The Liqui team have been hard at work refining prototypes for their latest product the Edge Clock. After many hours of hard work the clock is finally here!!

The EDGE Clocks are Liqui’s new adition to the EDGE collection. They are made from light but strong cardboard and recycled satin veneer. The thick corrugated edges have been cut at an angle and left exposed to reveal the intricate interior structure of the cardboard.

They are available in both Walnut and Oak veneer with 3 different colour hands for each. They are now available for purchase from Liqui’s online shop www.liquishop.com.

As you all know Liquidesign design consultants have been working very hard on their latest project at a cafe and resturant in Putney, London. After many many long days and nights Liquidesign have finally finished the design project and it is looking great. If your ever in Putney pop in an see our ingenious work but until then here are some snaps of the cafe..

Here in an interview with our very own Cameron Fry, Co-founder of Liquidesign and Chief Designers of the company. This interview was at Bouf to find out more about Cameron and the company. It gives people a bit of an insight into how Cameron actually got into design and why he did it. He also talks about his inspirtation for furniture design.

'Liqui is fast becoming a brand reputed for innovative, stylish furniture and lighting which is made with care and a respect for the environment – using local suppliers for our materials wherever possible. Keep reading to hear about Cameron’s experience as a designer, his inspiration, and what he wishes he had more time for.' - Bouf

So here is the interview which is currently up on Bouf's blog - www.blog.bouf.com

How did you get into designing? Why did you decide to go into furniture design?

I started designing from a very young age making cardboard models for my action figures to attack or defend, which was great fun but the older I got the more realistic they became. I remember when I was about seven my dad and I built a cardboard castle which was about a meter high we used cardboard and texturised paint which made it look like concrete and stone. It was far more advanced than anything my friends were making and when I took it into school they displayed it for a week in reception, which is a pretty big deal when you are seven. After that I was hooked.

Where do you draw inspiration from? What has been inspiring you at the moment?

I draw my inspiration from many different things it can be my surroundings at the time or a specific material I really want to use (normally with eco-credentials). It all depends really, I think that’s what makes the design industry is so interesting – you don’t just think of some crazy idea and make it, it has to work at a certain price and be suitable for production. It’s the restrictions in designing products and furniture that drive me forward. I’ve never been one to take the easy option, don’t ask me why because sometimes I wish that I did.

What was your favorite collection to work on?

It’s a toss up between the Curva collection and the Bagalight. The Curva collection because it was the first piece we produced for a professional design company. And the Bagalight because it was the first time I’d designed and produced a product with commerce being one of the main criteria. With Bagalight, it needed to be sold at an attainable price while still being produced in the UK. Also we wanted something with our brand name on it that most people could afford. Unfortunately not all of our product can come into this bracket due to high production costs in the UK, it was challenging but incredibly satisfying after we sold our first 1000.

Can you describe your design process – how do you take an idea and turn it in to a piece?

It all really depends on the brief but normally it starts off with some really scrappy sketches in a A3 layup pad the sort of sketches you would expect from a four to five-year-old. I find it just helps get the ideas down on paper, it was one of my tutors at university that taught me this technique.

After this I move on to prototyping in our workshop. I don’t think you can beat having a physical piece made up in front of you within a space allowing you to walk around it, pick it up, put it down and just generally be in the same room as it. No 3-D computer program has managed to produce a render that allows me to have the same insight to what the end product will look like.

I love your “because things can be different…” slogan, how did your green ethos develop? How does this green ethos manifest in your work?

Design can be quite an indulgent profession, which I found quite hard to deal with. I’ve always had a real love for nature and the environment so it seemed like an obvious way of trying to change the way people perceived environmentally friendly products, they don’t necessarily need to look rough and ready, they can be highly finished.

It’s not just about our eco-credentials, however it’s also about the quirky nature of the products we produce. I specialized in commercial furniture at university, which I loved but I found that a lot of design companies were producing almost the same products as each other with slight variations, the only distinguishing feature between each was the brand. I felt that this wasn’t really me so we created the “Because things can be different” slogan more for ourselves than anyone else it stops us from taking the easy route and reminds us that we are here to create something new and exciting not just “another product”.

What do you wish you had more time for?

Material research and development… I love using unusual materials it makes your job as a designer more interesting. And if you can use the material, that is not the norm within the furniture or lighting industry, it automatically makes the end piece stand out from the crowd…which is increasingly hard thing to do in this industry.

Liquidesign team of design consultants have still been progressing on the Splice furniture for their latest design project on the Cafe in Putney. We have been working very hard to complete the chairs, stools and tables for the Cafe and finally it seems to be coming together. Liquidesign were up in London this week making sure all the small design details were in place and generally offering design advice. Here is a picture of the ceiling of the cafe before our designer Splice Lampshades go up, let us know what you think..