As we head full-steam into the Summer months, this issue is packed full of alfresco inspiration from some of the industry’s most influential names.

I recently spoke to member of the Society of Garden Designer Awards judging panel Richard Sneesby about what makes a winning garden design: “I expect a winning garden design to be a garden which responds to locality, that gives people things to think about and do; is not fussy or confusing; and is inherently beautiful.” Find out more about creating an award-winning garden design on page 24.

Last November I had the pleasure of attending the ceremony of the SBID design awards. Now officially opening the fourth edition of the SBID International Design Awards, SBID has firmly established this annual occasion in the interior design industry. The awards serve to recognise, reward and celebrate design excellence. The deadline for submitting entries is the 14th July – check out the 15 categories online to see where your project might best fit.

Elsewhere in this issue, excitement for the upcoming Clerkenwell Design Week, led me to catch up with Show Director, William Knight, to find out his hopes and expectations for the 2014 design event. With more creative businesses and architects per square mile than anywhere else on the planet, Clerkenwell Design Week is not to be missed! Read about what you can look forward to from this year’s festival on page 8, and don’t miss Inex’s hand-picked selection of exhibitor highlights on page 14.