The new interior design talent to know now

By Lucy Scovell on 11/1/2019

From dyslexia-busting graphics to sustainable maize-corn marquetry, the hottest new interior design ideas are spear-headed by rising stars storming the industry

Jamie Shaw // @jamesmshaw

A graduate of the Royal College of Art's Design Products programme, London-based Jamie Shaw now runs a successful product and furniture design studio. His focus on sustainability and material research – in particular the use of recycled plastics in domestic furniture – makes him one of the most in-demand designers working in the industry today.

Lucy Grainge // @_lucygr

The brightly-coloured multi-disciplinary work of Glasgow-based Lucy Grainge stems from her life-long battle with dyslexia. In her recent project A Different Way of Brain Processing: Dyslexia, she explores the ways in which illustration and graphic design can help those suffering with Dyslexia, as well as inform their families and teachers. During a recent artist residency in Leith, she created a series of bold and beautiful abstract risograph prints based on her research around Dyslexia. This is design with purpose. Lucy, we salute you.

Fernando Laposse // @fernandolaposse

'Design with nature' is the Instagram tagline of the Mexican, London-based designer Fernando Laposse. At the vanguard of sustainable design, Laposse experiments with natural materials in his work, using predominantly cheap, easily accessible and sometimes perishable matter.

Laposse is best known for his recent project Totomoxtle, a surface veneer that 'harnesses the brilliant spectrum of colour seen in the husks of heirloom corn' native to Mexico. The husks, which range naturally in colour from deep purple to cream, are ironed flat and glued onto a paper pulp or textile backing to reinforce them. This form of contemporary, blush-pink marquetry can then be used as a decorative scheme for interior surfaces and furniture. Laposse hopes that this new material will one day function as a new income stream for local Mexican farmers whose livelihoods are threatened by the rise in production of genetically modified corn.

Jennifer Manners // @jennifermanners

2019 sees a renewed interest in statement flooring, from geometric encaustic tiles to luxurious, textured carpets. London-based Jennifer Manners is the rug-designer to whom all interior designers are now flocking. Manners specialises in bespoke (colour and design) handcrafted rugs made by trained artisans in Nepal. Her fusion of traditional rug-making techniques with contemporary designs make for bold, eye-catching pieces that personalise and brighten any home interior.

Tom Raffield // @tomraffield

Cornish designer Tom Raffled invented a new technique for steam bending wood whilst a student at university – he hasn't looked back since. Now, his steam-bent lighting and furniture garnishes stock-lists of some of the most prestigious furniture suppliers in the country. Combining traditional techniques and sustainable materials with contemporary design, Raffield's hand-shaped products push against today's throwaway culture, and offer a striking alternative to mass production.