Home TopicEvents Grand Designs Live 2021 focuses on sustainable innovation

Grand Designs Live 2021 focuses on sustainable innovation

by Joe Gallop

Grand Designs Live, organised by Media 10, closed its doors on 10 October for the 15th edition of the Birmingham NEC event, which focused on sustainability in the home.

Hosted by Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud, the show featured brands, expert talks and demonstrations giving visitors the chance to discover new products and explore the latest technologies and designs across build, kitchens and bathrooms, gardens and interiors.

The event focused on “pioneering products” across the housing industry, including building materials and interior furnishings.

Grand Designs Live’s Ask An Expert area, featuring sustainability experts Alan Budden and Robert Tiffen, offered free advice and consultancy for visitors on everything from finance to interiors.

Kevin’s Green Heroes featured products hand-picked by Kevin McCloud, with five new Green Heroes and six returning brands.

The Grand Theatre saw talks, seminars, panel discussions and advice from experts in renovation and self-build from designers and home owners who have refurbished homes, constructed exceptional new builds and designed stunning gardens or interiors.

The theatre featured talks about renewable and green energy including ‘Making The Switch’, ‘My Beautiful Green Home’ and ‘Renewable Energy & Architectural Integration’, where visitors heard from the experts about generating, storing and using green electricity to reduce bills, save money and move towards a sustainable future, as well as how to introduce more ‘green’ elements into in home design.

McCloud was joined on stage by Grand Designers from past series of the TV show as they discussed the hardships, difficulties, and successes that their self-build projects posed.

New for 2021 was the Great British Box Room Competition, which saw a series of six installations, each designed by different pioneering interior stylists. With the aim to produce a celebration of unique small spaces in the home, the designs included a musically inspired lounge room, a dressing and relaxation room, and a family-friendly library.

The panel of expert judges included  McCloud, Karen Stylianides; editor of Grand Designs Magazine, Crown Paints Colour Expert, TV Presenter and Interior Designer; Chrissi Baldwin and Lindsey Rendall, creative director at interior design consultancy Rendall & Wright. Alison Simandl’s was named the overall winner with her multi-functional box room.

Rob Nathan, group marketing director at Media 10 said, ‘After two years away from the NEC it’s fantastic to be back; to see tens of thousands visitors again, to see so many new products, as well as many highly-respected returning brands and to be able to see and support the fast-growing movement towards a more sustainable future in lifestyle and homes with an array of ‘green’ brands, eco-conscious products across the show and a real interest from our visitors  to learn about sustainability.’ 

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