For the sixth year running, Grand Designs Live, the UK’s most successful homes, interiors, build and design event, is coming to London with more features and exciting homes, building innovation and interior design than ever before, running for 9 days from the 1st-9th May 2010 at London’s ExCeL.
With today’s economic climate continuing to affect property sales, more emphasis is being put on improving and updating our existing properties at affordable prices. In addition to this, worries over our ever increasing energy consumption, have spurred on consumers to look for new ways to improve our homes while remaining mindful of our carbon footprint. By making our homes more energy efficient, not only are we saving the environment but also saving money!
Grand Designs Live London offers the perfect solution to all of your home improvement needs for any project big or small. Whether you’re looking to build a property, add some extra living space to your home, retrofit and future proof your home saving you money on your domestic energy bills, or even revamp a tired looking room, Grand Designs Live has it all.
Based on the hugely successful Channel 4 TV series – presented by design guru Kevin McCloud – Grand Designs Live London is split into seven sections, creating an exciting array of grand ideas in each of them. The separate sections include Grand Interiors, Grand Build, Grand Technology, Grand Gardens, Grand Food, Grand Kitchens & Bathrooms and the spectacular Grand Village with its Live Eco builds and range of self build innovations and expert advice.
There are so many things to see at this year’s show, Grand Designs Live London is full of the UK’s biggest and best brands offering a one stop shop, to assist you with every aspect of your home.
Follow our guide to the ‘Must See’ things to do at Grand Designs Live, London 2010.
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Grand Designs ‘Expert Advice Centre’ sponsored by VELUX
The Grand Designs Expert Advice Centre sponsored by VELUX will be the place for visitors to get free, invaluable one-to-one advice from experts in every field from architecture to project management. Visitors can take their plans along to the show and gain FREE advice from our resident experts, who are on hand to advise on your project’s requirements. You'll find RIBA chartered architects, Grand Designs Magazine Experts, Mary Riley (Finance), Peter Caplehorn (Architecture and project management), Roger Estop (Planning and Urban Design) and Graham Davies (Project Manager) as well as the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologist (CIAT) if your project needs that technical expertise.
Book your FREE 30 minute consultation with one of our experts before you get your project underway.
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GRAND VILLIAGE sponsored by first direct
Back by popular demand, the spectacular Grand Village sponsored by first direct allows visitors to explore a series of new eco build dwellings, that demonstrate the ways in which architects and designers are pushing the boundaries of design and construction to create and build the most advanced, energy efficient homes of the future.
The Village will host some of the most innovative and ground-breaking eco builds, including the Pilotis, a low impact, upcyled and architecturally aware project, based on the Forest School project at Elleray Prep School in Windermere, in the Lake District. In addition the modular CUB Home, launched earlier this year will also unveil their latest model within the Village.
All boasting the utilization of healthy and sustainable materials, systems and finishes that will allow visitors to experience a full functional eco-house, in the heart of ExCeL.
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House of the Future presented by Philips
The House of the Future sponsored by Philips will showcase the latest and most ingenious home entertainment, great lighting ideas to compliment personal style and improve the mood and wellbeing in your home, and the best innovative gadgets and domestic technology around. This amazing hub of entertainment will see a home set-up with Lounge, Kitchen, Dining Room, Bedroom, Bathroom and Garden, featuring product launches by Philips, OVEI, AM01, Hi Interiors, Electrolux and Aqualisa. With a variety of products from remote control showers, multimedia beds, touch screen ovens, and the latest in brand new OLED technology from Philips, and also the debut of WiPower set to revolutionise the way we use electricity by freeing devices from requiring cables, therefore allowing all devices and products to be charged and powered cable-free.
Embrace your inner gadget-geek through the inventions of today and tomorrow, that will lead to domestic bliss within your home in the future.
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Kevin McCloud’s ‘Green Heroes’
Kevin McCloud, the familiar face of Grand Designs, will curate a new feature at Grand Designs Live in May; a showcase of ten truly innovative eco ideas, with the title “Kevin’s Green Heroes”. Kevin McCloud has personally chosen ten products or inventions that he feels deserve wider recognition. Some of these left-field ideas may not have hit the high street yet, some are on already on a high street somewhere you and I might never visit. We’re hoping that Grand Designs Live will give them some wider exposure and raise awareness of the environmental issues that prompted their invention. All of the products will reflect Grand Designs Live’s wider message of environmental friendliness and sustainability.
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Best of British- The Gallery Rooms
This years’ Grand Interiors feature is all about celebrating great British Design. Whether it be from new designers of our time or traditional designers, that have made Britain known for fabulous creations, our three NEW Gallery Rooms, will explore how Britain is becoming a ‘hot spot’ for leading interior design, through a selection of three stylish room sets, that represent what makes being British fun, exciting and unique!
There will be three stunning rooms to see including; A room sets designed by Squint Ltd (headed by furnishings designer Lisa Whatmough), featuring fantastic couture furnishings that have been transformed from boring old pieces to unique and vibrant interior furnishings. The second room set will be created by New British Design, a new company that helps young British designers manufacture their products. The final room set will be inspired by the great Dame of British fashion - Vivienne Westwood, with a a boudoir themed room will feature some of the best fashion inspired furnishings and products.
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The Cuprinol Tea Party
The Cuprinol Garden Tea Party will be situated in GRAND Gardens where you will be able to enjoy a ‘high tea’ in a quintessentially English garden setting. Our team of dedicated waiting staff will serve you a selection of delicious tea time treats. From scones, cream & jam, to dainty finger sandwiches and of course the essential afternoon cup of tea!
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Live Kitchen Experience sponsored by Miele
Some of London’s top chefs will be joining us at Grand Designs Live offering kitchen inspiration and cooking advice, with some of the sleekest kitchen technologies around including; Mark Poynton and John Burton-Race, Martin Blunos, Nancy Lam, Jun Tanaka (The Pearl), Tim Hughes (Caprice Holdings), Andrew Turner (Wiltons) will be doing live cooking demonstrations.
In addition, Miele will also be providing Kitchen Inspiration - where visitors will get a unique opportunity to interact and experience Miele appliances.
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Grand Build sponsored by VELUX
With climate change and new building technologies constantly hitting the headlines everyday, the time of change is upon us. The Grand Build Hall sponsored by VELUX is here to enlighten visitors and show them firsthand the latest eco building materials and new technologies. With demonstrations on ways to reduce energy and water usage, the Grand Build area will show visitors how easily eco lifestyles can be created, therefore changing the impact of people’s day to day lives on the environment.
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‘How To’ Theatres
For those visitors after a more intimate setting, the two ‘How To’ Theatres – ‘How To’ BUILD Theatre sponsored by Bosch, and the ‘How To’ DESIGN Theatre, offer a stage for key industry speakers to give informative presentations on a vast amount of interior related subjects. Targeted at both consumer and professional audiences alike, the theatre will host a mixture of industry experts and celebrities delivering consumer friendly advice and practical demonstrations on home building, interior design and more!
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The Bee Garden
Ever fancied your hand at bee keeping? With the rising popularity of urban bee keeping Grand Designs Live London has teamed up with the British Beekeeping Association to offer visitors a chance to learn from experts the process of bee keeping in your own gardens! Experts from the British Beekeeping Association will be offering their professional advice and seminars daily. With LIVE beekeeping occurring over the entire length of the show, visitors will be empowered to take action in their own gardens and save our British bees!
There will be hundreds of products to buy from the latest furnishings, innovative technology and bespoke designer accessories to suit all styles and budgets - there’s something for everyone. Plus don’t miss the Grand Designs Bursary, where you can find unique stylish contemporary furnishings from a host of up and coming young designers.
Grand Designs Live, London runs from Saturday 1st – Sunday 9th May, 20010, at London’s ExCel Centre. Book tickets now and save £5* through www.granddesignlive.com, or call the 24 hour box office on 0844 581 00771 + kids go free.
Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.
