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London Design Festival: Inside Tent London

In the world of interior design and home decor, a regional "Design Week" is our equivalent to fashion week. The same cities are represented (New York, Milan, Paris and London), fab outfits are everywhere, and schedules are packed with trade shows, seminars and fun industry parties. This past September, Simplifying Fabulous! had the great honor of being one of 18 blogs from North America invited to cover the London Design Festival as a part of Blogtour 2011, a six day whirlwind of design inspiration. For me, a highlight was our visit to Tent London, a four-day show that featured 224 exhibitors throughout the slightly industrial, fragmented--and very cool--space at Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.

I walked the show with Michelle Carangi of Holley & Gill. There was a LOT of oohing and aahing going on. We gave in to the siren song of Abigail Borg's patterned textiles, wallpapers and notebooks and stopped in for a chat and to touch and admire everything. We also made a new Twitter friend!

Jessica Light's trims and tassels caught my eye immediately. Have you seen anyone else using these color combinations and textures in trim? I was thrilled to see that she was awarded one of the best stands at the London Design Festival by House and Garden magazine. Congrats, Jessica!

Jessica Light | Simplifyingfabulous.com

Stephen Johnson mixes art and design to create whimsical statues and wall hangings. His HAPPY HAPPY collection of giant gift bows is designed to make you just that...If you had one hanging on your bedroom wall, you'd definitely wake up with a smile!

His "Isn't that Lovely" collection also had me giggling at the absurdity. These stacks of kitchy statues are unique because, according to Johnson's web site, " unlike an object of physical function such as the chair for sitting or the spoon for eating, the consumer is left to establish their own function through consumption of the object, such as humour or nostalgia."

Stephen Johnson | Simplifyingfabulous.com

Up close, Emma Elisabeth's rug looks like an abstract pattern...take a few steps back and you'll see why it's called the 'Round Diamond' rug. It would make such an impact in the right space!

Emma Elizabeth | Simplifyingfabulous.com

Studio Pepe Heykoop's Leather Lampshades are much friendlier than they look. The shades are made from scraps of leather leftover during furniture production. The lampshades are crafted by underserved Indian women in conjunction with the Tiny Miracles Foundation in Mumbai. I'll take three, please!

> all photos by Mollie Magill

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