Ahead of the postponed January Furniture Show (JFS), which is returning to the NEC, Birmingham, this weekend (Sunday April 24), the winners of the Furniture Awards have been announced, with Gallery Direct – which has made a significant investment in the home accessories side of the business over the past two years – taking the crown as winner of the Design Innovation Award for its Sofa In The Box and Packed-Flat designer furniture.
“As a business, we’ve always been led by design,” states Gallery Direct’s marketing director Bruce Bell. “At the beginning of 2021 we started on a series of design projects where we wanted to create new product categories that had a design-led feel to them, while filling a gap that is seen by many consumers as a significant requirement. We are therefore delighted that Sofa In A Box has won the Design Innovation category alongside the newly launched Packed-Flat.”
The Design Innovation category was open to businesses putting original design at the heart of their strategy, pushing the boundaries of creativity. Three additional categories covered Sustainability, Best of British and Global Player.
The four winners will be presented with their awards in the NEC’s Hall 1 at 2pm on the first day of the show, with each of the companies receiving a voucher for CGI services courtesy of creative digital agency Orbital Vision.
The submissions were judged by: Dids Macdonald, ACID (Anti Copying In Design) and The Furniture Makers’ Company; Deirdre Mc Gettrick, ufurnish.com; Malcolm Walker, FIRST (Furniture Industry Retail Sourcing Today) MW; Royce Clark, Grampian Furnishers; and Mike Murray, Land of Beds. The panel was again chaired by awards coordinator, Furniture News’ Paul Farley.
The January Furniture Show takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, from April 24 – 27.
Visit www.januaryfurnitureshow.com
Top: The award winning Sofa In A Box and Packed-Flat from Gallery Direct.
