Merry Christmas from all of the Tangram Team

I would like to inform you that TANGRAM will be launching its January SALE on Saturday 5th January.
The sale will run until Saturday 2nd February.

There will be discounts on a large range of ex display products and 10% off purchases on any new products.

If you require any further information about our sale please do not hesitate to contact me at:
Joelle@tangramfurnishers.co.uk
Alternatively you will be able to see the majority of sale products on the clearance page of our website which will go live on Saturday 5th January.

Joanne's trip to Voice

Last month I was kindly invited to visit the Voice furniture factory in Sweden to learn more about their new products and manufacturing processes.
Voice is one of Sweden’s leading producers of contemporary furniture. The company is situated in Jönköping, one of the most expanding cities in the south of Sweden and an area which is home to a large number of Swedish furniture manufacturers; the result is a wealth of skill in a relatively small area.
We stayed in the Royal Corner Hotel in Vaxjo which is currently undergoing a significant refurbishment using Voice furniture in all of the bedrooms which looked fantastic and made for a very comfortable stay.
The trip was educational and inspiring and one of the most important things I took away was just how flexible Voice are; always prepared to get into dialogue with their clients to come up with the perfect solution. We were also introduced to the ever growing ‘Arctic’collection – a very sleek family of storage units available in endless combinations of wall hung or floor standing units.
Voice were great hosts and the two day trip concluded with a trip to an ice hockey game – something everyone from Jönköping is passionate about, especially at the moment as their home team ‘HV71’ are top of the Swedish league!

Julian's trip to B&B Italia

Over the weekend of 16-19 November, Julian, Tangram’s Managing Director, was in Northern Italy at a corporate weekend for B&B Italia’s top European dealers. 98 dealers stayed in a luxurious ‘confection’ of a hotel on Lake Maggiore – marble, cut glass and gilt covered every surface. The weather was cold but fine and snow lay on the distant Alps.


The weekend comprised a variety of trips to local attractions, (including staggeringly pretty lakes), a golf competition (won by Julian!), spa treatments and evening presentations from Antonio Citterio (explaining his new Flat.c shelving system) and Patricia Urquoila. Patricia gave a guided walk through the hotel gardens where her new Canasta range of outdoor or conservatory furniture was displayed.


Besides the relaxation it was a great opportunity to learn more about the furniture business in different parts of the Europe – whether enormous stores in Istanbul serving the city’s rapidly growing population of 14m or smaller outlets on Belgium’s north sea coast or in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. While the variety and size of businesses was enormous, everyone shared a passion for great design and B&B Italia’s quality of product.

This was reinforced on the last day when the dealers travelled to B&B Italia’s factory to view the latest designs in its refurbished showroom. During 2008 Tangram will also be showing these products including the Fat sofa, Pier wardrobe system, Flat.c and Canasta.

100% Design

On the 24th September Julian, Sarah and Sheila from the Tangram team visited 100% Design which is the UK's premier contemporary interiors event for the contract market. This show connects the worlds of architecture and design with innovative, contemporary interior products and an exciting mix of new and established talent.

At the show
We feel that the show is becoming increasingly targeted towards ‘designer makers’ with numerous exhibitors from the sectors of wallpaper and textile design and cabinet makers. There was also a big focus on bathrooms and kitchens, several manufacturers having large impressive stands.
The obvious recognisable trends this year were birds, florals and illustrations. We appreciated a lot of the quirky imaginative ideas and while interesting do not feel that many are practical for contract use. A couple of companies that caught our eye were:

· Raw Studio - A coffee table made from recycled coffee grounds and resin which can be embossed - a very interesting and different concept.

· Bloq - A company set up by Paul Johnson, using clean lines and solid shapes to produce precisely detailed, minimal and elegant forms - a beautiful range of storage units and cabinets.

As well as all of the activity that was going on at the show there were special design related events and exhibitions going on all over London, many in manufacturers’ showrooms.

We visited several of the showrooms, including B&B Italia, where we had the opportunity to remind ourselves of the products that had been launched at the Milan Furniture show earlier in the year.
The Fat Sofa designed by Patricia Urquiola was of particular interest - designed with the same soft sinuous shapes as the other elements in the Fat range. This seating system is available in different typologies: from a linear sofa to terminal elements and an armchair with two back heights, chaise longue and two new ottomans. Look out for it in the Tangram showroom in early 2008.



Fat Sofa



B&B Italia also launched their new range of outdoor furniture (once again designed by Patricia Urquiola) based on the inspiration of woven patterns. This Canasta Collection is available in white and bronze and seats have removable cushions available in many different fabric combinations.
These comfortable, anatomically shaped chairs are ideal for a swimming pool area, conservatory or on the garden lawn.



We also went to an exhibition at Viaduct where we saw new products from leading European companies including Driade, e15, MDF Italia, Montis, and xO. Of particular interest were e15’s new Shiraz sofa, the Axel sofa (Montis) with the new 45° angle and the Miss Lacy chair by Philip Starck for Driade.



Poltrona Frau is one of Italy's most famous high quality leather upholstery companies.
The collection includes modern and classic upholstery, chairs, beds, office chairs, boardroom furniture, auditorium seating and accessories.
New this year is a fantastic leather screen which depicts at an enlarged scale the contours and grain of a leather hide. It is laser cut out of hide, creating a stunning trellis effect.

Moucharabieh Screen by Poltrona Frau

Overall, we had a inspirational, educational and thoroughly enjoyable visit to London. It is always a great opportunity to view furniture and lighting that we are not currently exhibiting, catch up with colleagues and friends and try out new dining experiences (Moro in Exmouth Market – fantastic lunch!).

Homes & Interiors Evening 11th October

Come and join us for an exclusive readers special shopping evening on:

Thursday 11th October 6.00pm - 9.00pm

Indulge in a 10% Discount on contemporary Furniture and Lighting for your home.

We offer an interior design service and you will have the opportunity to discuss your design problems, desires and aspirations with the designers on the night or at an appointed time.

Limited places are available: tickets cost £10 and includes drinks and canapes, a 10% discount on your shopping and a gift bag worth £100.

Tangram's New Look

Tangram have recently given their showroom a fresh and inspiring face lift. The showroom has been rearranged and revamped to improve your shopping experience.
With the introduction of key pieces of furniture and lighting installations the showroom now gives you the opportunity to view pieces with greater ease.
Pieces stand in isolation so you can view and fully appreciate their design and form with minimal distraction.
Tangram continue to work with numerous leading European furniture, lighting and textile manufacturers but have selected key pieces to represent their products.

CURRENTLY FEATURED IN THE SHOWROOM

Luis from B&B Italia

The Luis is a new addition to B&B Italia's collection. The Luis design skillfully combines comfort and elegance. The seats come in two depths, three withs and two variants for height of the backrests and armrests. The system consists of 56 modular elements makeing it possible to create countless combinations from liner, corner and peninsular.

This sofa provides a very flexible solution for numerous requirements.

Luis Sofa now in Showroom

The Bentz Table from Baleri

back to black

A stunning glass topped table is a new addition to the Tangram Showroom.

The design of this table provides an airy sculptural central focus with a clear crystal glass top.
The base is available in red, black, white or polished aluminium.
Bentz Table Now in Showroom

The showroom has also changed its opening hours:
Monday to Thursday 10.00am – 5.30pm,
Friday 10.00am - 5.00pm

(now closed Saturdays)

Princes Mall Shopping Centre, Edinburgh

Tangram have recently supplied and installed the furniture for the newly refurbished food court in the Princes Mall Shopping Centre; part of a complete refurbishment by SMC Hugh Martin Architects for its client PPG.
The shopping centre has a wide variety of shops, a food court and a coffee shop and is a popular retail destination occupying a key city centre location adjacent to Waverley Station.The food court is a high traffic area and therefore the furniture was selected not only for its aesthetic but importantly for its hard wearing, robust quality. Tangram supplied Splash chairs and Sicilia tables by Amat and Onda stools by Stua.

Dining Tables

We have a few dining tables in the showroom and on sale; the Duna table by Arper with a white lacquered top and chromed metal base is a functional yet sophisticated design. Was £794 Now £595.
Maxalto ACT22 table and SM46S Chairs x4 Was £4718 Now £3499

Welcome to our blog!

Tangram Furnishers is a contemporary design furniture company showing a wide variety of products from manufacturers across Europe . We have a showroom in Edinburgh displaying furniture, accessories and lighting for both the home and contract markets. There is a huge depth to our knowledge, experience and, in particular, range of products. www.tangramfurnishers.co.uk