London Design Festival 2016: unveiling a debut home collection

Seeing this year’s London Design Festival from the other side, Amira Hashish reveals the inside scoop about her collaboration

The Sand draws on Ikat and tribal influences

After years of writing about design, it was time to see the other side of the coin.

About a year ago I was approached by bed manufacturer Hypnos to collaborate on a boutique collection. Many a moodboard and factory visit later and we have a range of three beds (named The Sand, The Med and The Swan), which I am proud to have designed and curated.

This week we unveiled the project at Decorex as part of London Design Festival with The Sand on show.

British craftsmanship is something to be revered and there is so much fresh talent bringing new techniques to the table so this was a wonderful opportunity to combine Hypnos’s 100 years of craftsmanship and heritage with contemporary trends and printing styles.

The aim was to pair traditional furniture making skills with the technology which enables us to create striking beds in a new way.

We created each of the fabric patterns from scratch and I drew on personal inspiration to create standout looks. Many of the trends and concepts I have written about in this column contributed to the ideas.

One of the key steps was sourcing the right textile makers. Screen printing and dyeing specialists Insley & Nash fitted the bill perfectly. Gavin Insley and Mika Nash’s background was mainly fashion focused (clients include Topman and Victoria Beckham).

It has become quite stark through interviews I have conducted or articles I have researched that there are many parallels between dressing yourself and your home so I wanted this to be an intrinsic part of the design process. For each of the three beds I have a very clear idea of where the person sleeping in it would shop, what clothes they might wear and which accessories may appeal.

Second from the left, Hashish reveals the Swan to the public (Hypnos)

There is something rather magical about seeing Insley & Nash’s hand screen printing process in action under the old train arches in Deptford. They printed the headboard fabric for two of the beds – The Sand and The Med.

For The Swan, I was keen to incorporate cutting edge digital techniques and enlisted the brilliant Flock, a company which works with graduate designers to produce digital textiles. Angela Jane Johnston responded to my design brief and demonstrated how playful you can be with graphics by utilising digital capabilities. The finish is beautifully intricate.

A bed is an investment piece, both for your wellbeing and the style of your home and I am a firm believer that true luxury can be found in little details, so we have paid close attention to the headboard shape, the divan feet and the textures and colours of the fabric.

They are well crafted to offer maximum support and comfort, with mattresses that create a good environment for sleep through natural fibres and pocket spring technology.

Knowing that the beds are handmade by skilled artisans is very special. My visits to the Hypnos HQ have introduced me to a world of creatives where family is at the heart of everything. Many of the craftsmen that work in the factory are the second or third generations of employees. From embroiders to mattress makers, there is history and personality behind every stitch and staple.

London Design Festival has long been a calendar highlight and where better to offer a first glimpse of the collection than at Decorex, a show which champions new design.

Seeing The Sand at its stand in Syon Park was quite a moment. Watch this space for the next instalment of the design story.