I'm thrilled to be attending Decorex in London next week during the London Design Festival, where I'll be one of the first to see Johnny Grey's new furniture designs (I've been promised a sneak peek!). The creations flowing from this lauded designer's genius seem to be growing more organic, personable and sophisticated with each passing year, and it's such a marvelous process to watch. One of the most exciting pieces of news to come out of his studio is that he's collaborating with an impressive list of British artisans to bring even more whimsey and inventiveness to the rooms he's designing, including Adrian King and Chris Thorpe, Rapture & Wright, Veedon Fleece, Hourglass, and Firefly Lighting. We'll see Johnny Grey studio designer Leila Byrne's manifestation of Grey's new cottage kitchen at Decorex, as well as Swiss manufacturer V-Zug's steam oven and induction hobs.

His inspiration seems to know no bounds, enveloping themes as diverse as film and literature. Here's his take on some of his newest works: "Seeing the early progress on the cooking island made me realize that we have created a piece of furniture that could almost have come out of the Lord of the Rings trilogy--with its craggy burr oak panels and glowing textured glass inserts, it belongs in the middle kingdom! The Tree Corner cupboard could have been included in a set from Swiss Family Robinson. We await visitors' verdicts with anticipation."

One of the most fascinating things to me about the Tree Corner cupboard is that Grey designed it in his head when he was seven years old. "It has taken me all this time to bring it to fruition. It is made from Holly, a tree grown in my garden, and it has a mesh front making it perfect for use as a larder. It is partly inspired by the Japanese idea of Wahi-Sabi--the enjoyment of imperfection and a celebration of natural forms; a protest against the souless, slick hard-edged designs and furniture that so many cabinet companies offer. I also like the idea of it being visibly made by hand, not machine-made, its organic shape being sensual and unpredictable." Needless to say we're all in for some amazing surprises next week. Stay tuned, design lovers; we'll be bringing his artistry and more from Decorex (you can like their Facebook page here to stay on top of the hottest news coming out of the fair). Look for my guest post for Modenus featuring Grey's new collection. I'll let you know when it's live!