Philippe Starck is the most searched-for interior designer in the world, new research can reveal. The renowned designer and architect, known for his eclectic transformations of hotels, yachts, and bars, rakes in 41,000 searches a year – five times more than the tenth most googled designer: Eric Kuster.

The world’s second most googled interior designer is Nate Berkus. The US-based designer and TV personality pulls in 32,000 searches per month – well ahead of the average searches for all designers on the list (20,990), including husband Jeremiah Brent.

The study, by creative resource Design Bundles, analysed 100 interior designers across the globe to discover the ten most sought-after in the world. It also ranked the top ten by their Instagram followers and earnings, to find the most powerful social media star among them. 

Bobby Berk is also among the world’s favourite designers. The Queer Eye star – who has a net worth of over four million dollars – has the third-highest average searches at 31,000 a month.

Jeremiah Brent – who co-hosts reality TV show Nate & Jeremiah by Design with husband Nate Berkus – saw some of the world’s highest average searches. The interior design guru rakes in 24,000 searches a month, making him the fourth most searched designer in the world. 

Celebrity designer Kelly Hoppen – based in the UK and famous for her classic East-meets-West style – saw some of the world’s highest average searches at 21,000, while Kelly Wearstler, who has crafted interiors for stars including Cameron Diaz and Gwen Stefani, achieved 21,000 searches.

Top ten most popular interior designers in the world

When it came to ranking the ten most googled interior designers in the world by Instagram followers, Bobby Berk led the charge, with the biggest Instagram following (2.8 million) of the entire list. Berk commands an estimated $7,498 per sponsored post – nearly triple the average Instagram earnings of all ten designers.  

Kelly Wearstler has the next highest number of Instagram followers (1.6 million), making an estimated $4,408 per post.  

And while Nate Berkus may be winning when it comes to Google searches, his partner Jeremiah has a higher Instagram engagement rate (1.88% to Nate’s 1.07%), meaning Jeremiah makes slightly more from the platform – $3,106 per post.  

A spokesperson for Design Bundles, which commissioned the research, said: “When you look at search data, it’s fascinating to see who comes up as the world’s most in-demand interior designers. While we have iconic American and British favourites such as Nate Berkus, Kelly Wearstler and Kelly Hoppen, the presence of designers like Philippe Starck and Axel Vervoordt show a clear, continental influence”

Design Bundles offers high quality premium design resources and a marketplace that allows graphic designers to register and sell their products. 

International wood flooring specialist Havwoods has launched its newest RIBA-accredited CPD, the journey of wood flooring.

The newly accredited course explores the process of wood flooring fabrication, from sustainable and ethical sourcing through to a finished wood floor full of natural beauty. Looking at different wood species and groups of trees from across the globe, participants will look in detail at the individual properties of different grades of flooring.

Recognised within the industry for its impressive wood flooring solutions, the CPD will draw on topical issues to provide attendees with more of an in-depth understanding of sustainable forestry and the issues around this, including deforestation and a number of different certification schemes.

An ideal session for designers, architects and specifiers alike, Havwoods will share its invaluable expertise, offering insight into the manufacturing process and sharing tips for successful specification and installation of wood flooring.

Available for delivery in person, at an office, shared workspace or as a live online presentation, join Havwoods on an informative journey of forestry, craftsmanship and innovation by booking your place here: https://hvwds.co/bookCPD

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of a renowned industry personality, Richard (Rick) Morel after a long illness.

Rick was the owner of a long-standing industry bathroom agency called CMA and over the years had been connected with many of the leading brands that we all celebrate today.  Instantly, recognisable as a larger than life character (quite literally), he will be remembered by his friends for his humour and ability to share stories when meeting up at exhibitions and events as much as his outstanding industry connections and knowledge.

He joined his father in 1985 as an agent working with Gainsborough Showers, Aqualona (bathroom accessories) and Ariston steel baths, where he gained the nickname Rick the Bath.

Within five years the business had grown sufficiently that he needed help and subsequently was joined by Richard Moffatt and a few years later his dad retired. At this point CMA also ran a team of 4 merchandisers calling on the large sheds and DIY stores on a weekly basis taking orders.

Rick’s heart however, was always in top-end showroom products. He loved this side of the business and selling into the West End where he did most of his work and made many great friends. Rick was the first agent for Salamander Pumps, a company that he still represented up until two years ago.

During his 42 years as an agent, other companies that he worked for read like a ´who´s who’ of the bathroom industry including:

Salamander Engineering, Midland Stom, Amptec, Trianco, PH Pool, Koralle, Dornbracht , Crosswater.

Italian manufacturers in particular appreciated Rick´s skills, effectiveness and reliability and subsequently, over the course of the last 15 years, Rick had become a niche, go-to agent for many Italian brands including: Agape, Fantini, Tubes Radiators and Karasan.

Richard Moffat commented, “Having worked so closely with Rick for more than 30 years, life will never be quite the same again. I learnt so much and shared so many experiences both in the UK and abroad. My thoughts and sympathies go to Rick´s bereaved wife Jackie and children at this sad time.”

Industry friend Rob Nicholls, Chairman of PR consultancy Publicity Engineers said, “Rick was a one-off, a totally unique character, remembered by many as a bon-viveur, rugby player and astute businessman. Those a little closer to him though, will remember him for being a loving dedicated family man, with great faith and amazing fortitude which he demonstrated over and over again during his last few years. He will be a huge loss.”

 We are seeing the shortage of HGV drivers impacting all sectors of the economy. The pandemic, the ping-demic and the consequences of Brexit have created a crisis which is showing no signs of easing.

After months of well-documented warnings over the impact from national haulier groups, bathroom manufacturers are now also facing a range of supply-side challenges. Shipping and raw material costs have rocketed, leading to difficult pricing decisions and making it hard to enjoy the highly elevated levels of demand for products. Pent-up consumer spend is driving this demand, but without reliable logistics, supply chains are buckling.  

While there has undoubtedly been some supply disruption for merchants and retailers, the sector is working flat-out to prevent more widespread product shortages.

Government says it is talking with industry and is taking action on driver shortages, with stories of army intervention, increased vocational test capacity, and additional apprenticeship funding. These solutions are great for the two-three year picture, but they are unlikely to create the influx of drivers needed across all industries in the immediate and short-term. The one policy intervention that could make a difference, adding HGV drivers to the shortage occupation list to allow more EU drivers to work in the UK, has been explicitly ruled out by the Home Office. Let’s be honest, this is a political decision and a choice by Ministers to put the economy second to their ideology.

The haulage situation is compounded by problems in global shipping and volatility in costs of raw materials. DHL has warned shippers to expect higher freight rates long-term, with little easing in the market until Chinese New Year 2022 and ‘normality’ in 2023.

Having recently met with the Department for Transport and The Department for International Trade to discuss this issue, BMA is reiterating calls for the UK Government to demonstrate international leadership on this issue.
We are told various stakeholders in shipping, ports and logistics are now working together to better communicate, and it’s important for intelligence from this effort to be widely shared.

Global shipping issues cannot be handled by any single Government alone, but a functional shipping system is fundamental to our national trading ambitions. Government must use its newly independent voice to tackle the crisis, or the rhetoric about free-trade Britain becomes embarrassingly hollow.

There needs to be a recognition that shipping and haulage, the nuts and bolts of trading are a vital part of the economy. I fear the Government will need to find that out the hard way before expending any political capital.

With 2021 a boom year for home improvements, Water Regs UK is reminding installers to keep water efficiency front of mind when advising homeowners about bathroom makeovers.

At the turn of the year, almost one in six homeowners said they were planning some kind of home improvement in 2021*.

Many of those plans will include a bathroom upgrade and Water Regs UK sees that as an opportunity to remind homeowners about water efficiency.

As a nation, we underestimate the amount of water we use. A Water Regs UK study revealed that Brits believe the average person uses 72 litres of water per day, which is half the actual amount used by the average person**.

With this in mind, Water Regs UK is encouraging trades professionals to talk to their customers about the steps that can help reduce the amount of water wasted around the home.

Installers and plumbers are in a unique position, being trusted to offer expert advice and guidance to homeowners looking to upgrade their bathrooms.

The advice they can offer will not only save water, they can also save a customer money if they are on a water meter.

There’s an array of products and measures that can help make homes become more water efficient, but the Water Regs UK research showed that many people are unaware that some of them even exist.

10 common water saving measures Brits aren’t aware of:

1. Drought resistant plants (81%)
2. Taps with aerators that use less water (79%)
3. Cistern displacement device (74%)
4. Insulating pipework to prevent leaks (69%)
5. Using greywater or rainwater to flush your toilet (66%)
6. Shower flow limiter (65%)
7. Water efficient dishwasher (63%)
8. Water efficient washing machine (54%)
9. Water efficient shower head (51%)
10. Shower timer (49%)

As part of the Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan to reduce personal water consumption, it has recently been announced that mandatory water efficiency labels are set to be introduced in the UK.

The labels are being introduced in a bid to inform consumers on water efficiency while encouraging them to reduce water waste.

They will also be another prompt for installers to offer customers the best possible advice about water efficiency when specifying products for a bathroom upgrade.

Julie Spinks, Managing Director of Water Regs UK, commented:

“The introduction of mandatory water efficiency labels is a step in the right direction as it will give consumers better information to decide which products to buy and contribute to reducing the amount of water we waste as a nation.

“Any water label should also confirm that the product has been tested to show they are of suitable quality and standard. A product that is water efficient but then leaks would defeat the purpose of the label

“Plumbers and Installers play a crucial role in helping people make educated choices when it comes to choosing the right products for their bathroom and, with 2021 being such a big year for home improvements, that advice is more important than ever before.”