Interview: London's design guy Max Fraser

We decided to chat to Max about the latest edition of the Guide, as it’s undergone a major makeover this time around. Since we had him at our fingertips, we also took the opportunity to ask about his impressive travel destinations from 2015, his thoughts on where to get the best design-related gifts in London, plus what it’s like to live at the Barbican:

Richard has worked on the guide since the very beginning, when we launched in 2009. At that point, we were living in post-crash austerity times and the graphics reflected a sort of British restraint with the use of old British fonts Gill and Baskerville.

Subsequent editions have evolved the original design, but with the fourth edition we both had an appetite to change it. We discussed commissioning photography for the first time and felt we should give more space to imagery, hence increasing the physical size of the guide. Editorial changes were discussed in parallel and we decided to place more emphasis on the people behind the businesses featured in the guide, with mini interviews. The result is a guide that can be used on two levels: as a practical guide book as well as an interesting read about talented and ambitious people operating in London. Richard had a brainwave for the new logo, worked it up and then very casually presented it to me one day. It was unexpected yet perfect – I seized upon it immediately.

It’s not an easy gig. However, I had previously written a number of books for established publishers and was frustrated that I did the bulk of the work but got paid such a crappy royalty. I looked at the infrastructure behind putting together a book and decided I could do it myself with my contacts. The editorial I was comfortable with but I had to learn about printing and distribution and sales. I’m still learning! The risk is high but the rewards, emotionally and financially, have stacked up so far.

When I stopped working as the Deputy Director [of the London Design Festival] in December 2014, I said to myself that I was going to travel a lot in 2015. It’s been mega, clocking up more than 50,000 air miles. I’ve been to Beirut, Stockholm, Milan, Scotland, New York x 2, Bucharest, Sardinia, Berlin x 2, Amsterdam, Seattle, San Francisco, Paris, Dubai…that’s it I think!

Skiing in the Lebanese mountains by day and partying in Beirut’s clubs by night; watching the winter sun set while sitting atop Lake Como; discovering that the gods reside in the Scottish Highlands; visiting the second biggest building in the world in Bucharest; bathing on a rooftop in Sardinia; experiencing the magic of a remote cabin in Washington state; realising that there is more to the Barbican (where I moved this year) than concrete; ascending the tallest building in the world in Dubai and marvelling at the dancing fountains at its base; cycling freely in the autumn sun in Berlin.

My all-time favourite design shop is that of furniture and product designer Jasper Morrison. He is one of the best designers in the world (in my opinion) and, a few years ago, he turned a somewhat underused part of his studio into a small shop. Here, he sells a mix of his own designs with other items that he has found on his travels. In true Jasper fashion, there is no emphasis on the designer or the personality behind the piece. Items are just displayed simply and honestly and are accompanied by a price tag. That’s it. The shop is also somewhat anti-retail because it has no street façade or window. Next to a black door, you buzz a subtle doorbell to be let in. Through a passage you then emerge at the small shop, which is normally a haven of calm. I’d happily own anything on display. Wait…I already do!

If I told you that, I’d have to kill you.

I love it. At first, I was hesitant about living amid so much concrete, but our flat overlooks the central garden and lake so we get a needed dose of nature. We have the original kitchen and bathroom and fittings, which were all designed so cleverly to maximise the space. I’m convinced everything there was designed according to the golden section as the proportions are just right. It’s also really well located, central yet quiet – 15 minutes’ walk to Shoreditch, 5 minutes to Clerkenwell, 8 minutes to Liverpool Street station, 20 minutes to Tate Modern.

Yes, I work from home but sometimes change my setting by working in the Barbican Centre. The communal garden is a lovely place to rest on a sunny day. And the sunken gardens in the lake are a good place for an evening glass of wine!

Ours is a modest sized flat that we were attracted to because it still retains the original fittings in the kitchen and bathroom. In that respect, it’s covetable. People who moved in when the place was originally built still live here. Unfortunately, we rent so will unlikely be here forever. Anyone who can afford to buy here is a millionaire – another rich man enclave of London, sadly.

Apart from launching London Design Guide, 2015 for me was all about reconnecting with people, traveling and embracing new influences. I can say I’ve achieved that while giving myself time to gestate new ideas that I will turn into reality in 2016. That’s all I can say at this stage…!

Top Image: Skiing on empty slopes in bad visibility in the mountains of Lebanon Below 1. Setting sun over Lake Como 2. The gods letting themselves known in the Scottish Highlands 3. The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest - the second biggest building in the world 4. Open air rooftop bathing in Sardinia 5. The Rietveld Schröder House encountered on my way to the printer in Utrecht 6. London Design Guide on press 7. Glorious lakeside views in Washington State, USA 8. Jim Olson’s cabin in the trees in Washington State, USA 9. cruise of San Francisco bay 10. my little stone cottage in the Jura, France 11. the world’s tallest building - the Burj Khalifa, Dubai 12. taking in a bit of Mies van der Rohe on a bike ride around Berlin 13. New York from the top of the Rockefeller Tower 14. the view from my bed at the Barbican