As promised, over the next few weeks, I’ll be featuring some amazing designs and the talented designers behind them from this years London Design Festival. I thought I’d kick us off with up-and-coming designer Bethany Luscombe who’s innovative design actually won her this year’s New Designer Award. An amazing achievement for someone who has only recently graduated from Kingston University, don’t you think!
Meet The Designer – Bethany Luscombe – Llai Design
If you’ve been following my interiors journey so far you’ll know that I have written a few posts now on small space living and how our spaces are being radically reduced in size here in the UK. So when I visited 100% Design last week, I was in for a real treat as I came across the Llai design by Bethany Luscombe, which focuses on space optimisation and how design can encourage us to change our social behaviours when it comes to relaxing and eating.
When looking to the future and what it holds not only for ourselves but for our children, there will be some chance that we/they will be living or working in spaces that are restricted in size. This means that there is, and will be, a growing need for designers like Bethany; rethinking and designing how to effectively utilise these confined spaces. Seeing young designers like Bethany has really gotten me all excited about how they are already tackling these issues.
Llai – The Design
Llai is a cleverly designed multi-purpose sofa that also functions as a dining/desk space.
Wellbeing
Hands up those of you that have eaten your dinner or worked from the sofa? Yep, we’ve all done it at some point in our lives, right? It could be that there’s been no space for a dining table or it could just boil down to wanting to sit with your family or friends whilst you work. The Llai design merges two of our most common social activities, relaxing and eating and how design can make us rethink and challenge the way we behave. With Bethany’s Llai design it actually encourages you to get up and move rather than being confined to the sofa. Placing an emphasis on the importance of our wellbeing Llai offers you the choice to do more than just sit in one spot.
Social Interaction
The sofa has been designed with a comfortable deep seat and a high back. Personally, I like these design elements as it provides you with the opportunity to snuggle up and get cosy. It’s open-end design also means you can swing your legs around, lean back and interact with whoever may be seated at the connected table behind. Considering most of the time, our tables and sofas are separated, Llai actually encourages social interaction whether you’re working, eating or relaxing. Great isn’t it?!
The functional and compact tabletop forms part of the relaxed seating area, allowing movement regardless of the space it is in. There are two stools that fit neatly beneath, each with dipped grooves along their edges, which in turn encourages you to interact and pick them up. The same detail is applied to the narrow table top where the groove runs along the top edge; adding a sense of stability and reassurance for placing items like a pen and knowing it won’t roll off. A simple but effective design feature. Of course, you don’t have to sit, you could quite easily stand at the table area behind which enables you to make a healthier choice especially when working.
The Llai Design at this years 100% Design
The Llai design is a versatile one that I could see quite easily being part of our future commercial spaces. And although it isn’t in production as we speak, I’m positive that we will be seeing this fabulous well thought out design in the future in some shape or form.
End Note From The Designer – Bethany Luscombe
Bethany has an amazing future ahead of her as a talented furniture designer and I for one can’t wait to see how her role in the design world unfolds. You may want to check out Bethany’s website here and see her other designs.
As always thanks for stopping by!!
Maria x
No Comments