4 – 12 May 2019, at London’s ExCeL
Grand Designs Live, proudly sponsored by Anglian Home Improvements, is gearing up for its biggest and most inspirational show yet! Whether starting out on your first renovation, building a new home, redecorating a room, looking for build ideas for a small space or simply looking for inspiration, here are the top ten reasons why you need to book your ticket now!
1. Meet Kevin McCloud: Based on the Channel 4 TV series, this exciting event will be presented by design guru Kevin McCloud who will be on hand to offer top expert advice as he leads educational seminars and dynamic debates. On the 11th May visitors can go behind the scenes of Grand Designs with Kevin McCloud and Grand Designs Director Marc Beers as they take to the Grand Theatre stage to discuss how their fascinating shows are created, and take a look back at some of the unseen bloopers from the past 20 years of filming.
2. Experience a Live Build with U-Build: Visitors can watch a build take place, using the U-Build concept as developed by Studio Bark with help from Structure Workshop and Cut and Construct. This revolutionary construction process provides a robust and affordable self-build solution, which can be assemeled by a small team, as demonstrated in Grand Deisgns: The Street. Visitors can watch as the construction grows each day, and take part in assembling components to be used in the final build.
3. Invaluable Inspiration: Be inspired by over 500 brands, across five different sections covering Build, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Gardens and Interiors. Discover RIBA architects, building suppliers, kitchen and bathroom designers as well as unique bespoke designs and original pieces of artwork plus much more.
4. Get Expert Advice: The popular Ask An Expert service, will offer free 30-minute consultations with specialists across a range of home-improvement areas, from finance to self-build and everything in-between.
5. Meet the Grand Designers in The Grand Theatre: Kevin McCloud will be joined by some of the most memorable Grand Designers from the latest series of Grand Designs, alongside some of Kevin’s ‘Top 20 Grand Designers from over the past 20 years of the TV series, including the very first home-designer to appear on the show, Tim Cox. Providing real-life stories through dynamic Q&A sessions, expect to hear about everything from architecture, to building, and beyond. Vistors can also hear from home owners and developers from the brand-new TV series ‘Grand Designs: The Street’ and learn more about their self-build journeys, as well as their first-hand advice for aspiring self-builders.
6. Inspiring Inetrios: Find inspiration for your own Grand Designs at new features Design Dicovered and Under The Stairs. Design Discovered will champion Britain’s exciting wealth of emerging design talent, showcasing five emerging enterprises, who have been given bursaries to tell their stories at the show; to exhibit and sell what they make. The five designers have been chosen by Barbara Chandler, Design Editor of Homes & Property at the London Evening Standard, who has a long track record of fostering new UK design talent. While Under The Stairs will see eight interior designers showcase bespoke installations, using a commonly neglected area in the home, the space under the stairs, giving visitors the opportunity to browse and pick up inspirations for their own mini grand designs.
7. National Custom & Self Build Week: Grand Designs Live partners with National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA) to support National Custom and Self Build Week, with talks and an expert clinic focusing on self-build taking place on the weekdays of the show, including topics themed around ‘Busting the myths of Self-Build’. Other exciting activities, include an onsite live build, talks and seminars from the creators behind the UK’s largest self build and custom community; Graven Hill, alongside the launch of several new products, from Lutron’s new RA2 Select smart lighting system, to Scavolini’s brand-new premium kitchen range into the UK market.
8. Visit The Upcycling Hub: In line with its green agenda, Grands Design Live will also premiere this all-new area of the show focused on the art of upcycling. Giving visitors an insight into the craft of up-cycling through live demonstrations, as well as showcasing artisanal pieces not yet on the high street, available for purchase.
9. Discover Kevin’s Green Heroes: Handpicked by Kevin himself Kevin’s Green Heroes for 2019 will make their debut to the show, giving visitors the chance to discover the very best eco-innovations of today; including EO Acoustic, Air-Ink, ecoBirdy, HyO Cup, Mapuguaquen, Poppy Pippin and Vlisco Recycled Carpet Studio.
10. Green Finger Campaign: Working with show Charity partner, Friends of The Earth, launching a brand-new movement the ‘Green Finger Campaign’. This will comprise of a Wildlife Forest at Grand Designs Live showing visitors how and where to create wildlife friendly environments in whatever outdoor space they have to work with. Visitors will receive information on the state of nature where they live, and the best actions to take for their local environment, as well as take home some wildflower seeds away with them to plant.
This May’s edition of Grand Designs Live is set to be one of the most exciting, engaging and informative to date.