Design event 2010 was held over 11 days at the end of October. It consisted of an access of 30 events which were held over the region. One of the particular points of interest was Event MART. This saw 22 designers from the the North East, showing their new pieces of work in Baltic Art Gallery.

One of the trends this year was wood crafting . Plastic has been winning the battle for favourite material in design for a while now, but as we moved away from modernist ideals, we see that wood is becoming more widely used once again. Wood seems to create a warmer character than the plastics and metals used when modernism was at its peak.

Wood is still able to, however, to honour some of the modernist ideals that have become a desired quality in design. artist, Jawini, still uses straight edges and crisp edges but incorporates images carved into the wood to create a lovely and charming aesthetic quality.

Designer, Amy Levinson, exhibited her product Turned Table. This was a beautifully handsome crafted table which enables the customer to engage in the construction and design of the product. The base is made up of different sized spheres , which can be rearranged and taken off to change both the height and aesthetic nature of the piece.

British furniture designer and maker Michael Armstrong exhibited his product R-chair. This product is a beautifully simple piece of design and is made from FSC certified hardwoods. This is another exciting example which incorporates the sleekness of modernity, with the warmth of wood.

Jawini, Levinson and Armstrong are just a few samples of talented designers who are re-embracing the use of wood work. As more people restore old aspects of their homes, rather than renewing them, the need for talented craft men and women are growing. From rejuvenating the period beams on your ceiling to bring new pieces of design into your home, wood is certainly back in vogue.