• Top lifestyle influencer, experienced kitchen designer and renowned design firm partner featured in a live panel discussion about pushing boundaries when it comes to interior design creation and the role of sustainability.
  
  
• Neolith hosted a meaningful conversation during the 22nd edition of the London Design Festival that gazed into the future of residential and commercial design for designers, architects and journalists.

Neolith hosted a fascinating live panel titled “Creating Spaces for the Future” as part of the official London Design Festival programme. The event invited four different perspectives to gaze into the future of design without any limitations.

Chaired by Interiors Editor, Pip Rich, the panel welcomed 2024’s Scottish lifestyle influencer of the year, Wendy Gilmour; Senior Designer for Bristol based kitchen company, HUSK, Freya Gibbons; and Toni Black, Interior Director and Parnter of commercial design firm, Blacksheep.

Pip Rich, Interiors Editor; Toni Black, Interior Director and Partner, Blacksheep; Freya Gibbons, Senior Designer HUSK Kitchens; Wendy Gilmour, Scottish Lifestyle Influencer of the Year 2024;

The event was hosted against the futuristic backdrop of Moley Robotics in the heart of Wigmore Street. Cladded floor to ceiling in striking Neolith Calacatta sintered stone, the venue showcases a category of technology that also became a key talking point: the role of AI in our lives. Each panellist shared their unique insights, highlighting the distinct experience they have with Neolith through their respective disciplines.

Moley Robotics’ Chef’s Kitchen against a backdrop of Neolith Calacatta wall cladding.

The topic of timelessness – and how this is open to interpretation – came up early. Toni Black commented on her view of this within the commercial sector. She said: “Everyone has a take on timelessness. But for me, timelessness is about being forward thinking and more responsible, rather than leaning into a particular aesthetic. It can mean repurposing timber from a derelict home or using suppliers that will provide long term maintenance for products, such as re-upholstery of furniture in ten years’ time.” Toni added that sustainability should be sold to the customer as part of a narrative and that designers being more responsible in selection of materials is the key to the industry becoming more sustainable.

Sharing her unique view in the residential sector, Freya Gibbons likened how the decisions that consumers make when buying a new kitchen are not too dissimilar to the principles of buying a new outfit in today’s eco-conscious world. “Ultimately, certain elements of the kitchen, such as appliances or worksurfaces, are like jeans. You want them to be here in many years’ time and they hold an outfit together. So this is where it’s worth investing. Some customers want to embrace the new. Others want the comfort of a gas hob. It’s our job as designers to get them excited about ways their new kitchen can be more sustainable.”

Demonstrations of Moley Robotics’ AI-powered kitchen naturally turned the attention of the panel to the role of technology in design. As a proud owner of Neolith sintered stone worktops in her own home, Wendy Gilmour detailed how she feels she is an early adopter of design advancements, opting for a completely invisible, worktop-only hob in her family home.

Wendy said “As a consumer, research is everything. It would have been easy for me to listen to my designer and take the straightforward route of an induction hob. But I knew I wanted something different. Thanks to the community I have created online through my Instagram account I was able to speak with a follower in Germany for advice on an invisible hob, which was great as information was so scarce. Fast forward to today and I am chopping and using pans directly onto my Neolith surface!”

Rounding up the influence that the commercial and residential industries have on one another, Toni Black shared how she believes that consumers are looking for a “home feeling” and comfort when they step into a hospitality space, a sentiment which was backed up by Freya Gibbons who added that “the home will never go out of fashion.”

Ross Stewart, UK Senior Sales Manager for Neolith UK said: “We organised this event to facilitate insightful conversation and to connect further with our partners and we’re delighted that such forward thinking panellists joined us to discuss these topics. Neolith is a product that can be used fluidly across commercial and residential design applications, but we it’s rare we get to hear how these two industries directly influence each other. Neolith, as both a product and a sustainability concept, has a strong affinity to discussions about the future of design thanks to its world leading approach to circularity that is actively pushing the industry forwards. It is not just a surface, but a challenge to the status quo, which is evident in our recently awarded Cradle2Crade certification.”

Neolith also debuted its brand-new Atmosphere Range for the first time in the UK since it launched in September at the event. Guests were invited to feel and touch the new collection which has already been shortlisted for multiple awards (FX International Design Awards 2024, Country & Townhouse Future Icons and Designerati Kitchen and Bathroom Awards) thanks to its multiple qualities that are pushing the boundaries of surface design.