Based on the Channel 4 TV series, and presented by design guru Kevin McCloud, the home-building and decorating event was packed with over 500 exhibitors, across seven different sections, covering Interiors, Gardens, Food and Housewares, Kitchens and Bathrooms, Home Improvement, Self-build, Renovations, Technology and Shopping. Grand Designs Live London welcomed thousands of visitors to this year’s show, providing a great inspiration to those in middle of their own GRAND design or simply looking for some ideas and tips.
At 10am on Saturday May 3, show ambassador Kevin McCloud cut the ribbon and opened Grand Designs Live 2014 sponsored by Anglian Home Improvements for the tenth consecutive year.
Highlights of the 9 day event included:
Ask An Expert: Located in the heart of Grand Build, Ask An Expert offered a unique service designed to answer all of your project and self-build questions. Top industry experts were on hand to offer comprehensive and free 30 minute consultations on all aspects of the build, renovation and development processes. Ask An Expert featuredrepresentatives from every field including financing and project management, offering designing tips from a RIBA Chartered Architect and Chartered Architectural Technologists and even help in sourcing trusted tradesmen.
The Grand Build Hall: Whether starting from scratch with a new-build, renovating a period property or extending a home, the Grand Build Hall was packed to the brim with products to help every project run without a hitch with the biggest selection of self-build supplier’s all under one roof. The Hall’s exhibitors showcased the latest developments in sustainability and eco-technology as well as some great ideas to maximise the space you have to make the most of light, storage and design.
The Tech Box: Making its debut at Grand Designs Live London was a brand new feature, The Tech Box.Found in the Technology section of the show, The Tech Box gave visitors an interactive walk through experience showing that it is possible to stay eco-friendly without compromising your love of cutting-edge technology.The Tech Box displayed the latest lighting designs and systems for your home which not only look incredible but also save money, electricity and energy. Visitors got the opportunity to see a variety of products available as well as getting the first look at those launching soon and even some never seen before –award winning-concepts.
Grand Kitchens: Visitors could experience A Taste for Design Restaurant sponsored by Miele and even try out a unique tasting menu created by chef Nigel Smith. Guests could enjoy up to six main course dishes and two desserts, all of which were demonstrated live by the Miele team throughout the day.
Market Lane: Following its huge success in Birmingham, Market Lane made its London debut at the show in May. Market Lane is an interactive feature within the Grand Food and Housewares section of the show. It created a lively, interactive atmosphere with demonstrations and tasting from local producers and Cookery Schools. It was the place to come to learn techniques and processes from a group of people who all have one thing in common – passion for their businesses and what they do.
For the second year running Grand Designs Live London held a competition to find the Grand Designs Live London Garden Designer of the year, to showcase the best of the regions Garden Design set to inspire your very own Grand Garden. Four of the best design entries inspired by the Grand Designs ethos were built at the show ready to be judged by the celebrity panel. This year the panel included celebrity garden designer James Alexander-Sinclair and Grand Designs very own Kevin McCloud.
Grand Designs Live’s headline sponsors Anglian Home Improvements were proud to showcase one of their stunning timber orangeries as a prominent feature at the show which proved incredibly popular. The eye-catching, Edwardian style timber orangery has a timber roof with solar controlled roof glazing that helps to prevent the orangery overheating. Its stylish timber bi-folding doors allow homeowners to extend their living space into the garden and also bring the feeling of being outdoors into their homes. This extension to the home offered many visitors inspiration for their own grand design and Anglian were delighted to be on hand to provide advice and information.
Award-winning appliance manufacturer Smeg also crossed new boundaries at this year’s Grand Designs Live with the first appearance of their new, small appliance collection on British soil. Italian brand Smeg’s striking new range features smooth curves and 50s-style lettering on every design, from kettles and toasters to a blender and mixer.
The Smeg stand featured a snapshot of the new small appliance collection – kettles, toasters and mixers in a selection of colours including pastel shades – alongside Smeg’s existing range of iconic fridge freezers, washing machines, dishwashers, fires and much more. Products on the stand ranged in style from retro curves to modern, angular lines – with an appliance for everyone including a comprehensive oven, cooker and hob selection, which reflects the renowned Italian passion for creative cooking.
