"The brief to the artists was to produce as they normally would," he added, "which is how we ended up with such a range of interesting and different pieces."

The stands are anchored by colourful orb- or pill-shaped bases created by Kidger using waste plastic mixed with specially dyed resin. The material is poured into a mould in layers to create a multicoloured, stratified effect.

Ceramicist Payne produced a range of vessels for displaying flowers and Naujalis made hand-beaten patinated copper bowls for holding odds and ends.

Hendzel's studio was responsible for crafting the wooden stands, which are made from laminated pieces of sycamore and ash. All of the wood used was grown in Britain and sourced from continuous cover forests in line with the project's sustainable aspirations.

The studio also specified circular trays made from agglomerated cork that is heated and pressed into shape, giving it a distinctive dark hue.

In addition to the 18th-century mansion, the hotel also has a 1970s addition. The two styles of valet feature in different types of room, depending on how much space is available.

According to Hendzel, the joinery elements are the only parts of the valets that are standardised. Everything else is produced by hand, using methods that introduce natural variation.

"The project is about the provenance of materials and trying to be as honest with them as possible," he explained. "It's all hand crafted and the hand of the maker is evident in all of the pieces."

The studio also worked on other furniture and fittings throughout the hotel, including cork headboards in the bedrooms. It is currently developing exterior signage poles incorporating Emma Louise Payne's ceramics.

Hendzel established his studio in the Woolwich area of east London in 2015. Its previous projects include creating a range of bespoke wooden furniture for a coffee bar at Camberwell College of Arts.

Photography is by Fergus Coyle.

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