Eureka Design Award winners

The fourth Design-Nation Eureka Design Award took place at Somerset House on Tuesday night.

Taking part were 11 retailers, entering a total of 13 products. The top award and £2000 prize was scooped by Studiomama designer Nina Tolstrup for her powder-coated pewter ‘fruity bowl’, created for retailer Greenwich Village.

‘Tolstrup’s bowl succeeded in changing the way pewter is perceived, providing a contemporary solution that will not date,’ explained the judging panel.

Alison Milner and her partner Christiane Kersten were highly commended for their flambé-ware for Royal Doulton, while special mention went to Aloof Design founder Sam Aloof for his scented candle packaging for Heal’s.

Jona Hoad won awards sponsor MyDeco’s member’s vote for his ceiling light for Hector Finch.

The awards were a success, according to the organisers, although Michael Sodeau’s temporary installation, made up of several hundred glowing balloons located in the courtyard of Somerset House, had to be shelved because of excessively high winds.

This is the first year the awards have not been sponsored by Laurent-Perrier. An industry source claims the champagne company has backed out of several London Design Festival events this year ‘to associate itself more closely with art, rather than design’.

The judging panel consists of Design-Nation director Peta Levi, House & Garden editor Sue Crewe, designer Tomoko Azumi, Somerset House director Gwyn Miles, MyDeco editor Lisa Helmanis, Spink Hill Property chief executive officer Mike Spink and founder of the Cass Foundation Wilfred Cass.

The Eureka Design Award 2007 exhibition runs until 25 September at The Navy Boardrooms, Somerset House, London WC2.