Autumn Furniture Show / 36 Big Shots

STONELEIGH SHOWCASE

Now in its ninth year, the Autumn Furniture Show will return to the NAEC Stoneleigh Park, near Kenilworth in Warwickshire, from 4-5th October.

www.theautumnfurnitureshow.co.uk

The popular trade show features a cross-section of leading bed, bedroom, cabinet and upholstery suppliers, while lighting and accessory suppliers, plus service providers, give an added boost to the varied mix of exhibitors.

Exhibitors confirmed at the time of going to press include Abacus, Alpha Designs Upholstery, Alstons, Ancient Mariner, Ashwood Designs, Bluebone, Carlton Furniture, Celebrity Motion Furniture, GCL Bedrooms, Hjort Knudsen, HTL, Julian Bowen, Kaydian, Kuka Home, New Trend Concepts, Ordorite, Orbital Vision, Protect-A-Bed, Relyon, Sherborne Upholstery, Smart Occasional, Spaceworks Interiors, Staingard, Staud, Value Mark Furniture, Welcome Furniture, Wood Bros, Wiemann and Wilde Java, to name just a few.

The event’s countryside setting is easily accessible from the nearby motorway systems, and within easy reach of Birmingham Airport and its adjacent railway station.

Entrance to the show is free, and passes can be obtained by registering on its website. Parking is free of charge, and within a short walk of the exhibition. All trade buyers are welcome, and a complimentary light lunch is available

TOP GUNS

Big Shots / Holland & Holland, Northwood, Middlesex / Wednesday 6th July www.furnituremakers.org.uk

Big Shots, the annual clay pigeon shoot organised in aid of The Furniture Makers’ Company, raised £30,000 for the charity. The fundraiser, which is supported by Furniture Village, attracted around 140 industry members, making up 34 teams. Once the clays were shot, guests were able to enjoy a drinks reception and three-course meal. The day finished with a charity auction and raffle, followed by the results of the shooting competition, with the awards being presented by TV personality and Furniture Village sleep ambassador Dr Ranj. The results were: Top Team - Furniture Old Boys (268 points); Runner-up team - Alderbury Sons of Guns (242 points); Top Flurry - The Furniture Old Boys (59 points); Top Novice Shots - TMJ Interiors; Top Male - Ian Griffin (62 points); Top Female - Susan Knights (40 points); and Top Gun Novice - Christopher Shaw (61 points)

ANGELICA AU’S

OKAPI STOOL

Nottingham Trent University BA Furniture and Product Design undergraduate Angelica has worked on live projects with companies including Wilko, Deadgood and Nestle – but her latest design sees her tread new ground …

Angelica, 21, has shown that old trainers destined for landfill or the incinerator can be used to make furniture. The student collected 22 pairs of used trainers to help her make the prototype Okapi Stool, which she designed to help young children learn to put their shoes on.

The undergraduate found that disused trainers with soles made from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), when combined with PU foam, were rigid and durable enough for seating.

I WANTED TO MAKE SHOE CHANGING FUN

“People go through shoes quite quickly, especially if they’re used for sports,” says Angelica, who hails from Hong Kong. “But the problem with trainers is that the fabric wears out before the sole, and not many people want to buy secondhand shoes.

“Up to 40 different materials are used in a pair of shoes, which makes it hard for them to be recycled – so I wanted to show how this waste material could be repurposed and made much more sustainable. When combined with PU foam, it makes for a durable and rigid material which isn’t too soft. I was pleased to hear that a lot of people say that it’s surprising comfortable to sit on.”

Named after a relative of the giraffe, the Okapi Stool features an ash wood frame with a handle to help children maintain their balance while standing to put shoes on.

Angelica collected the waste trainers from friends, and from charity shops which had failed to resell them. She then cut them into small, cube-like shapes using machinery, and by hand. The foam seat – comprising the trainers and PU – was set in a mould for 24 hours.

“I had feedback from parents about what makes it difficult to prepare for school,” says Angelica. “They say their children can change their shoes, but it’s boring for them. So I wanted to make shoe changing fun and interesting, while also giving children more responsibility and independence.”

Angelica’s design was displayed at New Designers in London this summer. She can be found on Instagram at angelicaau.design.

“I consider myself to be a multidisciplinary designer,” she concludes. “I love to explore different concepts and ideas, as well as to challenge the limits within design. I aim to design things that improve people’s quality of life and encourage them to explore”

BUILDING BETTER RELATIONSHIPS

When furnishing a home, it is important to take a personal approach and create a space that feels comfortable and safe – states Forte, which offers plenty of practical solutions in various styles, colours, sizes and finishes so consumers can create relaxed, convenient and unique spaces for themselves and their families …

www.forte.com.pl

Bohol

Polypody

Forte’s collections are tailored to individual markets, as requirements in different parts of the world vary in terms of style, colour and dimension – and these soltuions are informed by the latest trend reports, and the furniture retailers with which the manufacturer works.

In Forte’s key markets – the UK, Germany, France and Spain – the supplier operates its own trade organisations, enabling it to offer local support to stores. Forte also serves customers in their native language, helping build even better relationships.

To further cement its relationships, Forte has built an exhibition hall in the German town of Bad Salzuflen, and every year during major trade fairs, the company’s team meets with its stockists there to present its new product ranges and discuss further cooperation.

Anyone interested in learning more about Forte’s offer and seeing the latest collections can visit the 4000m2 Forte Exhibition Centre during the MOW fair in Bad Salzuflen, taking place this month (18th-22nd September). Contact UK sales manager Victoria Ross on uksales@forte.com.pl for more information

Trondheim

WE ARE FORTE

PLANTING THE PRODUCTS OF TOMORROW

From purifying the air we breathe to providing materials for our homes, trees are integral to our lives. Core Products recognises their importance, and first introduced its Core Cares environmental initiative over 15 years ago, ensuring direct involvement in the traceability of the raw materials it uses – and involving many visits over the years to its factories and their sources …

www.coreproducts.co.uk

Mike Rowley commencing planting with help from a forester

Core Products’ ‘Plant a Tree’ campaign at this year’s January Furniture Show proved a great success, says Core’s Mike Rowley who, in June, set off to southern Brazil to personally oversee the planting process as a small part of the constant replenishment programme to which Core is committed.

“Our most recent planting was over 800 trees, carried out as a thank you to customers old and new who visited our stand at the recent show, and it proved to be extremely popular,” says Mike.

Core Products has sold wood products for over 30 years, and for a good proportion of that time has sourced from southern Brazil, where the land quality and temperate climate provide ideal growing conditions for pine trees.

“Over 7% of the entire state is indigenous forest which is legally protected, and a further 31% of the land mass is plantation-managed forests, which cover over 29 million square metres,” says Mike. “At 65% of all farmed land, the region’s biggest agricultural industry is forestry. Managed plantations in Brazil cover almost 80 million hectares, which is over 50 times the amount of managed forest here in the UK.

“A Brazilian pine tree will offset roughly 0.5 tonnes of CO2 during its 20year lifespan – this being the optimum time to ensure the wood is of the best quality. Any longer, and the tree will

A single pine cone wields hundreds of seeds, which are harvested and container grown ready for planting Year-old saplings ready for planting Augusta Sideboard, made from pine wood

harden and become more brittle as the maturity process slows.

“The forest will then be cleared, and the soil turned and cleared of roots, which, along with any bark and branches, are mulched back into the soil as a natural fertiliser – nothing is wasted. The land will then be replanted in a matter of weeks.

“The region is very proud of its heritage of plantation management, which covers many generations. In 1975 an association of the local forest companies was formed – ACR was one of the world’s first forestry stewardship associations, and now represents the majority of growers in the state, actively managing over 7.5 million hectares of forest.

“Each sapling is nurtured from a seedling in the nursery for the first six months, and is around 30cm high when planted out. Within a year, they will have grown to about 1m in height. To ensure plenty of growth space they are planted using a grid layout 2.5m apart. The planting process is all carried out by hand to ensure each sapling is well bedded into the soil – skilled foresters can plant around 400 trees a day,” Mike concludes. “Thankfully, a team were on hand to assist me!”

Core Products is proud of its longstanding commitment to ensuring the wood it uses is from such wellmanaged sources, and is thankful for its customers’ involvement in its planting initiatives