Lifestyle, London

London – Grand Designs Live Show

May 13, 2015
17568703952_6b63fe1783_k

Last week I was invited by British Gas to attend the Grand Designs Live show at the ExCel Centre in London, they were one of the main sponsors. I have to say that as a person who only watches TV on Netflix, I haven’t watched the show all that many times, but as I usually like a bit of home decorating (or at least watching other people do it), I thought it could be something interesting. For those not based in the British Isles or who watch even less TV than me, Grand Designs is a TV show from Channel 4, where you can see people building, rebuilding, redecorating (and everything else in between) their homes.

There were a lot of things to see. I spent a total of 2 hours meandering through the corridors and saw a few interesting and eye-catching things, which I hope you will enjoy looking at too.

IMG_6295

IMG_6319

IMG_6318

IMG_6317

Smeg had their usual beautiful retro style appliances on show. I wanted to sneak out one of those fridges but I realised it wouldn’t fit in my handbag.

IMG_6314

IMG_6313

Crystals. There were a few stands showcasing light fixtures and a lot of them sporting crystal chandeliers. I thought it was quite amusing as I had no idea that these were back into fashion. Maybe they aren’t even, but there were quite a few of them. I wouldn’t necessarily put them in my home but they make pretty sparkly photos.

IMG_6294

The British Gas stand didn’t have anything sparkly or glittery or particularly colourful on show but it was definitely one of the most interesting ones. I’m not even saying this because they invited me, they had on display some of the most latest technology – what seems to me to be some of the first available implementations of the Internet of Things.  This presupposes that everything in our homes will be connected online, exchange data and able to be controlled from a distance.

IMG_6288

This is precisely what BG are currently offering: through their app Hive you can control the heating system in your home the smart meters give you readings of your actual energy savings and usage, reducing the need for estimated billing and readings. The future is coming and soon a lot of other appliances and devices will all be online, communicating with each other. How sci-fi of them! As I work in the tech space I end up reading a lot about these things and I can’t help finding it all a bit exciting.

IMG_6284

IMG_6312

IMG_6310

IMG_6303

I met this lady briefly and had to ask to take a picture as she is super talented. The murals you see in the background are hand painted by herself and they were gorgeous. Have a look at Alex Lucas‘ website and tell me if you don’t just want her to come around and paint amazing things on your walls?

IMG_6280

There was some focus on reusing materials and upcycling and these lamps were a good example of it, as they were all made with recycled paper and corrugated cardboard.

IMG_6279

I had to take a picture of this stand, as Asterix and Obelix are childhood faves!

IMG_6274

And that’s me with George Clarke of another Channel 4 Tv programme, Amazing Spaces. That was one of the highlights of the day, taking a photo with a TV personality. Definitely something worth writing home about.

There was a lot more to see but these were my favourite highlights, along with the Save A Speaker Campaign from The Vamp (didn’t get a decent photo of it in the end, unfortunately). Saw a 3D printer working for the first time and more blinds than I care to think about but it was definitely a nice day out.

PS: Tickets to the event were gifted but words and opinions are my own.

You Might Also Like

2 Comments

  • Reply Jasiminne Yip May 13, 2015 at 12:10

    There is a MATCHING mint SMEG kettle to go with the fridge?! Oh.my.God. It’s time to redecorate my kitchen! x

    Jasiminne | Posh, Broke, & Bored

    • Reply Mrs. D May 18, 2015 at 15:17

      Smeg have gorgeous home appliances… Makes me want to have my own home again 🙂

    Leave a Reply to Mrs. D Cancel Reply