Conran: Design Heaven & Hell: Textile Designer Lale Guralp

Another of our semi-regular columns today – and back on the designs we love…and those we loathe.

Today Textile Designer Lale Guralp from Conran & Company shares her choices…

Hell – Sauna pants. Although the design of ‘one size fits all’ and the direction of the segments show this product has been considered more carefully than you might imagine for such a gimmick, I fear one would not feel nor look one’s best in a pair of these. Despite it being a nice idea I think the ONLY way to ‘reduce waist, tummy, hips and thighs’ is exercise and good healthy food! Swimming in them might prove interesting too!”

We also couldn’t resist her second choice for ‘most disliked’ – this vase made from…er…flip flops..“Flip flop vase – wrong. At least one is able to easily wheel it around the table… or out of sight!”

However, on the positive side of things – causing a riot in the office is the Lippi Selk Suitshe’s just had delivered to the office. This ‘sleeping bag in the shape of a man’ is practical yet intrinsically amusing. We are not sure if Terence’s dictum of ‘Good Design should make you smile’ might be pushing it a bit for serious inclusion, but it’s worth drawing the parallel! 

“Seriously though, it’s light and really, really warm. Plus there are flaps so you won’t overheat!” Good to know.

Here she is modelling the small/medium version. 

After a rather jokey entry from this talented young lady we felt obliged to dig a little deeper into her more serious passions and inspirations so we got her to write a post about her most inspirational places in London – keep an eye out for it next week.

Right now she’s about to catch a plane to India with Brand Development Director Jill Webb, to have a look at the latest developments on some of our textiles for the Conran/M&S project – she’s promised us a little report from there too so watch this space!

Conran: Design Heaven and Hell – Pia Munden of mydeco

Here’s the next in our Design Heaven and Hell column – where the great and good of the design world tell us about their loves and loathes from the back catalogue of design.

Pia Munden is the Design Director of mydeco.com, the one-stop destination website for the home, where you can design your own room in 3d, get design tips from professionals and shop for product all in one go…

As Design Director, Pia works with the mydeco community encouraging and supporting them to create 3D rooms and moodboards to inspire others with their own homes.

The best part of her job, she says, is seeing the variety of creative content out there from people who love design for design’s sake…

More about mydeco next week – here are her choices.

Hell – Louis Ghost chair  – It’s over used and over seen. Show me it again in 10 years and I may change my mind.  They have become a symbol of a time, which in itself is good but on the other side it is a shame as it’s a clever chair – looks good and has an innovative design – inspiration from 18th century French furniture crossed with modern materials –  but sadly for me, I just don’t want to see another.  I would rather see its predecessor La Marie.

(She would rather see one of these…)

Heaven – Original BTC Hector Dome Lamp – A modern classic that works in every interior style – it’s as good in a study or a bedroom whether belonging to an adult or kids.  Generally a great all rounder.  The product is simple, clean and well designed.  The materials are good quality and made to last, and I do love the bone china shade and cotton braid flex – if only I could get the flex in different colours!

What do you think?