Living in a material world

Interior designers looking for a muse could do worse than to pop down to Material Lab, tile manufacturer H & R Johnson’s latest venture. Expressly developed for designers and architects, the 409m2 space is part showroom, part design studio. With interiors created by First Design Partnership at a cost of around £750 000, the venue shouts its design ambitions the moment you walk in the door. Upstairs, touches of lime green, gentle curves and a water wall set the tone. A red glass mosaic staircase winds down to the basement, which is host to its own mini Tube station – Great Titchfield Street. The ground floor acts as an inspiration space and, along with a small library and two Mac terminals, complete with CAD and Photoshop software, there’s a whole colour-filled wall of surface materials by manufacturers and specialists from around the world – everything from textiles, fabrics and leather, to decorative sheet metals, wood, stone, glass and ceramic tiles. See anything you like and you can take a sample away with you, or, if it’s from H & R Johnson, ask to see the full square metre that’s stored downstairs. Seminars and talks are planned and meeting rooms are available, as is a good coffee or a cold beer – all of which should help get those creative juices flowing.Material Lab 10 Great Titchfield Street, London W1, 9am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Tel: 020 7436 8629

By Trish Lorenz