The Furniture Awards return in January to recognise and celebrate the industry’s champion suppliers. The awards – developed by Furniture News in partnership with the January Furniture Show – offer the event’s exhibitors the opportunity to put the best of their new products before a panel of expert judges.
The awards scheme, which is now approaching its third year, aims to identify and reward the best new products launched at the January exhibition, the principal launch platform for new models and ranges into the UK market.
Each exhibitor is permitted to submit an entry within one of the four product categories – Bedroom, Dining, Living or Decor – which will be evaluated based on criteria such as value, quality and marketability. The most promising entries will be shortlisted and inspected on site, before the suppliers of the winning entries are recognised and revealed on the first day of the show. The deadline for entries is Friday 9th December.
The awards are co-ordinated and chaired by Paul Farley, editor of Furniture News magazine, and the 2017 judging panel comprises a mix of new and returning judges: Malcolm Walker, director of buying for Furniture Village; Diana Celella, award-winning interior designer and president elect of SBID; Rob Scarlett, furniture designer; and Royce Clark, MD of Grampian Furnishers.
Ahead of the 2017 edition Furniture News, presents an opportunity to meet one of the four judges …
Diana Celella
International award-winning designer Diana Celella is the founding director of The Drawing Room Interiors, a successful independent design consultancy based in the West Midlands. After completing her Interior Design degree in 1987, she has worked continually in the industry, as well as lecturing in interior design. Her work includes the residential, hospitality and retirement living sectors.
Diana designs extensively for the commercial sector, specialising in healthcare projects including care homes, dental practices, assisted living and retirement villages. She is recognised throughout the industry as an expert in retirement living design and implementation of evidence-based design.
Diana was the Midlands regional director of the Society of British and International Design (SBID) from 2010-2012, after which she was appointed chair of regional directors – a position she holds today, working with the group’s regional representatives to organise events and CPDs across the UK.
Diana has also been chair of the SBID Healthcare Design Advisory Council – which brings together interior designers and other industry-related professionals to look at how design can meet the needs of the healthcare industry – since its conception in 2013.
She is passionate about the professional design industry, and believes strongly in the education of designers.
